“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” ~1 Peter 5:8-9 (emphasis mine)

Last October my husband and I traveled twenty-three hours (one megabus and two very long plane rides) to India. We went to visit one of my best friends who was serving there and working with Muslim peoples. The moment we stepped foot into the country, we were overwhelmed with idol worship. As far as your eye could see there were idols everywhere. The spiritual oppression was deep and seemed too much. On our trip we went into a Muslim durga and a Hindu temple. Both places were serving the wrong God and worshipping idols made by human hands. Seeing the people lift their hands to these gods in worship made me want to cry. Yet in that oppression, I realized that there is one God and one Enemy. The same God that saved my soul is the same God doing a mighty work in unreached countries today. On the other hand, the same Enemy who does everything possible to distract us and deter us from carrying out the Great Commission is the same Enemy deceiving these people into serving millions of gods other than the One True God.

1 Peter 5:8-9 brings us to a sober realization. We have a real Enemy who hates us and our purpose. He doesn’t want the Gospel spread because it is good news to us, but bad news to him. In my Pawpaw’s Bible, I read this statement that he wrote: “The Devil is like a roaring lion with all of his teeth pulled.” Did you get that? At the cross, every tooth was pulled from his mouth. He has no power over you as a believer. Christ has bought your soul and will protect you to the end. Though he prowls around seeking every opportunity to get us down, he can’t harm our soul. James 4:7 tells us that if we “resist” the devil that he will flee from us. Literally, he will seek safety from danger. The devil fears God. Remember this truth today:

if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31b)

Stand firm with immovable faith that has been built on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Live with one purpose: to glorify God in all that you do and to make much of Jesus throughout the world. Remember our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted in other countries. Specifically, pray for Meriam Ibrahim who has been sentenced to hang because of her Christian faith. She is in the appeal process right now. Pray that God frees her from her chains and spreads the Gospel throughout Sudan.

May our minds be focused on eternity. 

resisting the one who has no teeth,

Gretchen