DEVOTION – DAY 185
1 Peter 5:8-10 “Be Alert!”
1 Pet.5:8-10 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Our enemy, the devil behaves like a prowling lion waiting to devour us. The devil may try to mislead and fool us. He will try to tempt us to fall into sin. That is why the apostle Peter warns us to be on the alert and be clear-headed so that we can watch out for our enemy the devil. We must be able to resist temptations to sin. We must stand firm in our resolve to obey and follow what the Bible tells us to do. We must study our Bibles to know what God has to tell us so that we can spot the devil’s lies and tricks. These verses also remind us that we are not alone in our struggles with the devil. Every Christian faces the same enemy and similar temptations. But God does not leave us alone to fight our battles with temptations. He has given us the Holy Spirit and His Word. We can resist the devil just as the Lord Jesus did by using the Word of God. God promises He will restore us and make us strong, firm and steadfast. So, every time we struggle with temptation with pornography, with internet gambling or gaming, to be greedy or unkind, we resist the temptation and stand firm in the Lord.
Zhao Wei, a famous actress in China was recently blacklisted. The Chinese authorities removed all her films that she starred in or directed from every streaming platform. Her accounts on all social media platforms were also removed. There was speculation that she and her husband had a huge fortune that could not be accounted for. They had bought a substantial stake in AliBaba pictures. It was rumored that she had links with a senior disgraced politician and that she was laundering his ill-gotten gains. This actress fell for the temptation of power, fame and fortune thinking that if she had these things, she would have the world at her feet. For a while, it seemed that she had everything she wanted. Until the Chinese authorities cracked down on her. Her world came crashing down and her fame turned into notoriety. We can all learn a lesson from her example. We must be alert and clear-headed. We must stay firm in the Lord and His Word and resist every temptation to sin.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, please help us to remain alert and sober minded and resist the devil and his temptations to sin. Please help us to stand firm in our faith in you and your Word so that we will not fall into sin. In the wonderful name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Questions
- What temptations do you face that you find hard to resist?
- What steps can you take to resist these temptations? What Scripture can you use to help you fight these temptations?
- How can you stay alert and be sober minded?