Alba 7-26-09 (Revised 8-28-2022)
THE DEVIL IS ON THE PROWL
I Peter 5:8-9
Adrian Rogers told about a man who bragged that he had cut off the tail of a man-eating lion with his pocketknife. Asked why he hadn’t cut off the lion’s head, the man replied: "Someone had already done that."
Our text today warns us of a lion that is a danger to us all. The apostle Peter gives us not only a warning but also the way to avoid the danger. He tells us in I Peter 5:8-9:
"8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."
We live in a society that believes evil exists, but writes off Satan as a character in cartoons with a pitch fork and horns. This image has reduced the truth about the enemy to a mere fairy tale.
We tend to look at lions from the perspective of movies like the Lion King or The Wizard of Oz. But scripture gives us a more accurate picture of the type of lion that Satan really is.
He is not at all like cowardly lion portrayed in the Wizard of Oz, he is more like the lions you would have seen on Wild Kingdom.
When there is a lonely wounded animal, a pack of lions swarm around it and eventually lunge at it in full attack mode with only one thing on their mind, and that is to satisfy themselves by devouring the helpless animal. That is a more accurate picture of what the devil is like.
We need to get something straight, Satan is a real being, and the Bible indicates that his first job was that of an angel. But, he was obsessed with self and pride; so he rose up against God and was cast out of heaven and condemned to a future in hell.
Since that time he has been trying to rob God’s glory from Him by deceiving mankind. He is dragging others down with him. You know, misery loves company.
If there was ever a time when Satan’s roaring could be heard it is in our present day. Everywhere you turn, no matter what you read or what position you hold in life, Satan’s roaring is loud.
The last two Sundays I have made reference to the troubles we face in our world and in our nation. Our current political climate is filled with the politicians making statements and others calling it disinformation. People are canceled for sharing information that doesn't conform to the current approved narrative.
Minor infractions of the law are treated as if they are a danger to our national security, while crime runs rampant in the streets with people stealing in broad daylight and attacking others with knives and guns. And those who are arrested for such offensives are back on the streets the next day.
As our society becomes more and more wicked, the devil has quite an array of sinners who become his "fast food" meals.
Like a teenager who picks up a burger and fries at McDonalds, Satan is happy to pick up a high school kid who goes to a party and tries drugs or binge drinking for the first time, passing out to never regain consciousness.
It's a TV dinner for the devil to enjoy when a drug addict shoots up again and again, a hopeless businessman considers suicide, or a prostitute believes the lie that this is all she can do.
In fact, it's not even a challenge for him. It's just "fast food." Nothing to write home about. Only an appetizer – it doesn't even satisfy him. Proverbs 27:20 states, "Hell and destruction are never full!"
But, when the devil wants a "gourmet meal" do you know who it is that he goes after? A Christian!
A preacher is a delicacy! A Sunday School teacher! A church leader! A church musician provides entertainment for him! The one in the "Amen" corner! A kid who's been raised in church is a choice morsel! All of these make up a buffet for Satan's voracious appetite.
He doesn't care how long it takes to prepare this meal. He doesn't care how long he has to “prowl around...looking” as the Scripture says. He knows this meal will be worth the wait.
The devil, this roaring lion, is the enemy. He is God's enemy, the enemy of Jesus Christ. He is completely against everything that our Heavenly Father desires. He is completely against anything that Jesus would do. He is their enemy and desires the destruction of God’s work and kingdom.
He is also YOUR enemy and mine. He is anti-you, and anti-me. Anything that would bring us down and destroy our life is the plan of the devil.
So how do we survive when such a terrible and real danger lurks around us every day? Peter tells us what we must do. First… Be Sober and Vigilant, or Be Self-Controlled and Alert (NIV).
In II Corinthians 11:14 it says that, “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light..” He is masquerading. But we can be ready for him if we are “vigilant” and “alert.”
Unfortunately the red suit, horns and pitch fork are not his usual attire! If we knew his face and what he was wearing, we could easily identify him. But he is among us, and often we don’t even know it.
So it’s not his appearance that we need to be focused on, rather it is his behavior. Looks can be deceiving, but behavior never lies.
Satan will most likely never appear in your life in a way that horrifies you. Instead, he will prowl around looking for an opportunity that will catch you off guard.
He knows that the best way to get Christians, and even unbelievers, to follow him is to look good on the outside. He counterfeits God. He uses something so close to the truth that it is almost unrecognizable as evil.
I'm no expert on lions, but from what I have seen and read it would seem that: a lion roars when he is claiming his prey, or as he is claiming turf when he is trying to chase others away, or when he is trying to intimidate or threaten.
A lion prowls very, very quietly. It is done in stealth mode. Creeping, circling, very little noise until the pounce happens. It will prowl when hunting, aiming to kill and devour the prey.
The roar can be very frightening, but it is not the most dangerous part. No, the most dangerous part is prowl that you don't see. You may feel safe, but that's when the devil is lurking, ready to pounce. That's the deadly part.
That is why we need to be “vigilant”, “self controlled and alert.” If we do not stay connected to Jesus Christ, and we get off alone; that is exactly when the lion chooses to pounce and attack us.
In Africa, lions will lay out in the grass watching herds. Lions know their own strength, but they also know the strength of numbers.
