After You Have Suffered A While

1 Peter 5:8-11

After You Have Suffered A While

May 18, 2025

WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN OUR WALK WITH GOD! We are told that we need to be "sober and vigilant". Being watchful means that we need to get serious in the church. The Devil is Real - Here, he is called "Adversary". This word means, "An opponent, an enemy". He is also called "the devil". This name means "slanderer; or false accuser." This is the same one who attacked Job in the Old Testament; Job 1:6-12; Job 2:1-7. He is still the same old devil that he always was, and he hates you and wants to see you fall. The sooner we come to realize the truth of Satan's reality, the sooner we will see the need to strengthen our walks with God.

The Devil is Ferocious - The devil is compared to a "roaring lion" in this verse. - A mature lion's roar can be heard up to 5 miles away. Lions do most of their roaring at night. The reason they roar in the first place is to create fear in the hearts of those who hear them. This is just what the devil does too! He roars to create fear in the hearts of the Brotherhood. Because fear paralyzes faith! If the devil can get you to listen to his roar, he can keep you from hearing God's Word. The good news about the devil is that his influence can be defeated by the believer! The secret to overcoming him is to "resist" him! This word means to "stand up against" the devil! Be steadfast in your faith, knowing that the Lord has already defeated the devil and that victory for the child of God is found in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, Revelations 12:9. Don't let him have your honor, your family, your life! Stand against him and see the victory! Learn the truth that if you resist him, he will flee from you, James 4:7.

ILLS: I was watching an old episode of CSI written and directed by Quentin Tarantino called “Grave Danger” where one of the officers was kidnapped, held hostage, buried alive and had a limited air supply. All of a sudden, he discovered in a very painful way that he had been buried near and large ant colony and now was being eaten alive. As he contemplated suffocation and being eaten alive by thousands of fire ants, he removed his service pistol from its holster and aimed it at his head. The enemy had left him with a choice of an uncertain life of pain or sudden death without hope. At the moment when he was going to pull the trigger, he heard his friend’s voice saying, “Wait! We found you, put that down, don’t do that!” Someone is at the end today. Wait I say on the Lord! He’s Found you! Put that down! Don’t do that! You don’t have to drink that! You don’t have to smoke that! You don’t have to watch that! Jesus has found you. You were once lost, but now you are found. Peter teaches that, After you have suffered awhile! Paul told Timothy, If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: I have come to remind you today that after you have suffered awhile, Jesus will perfect you, establish you, strengthen you and settle you.

Jesus will PERFECT you - Psalms 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me. . . David learned late in life that he could not perfect himself. His father Jesse failed him. His brothers failed him. His king Saul failed him. His wife Saul’s daughter failed him. So he got another wife and failed his kingdom. He was a failure as a husband and a failure as a father. But he knew no matter how low he got, “The LORD will perfect that which concerns him!” Philippians 1:6 Be confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Jesus will ESTABLISH you - 2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil. Paul said in the close of this second letter, “Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did with you and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men; for not all have faith, BUT the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil!” After you have suffered awhile He will establish you so you will be steadfast and unmovable! Paul said, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58