HOW TO KILL A LION AND OTHER NEEDED SKILLS
1 Peter 5:8-14
#LionHunting
INTRODUCTION… Famous Lions (p)
This morning we will be talking all about lions. Lions are the “King of Beasts” or “King of the Jungle” and occupy many spots in real and fictional stories. One of the first famous lions in literature and then movies was probably the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz (1900). In terms of lions that are there and we do not realize it, MGM Studios has had a lion as it’s logo since 1917. Also in literature there was CS Lewis’ Aslan in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950). Growing up, for me, the most famous lions were the Voltron Lions which were a main staple of my TV watching when I was a kid (1984). Another famous lion from my growing up years was Lion-O from the TV show Thundercats (1985). In fictional stories, the most famous lions at the moment are perhaps those from Disney’s Lion King: Mufasa, Nala, Sarabi, Scar, and Simba (1994). We also can’t for get Alex the Lion from Dreamwork’s Madagascar movies (2005). There are of course many others.
Lions are the logo and inspiration for sports teams as well. The Detroit Lions are perhaps the most famous sports team with a lion as the mascot. Yes they are still a professional football team even though they have not won a championship since 1957. That is pretty crazy considering Barry Sanders played for them in the 1990s. Another team I found interesting was the Great Britain Lions which is a team of rugby players from England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland which, as I understand it, only comes together occasionally to play in major rugby championships. Apparently they win quite often.
Lions are not just in fiction or sports teams’ mascots of course, but are real animals that live and hunt in our world. Sometimes they are hunted themselves. In July of 2015, Cecil the Lion, a male lion being studied by the University of Oxford, was killed by an American big-game hunter and the story was a big source of angst for a few minutes while people were aghast that a lion was hunted.
I mention these things to ask the question: Why are we so fascinated with lions? God created lions to be fierce killing machines. Their bodies, claws, teeth, eyesight, and mannerisms make them a most potent hunter in the wild. Not only that, the mane of a male lion looks quite majestic. When we see a lion we are fascinated, filled with curiosity, and filled with fear all at the same time.
We have been in the book of 1 Peter since the beginning of the year and we are finishing up this book today. We have been sitting under the divine inspired instruction of the Apostle Peter. He has been sharing with us how to live in an authentic relationship with God in many areas. The passage that we are going to look at today has the image of a lion in the center of it which is why we have already been thinking about lions. Let’s read.
READ 1 Peter 5:8-14
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 12 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. 13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”
I. THE LION IN 1 PETER 5
At the end of 1 Peter 5, Peter is concluding his first letter with some very needed commands and advice about living an authentic Christian life. In verse 8, Peter tells us to be “self-controlled and alert.” As I thought about this, I realized that Peter is speaking from personal experience. Peter is warning us of danger that he himself fell into:
* Luke 22:31-34 says, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." 33 But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." 34 Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” Jesus told Peter he would fall into temptation and deny Him. What did Peter do? He fell into temptation and denied Jesus. Peter knows full well that Christians face an enemy and we need to be self-controlled.
* Matthew 26:38 says, “Then He said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Jesus commanded Peter to keep watch. What did Peter do? He fell asleep.
Peter knows full well that Christians face an enemy and we need to be alert.
The Apostle Peter identifies our enemy as “the devil.” The Devil is the slanderer and father of lies that is presented in Genesis as the tempter who tempted Adam and Eve. Satan is the author of countless counterfeits of God. Satan is the wielder of evil on this planet for a time. Satan is the accuser of God’s people.
Peter warns us that our enemy the Devil is prowling around us like a roaring lion. The Apostle Peter gives us the mental picture of a lion hunting around us for a particular reason. The Devil is hunting us. The Devil is stalking us. To be honest, the Devil is not being sneaky about anything for he is roaring around us causing fear and panic on purpose.
Believers are being hunted by he who rebels against God.
Believers are being stalked by the father of lies.
Believers are being pursued by one who wants to destroy in us what Jesus has given.
Believers are being tracked by the one who wants to steal our joy.
What are we supposed to do? Verse 9 tells us very plainly that we are to “Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” The normal mode of operating when it comes to Satan for Christians is to resist him. This is not only Peter’s idea:
* Matthew 4:10 records, “Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
* Matthew 16:23 says, “Jesus said, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
* 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 says, “I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”
* James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
* Hebrews 12:4 says, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”
Over and over again the Christian approach defined for us by Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, James, and the writer of Hebrews is to resist the devil and push him out of our lives. I was thinking about that and I came up with a most obvious question. How do we do that? Both James and Peter command us to “resist” the devil, but neither of them tell us how in a specific manner. Then it hit me. The Apostle Peter describes for us in this passage that Satan is a lion prowling around. Satan acts like a lion.
Well, how do you hunt a lion? How do you kill a lion?
II. HOW TO HUNT A LION [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_hunting]
I did a little digging and apparently there are three basic ways to hunt a lion.
First, there is the approach called “spot and stalk.” This method is typically employed by sport hunters with the assistance of a professional hunter and at least one native tracker. A walk-and-stalk is very action packed when the encounter occurs. Lions are very unpredictable, nimble and fast, meaning that if it was not killed in the first shot, it can be very vindictive. If wounded, a lion can lie in wait and potentially charge at the hunter, targeting just one person in the hunting party with the intent to kill. What does that mean? That means that a hunter should identify the lion in the wild and must kill the lion with one shot from a large caliber gun. Be very watchful and then kill with one shot.
Second, there is the approach called “baiting.” This common method involves the hunter lying in ambush from a constructed blind about 30-50 yards off from a bait, usually a tasty carcass of some kind, after hanging or fastening the carcass to a tree in a likely area. The bait is then checked every day until there is evidence of a hungry lion present in the area. The blind is built on the ground or in a tree nearby where the hunter will lie in wait usually in mid-afternoon or early mornings.
