Satan: The Roaring Lion

Be serious! Be alert! For your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.- 1 Peter 5:8

In June, Julia and I had the privilege of attending a safari. While on the safari we had an opportunity to watch a lion stalk her prey across the African plain. When we spotted the lion, she was on top of a ridge watching a herd of animals. She picked the weakest animal in the heard and proceeded to prowl through the tall grass to her target. When the other animals became alert to danger she would lie down and wait for them to resume eating before she moved closer. Our guide informed us that lions are opportunistic hunters who ALWAYS look for the weakest, slowest, least aware member of a herd before attacking. 

1 Peter 5:8 informs us that the Devil prowls around like a lion looking for those whom he may devour. Peter uses the graphic image of a lion to describe Satan's destructive threat: Satan hopes that Christians will be defeated in hardships and deceived to fall into sin. Below is a list of five principles which if implemented will help to strengthen our walk with God and protect us from Satan, the roaring lion...

5) Be in the Word! Ephesians 5:1 commands us to imitate God. In order to imitate God we must know God and to know God we MUST be in His word. Psalms 1 says, "how happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the LORD's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night." The truly happy person guides his life by God's instructions. The Bible sets the ideal for every situation and guides the believer into Christian maturity. We must be in the Word!

4) Be in communion with the Father! 1 Thessalonians 5:17 commands us to pray without ceasing. Christians are to have a mental attitude of prayerfulness, continual personal fellowship with God, and consciousness of being in His presence throughout the day. We must be in communion with the Father!

3) Have accountability partners! Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, "two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fail, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he fails and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him-a threefold cord is not easily broken." As Christians we need individuals in our lives who will ask us tough questions. We need individuals who will not tell us what we want to hear but rather what we need to hear. Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another." We must have accountability partners!

2) Have faith in future grace! Christians persevere in this life by placing our faith in the reality that the glory which is to be revealed to us will be infinitely better than the fleeting pleasures of sin. Jesus instructs us to fight temporary pleasures of sin by having faith in future grace. His instructions are recorded multiple times throughout the Gospel, the most notable time being in Mathew 5:8. Jesus says, "blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." As Christians we don't look at lustful images or take a second glance at a girl walking down the street because we desire to see something infinitely better. We desire to see the God of the Universe and because of our desire to see God we forsake the fleeting pleasures of a lesser desire. How easy will it be to say no to lust when we have gazed deeply upon the God of the Universe? We must have faith in future grace!

1) Live in community with fellow believers! The church is the hope for the world. The church is the means by which God has chosen to demonstrate His grace and glory. Every Sunday morning God puts His grace and glory on display for people to apprehend. We witness this grace/glory in the lives of the people we worship with. We witness God's grace/glory as we worship with those who have been redeemed by the Lamb. Matthew 16:18 records Jesus words when he said, "I will build my church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it." No-man is an island unto him/herself. We are made for community. We must live in community with fellow believers!

The Devil is a prowling lion looking for those whom he may devour but if we implement these simple steps into our lives it will strengthen us as Christians and will not leave us as easy prey for Satan, the roaring lion.