Stand Firm and Be Alert

1 Peter 5:8-11

Be alert and of sober mind. 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 the family of believers throughout the world is 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.

Daily Message

Many years ago through our university debating society, I remember hearing a soldier from World War II speaking about his experience of war.

'There was nothing pleasant about war' he explained and he didn't try to glorify it in any way. War was hard and the battleground was a dangerous place.

He told the story of the pain, fear, physical exhaustion and utter hopelessness that often left him physically wretching as the sound of enemy bombs so close and the battle in full flight; bullets literally missing him by inches.

He explained that at so many points in his three years at the front, it looked like the enemy was going to win.

However, there was a phrase in his story that has stayed with me. He spoke of two soldiers running into the bunk room and shouting: "The war is over. Boys, we're going home'.

As we re-read today's reading above from 1 Peter 5, we are reminded of the battle we face. We have an enemy who is described by Peter as a 'roaring lion' seeking to destroy us. The enemy is the devil. Jesus also describes the devil so very vividly when he tells us in John 10 verse 10 that the devil seeks to 'kill, steal and destroy' Christians. So much so that in 1st Peter God reminds us to 'Be alert'.

Very easily, we allow the devil to convince us he isn't real and therefore we aren't alert to endless temptations and his seeking to destroy everything about us. We mustn't be fooled, but rather must 'be alert' to the devil and his evil schemes.

In Ephesians 6:14-18 St Paul tells us how to deal with the evil scheming of the devil who will try to take us down....

He writes to us:

'Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.'

Being 'alert' means we:

1.⁠ ⁠Stick with God's truth and live truthful lives.

2.⁠ ⁠Hold fast to the truth that Jesus has made us righteous and live righteous lives in response

3.⁠ ⁠Remind ourselves that we are truly saved and have been given the gift of salvation.

4.⁠ ⁠Exercise faith in the all-powerful name of Jesus and send the devil running.

5.⁠ ⁠Quote the Scriptures at the devil and watch him flee. The scriptures are like a sword, weapon in our hands against the devil. As is prayer!

6.⁠ ⁠Need to be ready to share the gospel at every opportunity as a way of keeping us alert. The devil is defeated when Christians are bold in talking about Jesus.

7.⁠ ⁠Protect our walk with the Lord through constant prayerful reliance on the Lord.

So back to the words of the old soldier. Words I have not forgotten since 34 years ago in Reading University debating society. I will repeat them again. The old soldier said:

'Two soldiers ran into the bunkhouse and shouted; "The war's over. Boys we're going home".'

Peter gives us a picture of a similar promise. For a season we will need to do battle against the devil and mustn't allow him to have the victory over us, but one day Christ shall come again and in effect will say to us; 'The war is over. Welcome home'.

Peter put it like this in today's reading:

1 Peter 5:10-11

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.

We have a promise that the battle against sin, the world and the devil will one day end and then for all eternity we will live as God's 'restored' people free of all the devil seeks to do to kill, to steal and destroy our lives.

So let's take the Lord’s advice in relation to the devil, through Peter:

1 Peter 5:9

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Let's keep going in the knowledge that one day soon, the Lord Jesus himself will run into our lives and in words only known to Jesus will announce something similar to the two soldiers in the story above:

'The war is over. Boys (and girls) we're going home'.

'Stand firm then' and 'be alert' to the devil's evil schemes until Jesus calls us home or comes again!

Willie