Third, there is the approach called “hounding” which seems to be one of the more popular ways in centuries past. Throughout history all manner of hounds, terriers and other dogs have been used by human beings in the pursuit of lions. There are paintings and etchings of hunters using dogs to hunt lions in Africa and the Middle East. This method of lion hunting involves the hunter releasing a pack of dogs bred for this purpose in an area known for high levels of lion activity. A hunter finds tracks and then releases the dogs. The pack of dogs en masse will track the lion and then hold the lion at bay until the hunter can close the distance and dispatch the lion at close range while the lion is distracted by the dogs.
III. HOW TO RESIST SATAN
Peter commands us:
* Be self-controlled (verse 8)
* Be alert (verse 8)
* Resist Satan (verse 9)
* Stand firm in the faith (verse 9)
All of these four commands in verses 8-9 are all connected together for believers in Jesus Christ. Among those commands mentioned, the phrase that caught my eye, as I stated before, was “resisting Satan” (verse 9). How do we do that? It seems to me that the Apostle Peter gives us the word picture of Satan being a roaring prowling lion for a reason. The same three ways that people hunt lions can be the same three ways that we as believers in Jesus Christ resist Satan and make him flee.
“SPOT AND STALK”
First, there is the approach of resisting Satan called “spot and stalk.” In a lion hunt, this is the technique where the hunter basically watches carefully and once finding the lion brings the biggest gun possible to kill the lion in one shot. One shot must kill because the lion is so dangerous that to attempt to shoot the lion with a smaller type gun would lead to a wounded animal that would wildly attack.
Resisting Satan is no different. We must resist Satan will all that we have once we spot him. If we at all give Satan one inch in our lives, then we have invited him in to wreak havoc. His lies will fester. His half-truths will nip at our faith. That is why Ephesians 4:27 says clearly, “do not give the devil a foothold.” That is why Ephesians 5:3 says, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.” When dealing with resisting Satan, we must resist him completely and when faced with sin, we must get rid of the temptation with one shot.
If you have an addictive personality, avoid all alcohol always.
If you have an addictive personality, avoid all types of gambling and cards.
If you are plagued by depression, avoid certain kinds of music on purpose.
If you find yourself sexually tempted by a coworker or friend, avoid them absolutely as much as possible.
If you have temptations in your life, teach your children and grandchildren for their soul’s sake to completely avoid those same things!
We must resist Satan fully and with a complete one shot approach in our lives. We must bring all of our Bible knowledge, spiritual willingness, and prayer life to bear when Satan comes prowling around us. We must get rid of him in one shot or suffer the consequences of wounding him only and keeping him around.
“BAITING”
Second, there is the approach of resisting Satan called “baiting.” What is that? A hunter is high in a tree or in a constructed hunting blind. A hunter is upwind with a barrier. Basically this is the technique of hunting a lion from the safety of a blind in order to be safe and successful.
Resisting Satan is no different. To resist Satan in this way, you first have to have a blind. You must have a safe place to be while resisting Satan. What is the safest place you could possibly be to resist Satan? Is there a place where you could gather and be safe from Satan? I submit to you this morning that church is just such a place! If you try and resist Satan without church, you are exposed to the spiritual hunter.
That is why Acts 2:46-47 describes, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” This is why Hebrews 10:23-25 says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Coming to church and worshipping fills up your spiritual tank and allows you to endure.
Coming to church and serving pours out to others and exercises your gifts.
Coming to church and digging deep into God’s Word adds bullets to your spiritual magazine.
Coming to church and fellowshipping with other believers gives strength.
Coming to church and participating spiritually with other people creates a safe barrier between you and Satan.
“HOUNDING”
Third, there is the approach of resisting Satan called “hounding.” Hounding is basically making sure you are not alone while hunting a lion. Hounding is having back-up. Hounding means when the lion comes around, the hunter is not alone and can keep the lion at bay.
Resisting Satan is no different. To resist Satan in this way means that you have surrounded yourself with believers in Jesus who will pray for you, study with you, worship with you, and also keep you accountable. Fellow believers are the hounds surrounding you. It is very easy to be a lone ranger Christian and think that you can be a believer all by yourself. It is incredibly difficult for us to open ourselves up to other people and answer the question: “How is your relationship with God?” Most of us resist that question. We feel like it is a private question that no one should ask another. We could not be more wrong. Having a group of people around us who support us in our relationship with God resists Satan more than anything else we could possibly do.
Is that in the Bible? Is accountability with one another in the Bible?
1 Corinthians 12:27 says simply, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
Ephesians 4:1-2 says, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
Ephesians 5:19-21 commands, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Colossians 3:16 states, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
Hebrews 3:13 commands, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.”
1 Peter 3:8 says, “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.”
SUMMARY & APPLICATION
The first lion I mentioned this morning was the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz. I hope you realize that Satan is not that kind of lion. Satan is the furthest thing from a cowardly lion that we can get. Peter says Satan is a lion prowling round us and roaring.
Satan lurks around at the most opportune time to tempt us.
Satan’s eyesight is keen on finding our weaknesses.
Satan’s claws can dig in right where it hurts the most.
Satan’s teeth strike fear in us.
Satan’s technique in hunting is effective and can be deadly.
Peter tells us: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
Resist him by being watchful and totally getting rid of temptations in one shot.
Resist him by being actively involved in church.
Resist him by surrounding yourself with fellow believers you are accountable to.
We might think that we should do one of these. May I suggest that to resist Satan fully that we do all three.
CONCLUSION
