1 Peter 5:6-11 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany Sunday, February 4, 2024 “Resist the Devil”
When you see a threat, you go on alert. You pay attention. I heard a story recently from someone who had planned to take his family for a hike on a trail. At the trailhead, he saw a sign that warned about mountain lion activity. It offered a few pointers about what to do if you come across a mountain lion, but this man decided it was wiser not to take his young children on that particular trail for their hike. I’m sure others took that trail, probably the same day. And because of the sign, they were extra careful to watch out for predators. It was a different hike and a different trail when I came across a rattlesnake lying directly in the path I was walking. The snake was easy to see, and so I was able to walk slowly and carefully around it. I had to come back the same direction a little later, and I didn’t see the snake. That was even more dangerous. I acted even more cautious at that time, and sure enough, as I looked carefully, I found the snake well-camouflaged in some grass just beside the trail. It was good, even essential, to be on high alert at the time. But if the snake was that well-hidden the first time, I may have never even been aware of the danger. Our reading from 1 Peter today warns us about a real danger, a real adversary or enemy. And perhaps one of the biggest reasons God had Peter sound this warning for us is the fact that we don’t see this enemy. These verses compare the Devil to a roaring lion stalking his prey. He is looking to devour someone. He is looking to devour us. And he prowls around, and we ought to be on high alert. But we don’t always see the signs. We don’t always catch the glimpse that we need of the Devil’s attack so we know what to watch out for. He doesn’t announce his arrival or reveal his intention. But our loving God sounds the warning for us. He puts us on high alert. And he directs us, “Resist him by being firm in the faith.” Resist the Devil. God led Peter to write these words to Christians who were suffering. Their sufferings are referenced throughout these verses. Those sufferings were similar to what other Christian brothers and sisters were undergoing. They had anxieties and concerns. They were troubled. You can probably relate. You’ve almost certainly faced some sort of suffering or trial or trouble. You know the heartache of strained relationships. Perhaps, like many Christians, you have faced some sort of opposition or ridicule or pressure to back off or go against what you believe. And maybe at times, you’ve even felt that your suffering was overwhelming. But the suffering is not your enemy. The suffering is not your adversary. God has amazing promises to use even suffering to accomplish amazing things in the lives of his people. Your adversary is the Devil. Unfortunately, we can let the Devil go unnoticed. When someone hurts us, we think that they are our enemy. We think about revenge and getting back. We let anger fester. We forget that our real enemy is trying to do anything he can to oppose God and his will. If anger gets our attention instead of God and his Word, the Devil wins. If revenge is our focus, the Devil is working in our lives and in the life of the person who so upset us. And don’t underestimate the Devil. A prowling lion. He’s looking to devour. He’s not trying to make things uncomfortable. He’s not playing a prank or messing around with you. He wants to drag you to hell forever. And as a human being born into this sinful world, you were already eager to follow his way. That’s why Jesus came. He came for you and a whole world full of people like you who never would have recognized the Devil’s traps and would have walked into every one of them, never to be released. He came for a world of people otherwise being devoured by death and sin and unbelief, being torn apart by the roaring lion. Today’s Gospel from Mark 1 gave us another glimpse of his life and ministry. And what was he doing? He was undoing what the Devil did. He was healing diseases and relieving