“…the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 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. 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…”
Two powerful truths this morning:
First, the devil is a predator stalking the herd. Don’t casually read that. It carries a stark warning. Life is a team sport, and we need each other.
Lions won’t stalk, a healthy animal in the midst of the herd. They look for a weak one that has wandered away by itself. Arrogance, which says, “I don’t need other people,” will make you a target.
You need community and you won’t find it by accident. We have never been lonelier than we are today… Though constantly on our devices with a mob of superficial “friends”… without transparency, we are alone in the crowd.
Go to church. Get connected. Find committed brothers you can be honest with, and who will be honest with you. Seek friends with a biblical world view that you can be transparent with, and who will have your back when the enemy is prowling around in your life.
The second take away from this passage, is that Self-pity is not an effective life strategy…. faith is. We have been trained to be victims but that’s not scriptural. We’re never alone in our suffering, and we should not be surprised when a world that crucified our King, is not enamored with His servants.
We will face battles, but the war has already been won. Christians everywhere participate in the sufferings of Christ. It is part of living in a broken world, but it’s not a permanent condition. Our eternal destiny is to be more than conquerors.
Don’t be bewildered at the fiery trials of life, and don’t face them alone … Stand in your faith with a loyal group of authentic friends. Face the fight with courage. And trust that nothing impacts you that has not first passed through the hands of God . He loves you. He redeemed you, and in the end, He Himself will restore you.
“A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.”
- Michel de Montaigne
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