When a lion looks at a herd of zebras, he knows if he attacks one, and the herd stampedes, they would trample him. But when he sees one rebelliously wander off and independently feed away from the herd, he starts licking his lips.
When that zebra gets far enough away from the pack, the lion pounces, pulls it into the tall grass, goes for the jugular, and begins eating his meal before the herd even knows what has happened.
Satan knows that when we are not connected to Jesus we are vulnerable, and it is at that time we are most in danger of being attacked and devoured.
There is a lion loose today, and he trying to defeat you, to bind you, to keep you from becoming what God would have you to be.
The devil cunningly and skillfully hides the results of pornography, immorality and dishonesty. He does not show the final state of those who hold to wrong beliefs about the Bible, or about Jesus and salvation.
As they say: Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure and pays with pain; he promises profit and pays with loss; he promises life and pays with death.
We too often fall into sin because we lack self-control. We must be clear-headed (sober) and watchful (vigilant) and practice self-control in our lives, not out of duty to our Lord but out of our love for Him.
But too many love themselves more than they love Jesus. So they act like a spoiled brat in a grocery store screaming and hollering because mom won’t buy any cookies.
There are times when we need to tell ourselves, “No.” That takes self-control. That is why we need to remember that it is really in our best interest to deny ourselves in some areas that look like pleasure on this earth.
Here is what we must remember, God is not trying to keep us from having fun. God knows where the danger is. He knows if we do what He forbids, we could lose our life, our health, our joy. Even if we are not destroyed forever, we may be in intensive care for a while.
Jesus was tempted in the desert. He faced every kind of temptation that tempts us; the lust of the body, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life that seeks power, position and authority. And He said “No.”
If we do not learn to say “No,” when temptations come, we are in danger of being devoured by that old lion, the devil. Someone has said, "Either be lion alert, or you will be lion desert!!"
But what happens if this old lion has snuck up on you and all of a sudden you are face to face with his temptation? Peter says to escape, you must… Resist Him.
Resist the devil. In the original language the word is “oppose.” In other words, let him know boldly that through the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of prayer you are saying “NO! I will not listen to your lies.”
In James 4:7-8 we are told to “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Our feeble attempt at resistance has no power nor impact apart from God. The only way to defeat the enemy is to draw near to God and allow Him to work in us to bring defeat to the enemy.
The best thing we can do to resist the devil is to know God’s word. Remember, when the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus used scripture to answer each temptation.
Yes, we must yield to God’s spirit and pray; but, if we don’t know the word of God, we have no basis for our fortress. We will eventually give in. Knowing God’s Word enables us to resist the devil’s crafty ways.
Because He tries to cause doubts about the wisdom of God. He wants people to doubt God’s promises and precepts. He wants to misrepresent God to us with thoughts like “Did God really say??”
So God’s Word is the key to know how to resist the devil. But, be aware that just knowing the scripture without applying it and doing it leaves you open to attack.
He attempts to persuade us that what is good is evil, and what is evil is good. And he has done a good job of that around us today. And He attempts to persuade us that God does not mean what He says when He says it.
He attempts to convince people that you can do wrong and get away with it by hiding any idea of ultimate judgment from God. He attempts to convince us that God does not know what is best for us.
He attempts to make people laugh at purity and decency. He attempts to convince people that marriage is “out of date” and that living together without marriage is okay.
He attempts to convince people that God never intended marriage to be a male and female till death to us part. He attempts to convince men that Adam and Steve should be accepted as well as Adam and Eve.
He attempts to convince Christians to blend in with the world, as though acting like those outside of Christ will do no harm.
For protection, look into God’s Word and find out where and how Satan tends to operate. Then steer yourself a wide course around whatever the temptation is. Resist him for your own good.
Satan does not like to be opposed; but, because he is powerless over the children of God he has no choice but to flee. If he is resisted, he will head the other direction.
There is another Lion that I want to bring to your attention. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He made one great roar as he hung on the cross.
The last statement Jesus made just before he gave up the ghost and died on that cross has resounded throughout all of creation, and for all of history, as the one most powerful roar that could ever be heard. Jesus said, “IT IS FINISHED”!
At that moment all of the power of the adversary was broken. At that moment all of the power of fear, doubt, frustration and sin was forever crushed and placed under His feet.
Jesus isn’t shaken by the roaring of the devil’s voice. He does not cower in fear at the sound of Satan’s deceptive lies.
Jesus is on our side and He has already defeated the devil at his own game. Jesus has paid the price on the cross for every one of my sins and yours.
When we come to Jesus through faith, repentance, confessing His name, being baptized into Him and living faithfully for Him, there is no accusation that Satan can bring before God concerning us for which Jesus did not already take to the cross.
The lion may roar, but Satan’s accusations are made null and void, because the penalty has already been paid by the Blood of Jesus Christ. He is the great lion tamer!
CONCLUSION:
THE FEARLESS LION TAMER
A first grader stood in front of his classroom to make a speech about "What I want to be when I grow up."
He said, "I'm going to be a lion tamer and have lots of fierce lions. I'll walk into the cage and they will roar."
He paused for a moment, thinking through what he had just said and then added, "But of course, I'll have my mommy with me."
(From a sermon by Ray Ellis, Victory in Times of Crisis, 6/14/2010)
Well, I think that when you face that roaring lion described in scripture, you had better have Jesus with you.
He is the only one who can give the protection you need.
