Nov 17, 2014
Defeated Adversary
1 Peter 5:5-11 NKJV
Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
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. 10 But may[d]the God of all grace, who called us[e] to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
|
1 Peter 5:5-11 AMP
Likewise, you who are younger and of lesser rank, be subject to the elders (the ministers and spiritual guides of the church)—[giving them due respect and yielding to their counsel]. Clothe (apron) yourselves, all of you, with humility [as the garb of a servant, [b]so that its covering cannot possibly be stripped from you, with freedom from pride and arrogance] toward one another. For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)—[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble.
6 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,
7 Casting the [c]whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, [d]once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you [e]watchfully.
8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [[f]in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.
9 Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same ([g]identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.
10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.
11 To Him be the dominion (power, authority, rule) forever and ever. Amen (so be it).
|
Peter used “a roaring lion” as a metaphor for Satan. He is a confident predator, looking for easy prey to devour (1 Peter 5:8). In dealing with this adversary, God’s children must be vigilant at putting “on the whole armor of God” and thus they can “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10-11). (ODB)
The good news is that Satan is a defeated adversary. While he is a powerful foe, those who are protected by salvation, prayer, and the Word of God need not be paralyzed in fear at this roaring lion. We are “kept by the power of God” (1 Peter 1:5). James 4:7 assures us: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (ODB)
A carefree life is not a careless one, and the Christian must be watchful as we are involved in a constant spiritual warfare. The facts of this are: there is an enemy, the devil (8); he seeks opportunities to destroy Christians (8); the way to overcome him is by resistance (9); such resistance is based on confidence in God (9); it is also backed by the knowledge that we are not alone in the struggle (9); the outcome lies with God, who, because of his ultimate destiny for us, will meet every need on the way (10); this God has the power for ever (11). (Carson)
On being self-controlled see 1:13 and 4:7. The word Alert is a striking reference to Jesus’ words to Peter (Mt. 26:41; Mk. 14:38). The word Enemy is a legal term, a translation of the Heb. śāṭān, used of the adversary of souls (e.g. Jb. 1:6). Here, as there, Satan can be seen as the one who stirs up suffering and persecution in order to test and, if possible, destroy the faith of God’s children. Peter was familiar with this behaviour (see Mt. 16:23; Lk. 22:31). The word devil is a Greek word meaning ‘slanderer’. In his role of undermining faith the devil slanders God to men (Gn. 3:1, 4–5) and men to God (Jb. 1:9–11; 2:4–5). The term Resist is the method recommended for dealing with the devil, as in Jas. 4:7 (cf. Eph. 6:11–17). It is the desires of the flesh that one has to flee (1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:22). The word firm describes the solidity of material objects. No superficial faith will do here, as it is the enemy’s desire to make apostates through persecution. Rev. 12:11 gives further advice for victory in such trials. 10 The call to perseverance is matched by the doctrine of preservation. Since God has called us to share his eternal glory in Christ, we can ultimately rely on him to bring us safely through to it (see Phil. 1:6; 1 Thes. 5:24; Jude 24). 11 Power (Gk. kratos, from which the adjective mighty in v 6 is formed) is not the usual word but means God’s overruling might which is guaranteed to bring the Christian through. (Carson)
5:8–11. In the Old Testament, “Satan” was the accuser, the prosecuting attorney before God—the “adversary,” as Peter says. In Jewish tradition, Satan accused God’s people before God’s throne day and night (except, in later accounts, on the Day of Atonement). The “devil” is literally the “slanderer,” carrying the same connotation as the adversarial accuser. Jewish teachers recognized that, as in the book of Job (where he “went about” over the face of the earth—2:12), Satan sought in this present age to turn people to apostasy from the truth, although his power was limited because he ultimately had to answer to God. The Dead Sea Scrolls called the present evil age the “dominion of Satan.” (Keener)
Lions were viewed as the most ferocious and mighty beasts, and from Psalm 22:13 (probably the background here) they came to be used as figures for enemies of God’s people. In the time of Nero, Christians were fed to some literal lions as well. The small, isolated Christian communities could take heart that their other spiritual siblings—starting with the churches Peter knew in Rome—were experiencing the same trials (1 Pet 5:9), until the end (v. 10). (Keener)
Lions will attack sick, young and weak animals. They will choose victims that are alone. In this epistle, Peter warns us to watch out for satan when we are suffering or being persecuted. If you are feeling alone, weak, helpless and cut off from other believers, and is focused mainly on your troubles and not being watchful for danger, you will be most vulnerable to satan’s attacks. In those times of trials, tribulations and suffering, it is important to have a Christ-based support group with spirit-filled believers. By the way, who created satan? And what was the purpose? (Life Application Bible)
In conclusion, satan is evil and ferocious, but he is not invincible. Jesus had already defeated satan at the cross. We, as believers, are to continue to resist the devil, bind the Word of God against him and protect ourselves from his fiery darts. Satan’s power is limited. God’s power is unlimited. Satan can only be in one place at a time. God is omni- present. Therefore, we need to fear God, not the devil. For “greater is He (God) who is in me than he (the devil) who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Miyagi
The Body of Christ Jesus Fellowship
Makaha, HI USA
Work Cited
Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 1384). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (1 Peter 5:8–11). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Life Application Study Bible, Wheaton: Tyndall house publishers. 2004
Our Daily Bread, RBC ministries, November 17, 2014. Print.
