Run

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8, NIV

A lion is known for stalking its prey. A lion is also known to be very direct int heir attack and often times give up after one attempt if the prey gets away. Due to their limited lung capacity they cannot chase a fleeing victim very far before they give up in their pursuit. Interestingly, lion hunts are most successful when they hunt in pairs, on the darkest nights, in densely covered areas. Overall a lion has a low kill rate when attacking their prey because their direct approach often alerts the prey with sufficient time for escape.

Is it any wonder the Bile tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 to be alert and of sober mind? The devil is stalking his prey, and you my friend are the prey. Throughout your day when you feel worn down and tossed in the waves, it’s important to talk to God and not become weakened by the elements. In some of the lowest moments of my life I could’ve sworn the prowling lion was so close to me I could feel the vibrations from his roar. It was almost as if the growl would rattle my bones striking deep fear and trembling. You must know it causes embarrassment to admit at times I’ve made my fear bigger than my faith. The moment we become paralyzed to the fear of being devoured it does not matter what we know about God. We can memorize scripture all we want but if we’re stuck in a spirit of fear we will be devoured by our adversary.

Okay, so we know we need to be alert and of sober mind. We know the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Here are a couple quick things to keep in mind to stay out of the jaws of the enemy.

#1.His approach is predictable.

This is a loaded statement because we know the Bible says he’s crafty. He is in one sense, but in another just know that like a lion has a direct approach to killing their prey, so does Satan. He uses his voice to try and speak lies and deception into your life. The closer we are to God, the better chance we see Satan coming from a mile away.

#2. His growl is worse than his bite.

Remember Satan was cast out of Heaven – not the other way around. Jesus defeated death once and for all on the cross. Just as he speaks lies and deception into your life, he also talks himself up to be bigger than god. This is why sometimes fears tower over our faith – because we believe in the deceptive lies. From what I’ve read, every time Satan attacks one of God’s people in the Bible he had to get permission from God first. I don’t know about you but God won’t let us be eaten alive by our alive. These experiences were always meant to strengthen the believer not kill them.

#3. He’ll eventually give up.

Again this is a loaded statement because we know on one hand Satan will never give up until the end when God silences him once and for all. However we also know the Bible says to resist the devil and he will flee from you. Just as a lion realizes his prey can escape him due to his limited lung capacity, Satan will do the same. He can’t keep pace with someone who has the breath of God in their lungs. We too need to strengthen our spirits by breathing in the word. Run with God and eventually the predator will fall victim to the prey.

In closing remember the more o the word that’s in us, the less chance we have of being caught up in the jaws of the lion. Keep running toward the cross and the enemy will run out of breath. Keep focusing on what is true and don’t buy into the deception. The battle is already won but we’ve got to learn to accept the victory and stop second guessing it. The devil won’t stop and neither should we.

#powerofprayer #keepingthefaith #religion