We ended the Spring bible study series with 1 Peter 5:1-11. In the first 7 verses,
- Peter reminds us (spiritual leaders, elders, pastors, etc.) that we have a responsibility to shepherd, guide, & protect.
- We need to serve out of desire, not obligation.
- We, and the young leaders are encouraged to seek counsel and be humble.
- We must give our anxieties and worries completely to God. Because worry constitutes pride since it denies the care of a sovereign God.
We have all heard about Satan prowling around like a lion waiting to devour someone (verse 8). But it is more than just imagery. It is real. The name Satan, means adversary. He is our enemy. He was given limited power (Job 1:8-12), but his mission is to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). He will do this through lies (John 8:44).
We must identify the real enemy. It is not your spouse. It is not your family. It is not your church community. It is not your job. It IS Satan, the great deceiver.
My challenge to you this week is to spend time getting to know your adversary. Know his names, his attributes, his methods, his characteristics. I suspect that you will begin to see that he is real, but he is not original. Once you identify the enemy and the simple tactics, you can begin to prepare to fight the enemy with the power of God.
Verbal Kent, from The Usual Suspects, had a great line when he said "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he does not exist".
Be intentional.
Travis
