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
suffering. He was driving out demons. He was shutting their mouths, not even allowing them to speak. He was taking the roar of our adversary and muzzling it. He was taking the teeth of that roaring lion and turning them away from the people he loves. And that was just a glimpse. That was just a few highlights of the ministry and life and work of Jesus. Here’s what he did for you: he let the mighty lion sink his teeth into Jesus. He faced the suffering and the pain and the torment that our sins deserved. And he didn’t allow the Devil to destroy him. He didn’t fall for his subtle tricks and temptations. He didn’t ignore the threat or leave the adversary unnoticed. When the Devil had done his worst, Jesus placed his soul into the hands of his Father, died, and was buried. And then, just as he promised, he rose again. The Devil’s work was undone. The one who did that is the powerful God to whom our verses direct our attention. That’s the God of all grace. As Peter previously wrote, he’s the one who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light. That’s why you have an interest in resisting the Devil. That’s why you have power to resist the Devil. You have the power of God. Look at how Peter emphasizes that power: cast all your anxiety on him. He can handle it. He can take it. All of it. He will lift you up with his powerful hand. He restores and establishes and strengthens and supports you. It is a scary thing to think about the roaring lion who is our adversary, the Devil, if we have to face him on our own. But we don’t. We have our hero, the one who has conquered the Devil. The one through whom God has called us into his eternal glory. He says that even the sufferings that we face now are just for a little while. Everything that is negative in our lives has an expiration date. Only the glory to which God has called us lasts forever. For now, there’s one more factor God wants us to keep in our minds as we resist the Devil. It’s the very first word of our verses in Greek, but the second in our translation: humble. Humble yourselves. Recognize that it is God’s powerful hand on which we depend. He will lift us up. He strengthens us. We’re not expected to take it on our own. We’re not able to resist the Devil by ourselves. Our anxiety can be too much for us to carry. Humbly cast it on Jesus. He cares for you. Don’t try to handle it yourself. Don’t try to be the hero of your own story. Be humble enough to recognize that your enemy is powerful. Be humble enough to realize that on your own you will fall into his traps. Be humble enough to rely on the one who undoes the Devil’s work. We all need these reminders. We all need the signs warning against the roaring lion on our path. We need the strength of the God of all grace to resist. That’s why it is so valuable to be here together in worship. That’s why God’s gift of Holy Communion is so special. That’s why Bible studies with fellow Christians are so strongly encouraged. But your enemy prowls around all week. He doesn’t work on Sundays and then leave you alone. Go back to these words or other encouragement from Scripture every day. Go to the tool God gives you, through which he strengthens and upholds you. Cherish his Word. Hold onto the good news in all your suffering and in every challenge you face. When you see a threat, you go on alert. Peter once learned all too well what a powerful adversary the Devil is. Jesus had warned him that on the night of his betrayal, Peter would deny him three times. But Peter thought he knew better. He would never do that. He didn’t stay on high alert. While Jesus was telling Peter to watch and pray, Peter slept. And with a specific warning about a specific temptation still ringing in his ears, Peter did exactly what Jesus said. He denied Jesus three times, and the Devil had won that battle. But Jesus undid the work of the Devil in Peter’s life. He forgave and restored him. That Peter is the writer Jesus used to share these words with you. Take them to heart. Don’t sleep on the Devil. Resist him. Be humble and rely on the power of God. “To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”
The Text: 1 Peter 5:6–11 (EHV) 6Therefore humble yourselves under God’s powerful hand so that he may lift you up at the
appointed time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8Have sound judgment. Be alert. Your adversary, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him by being firm in the faith. You know that the same kinds of sufferings are being laid on your brotherhood all over the world. 10After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you into his eternal glory
in Christ Jesus, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you. 11To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.