1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
I think you are familiar with the EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM. It is a message that blares at you as you are watching a TV program to let you know something bad is close to happening, that demands you take immediate action. Just the other evening, the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) interrupted the regularly scheduled program with a message: “THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. A TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR YOUR AREA. IMMEDIATELY SEEK SHELTER IN THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS AND EXTERIOR WALLS. STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES.”
Let’s read and react to 1 Peter 5:8 as we would when the EBS interrupts our lives. 1 Peter 5:8 is a WARNING. Peter wants us to know that there is immediate danger and that we should take proper action immediately to be protected from this lion on the loose, the devil, and his forces. He is, after all, seeking to DEVOUR us. Jesus described him in the Book of John as a liar and a thief who has come to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10)
Because of how dangerous our adversary is, Peter tells us how to be prepared for his attacks. The first action is to be sober or sober-minded. It means our minds are always clear so that we can make the very best decision. As a believer with such a vicious enemy, the believer must always be CLEAR-MINDED, and READY to respond as a fiery dart could be launched at them at any moment.
There is never a time when the believer can lower their guard, lower their shield of faith! To be sober or sober-minded is to always be SELF-CONTROLLED.
The next action is to be WATCHFUL or ALERT. Peter is drawing here from the military. The military has soldiers posted at the critical guard post, and they guard by WATCHING, being on the highest alert to the slightest movement. With a clear-thinking mind, we have our eyes and ears on full alert for the slightest of temptation being thrown at us!
Doing these things does not prevent the attack from coming. We need to look to verse 9 for the next action in which Peter says, “RESIST him, standing firm in your FAITH! (1 Peter 5:9a) In the face of the enemy, you cannot be a coward. You must be courageous and hold up the shield of FAITH. As you demonstrate your faith, believing that what God has said is right and what the devil is saying is wrong, you SUBMIT to God and OBEY what God has said. When you OBEY God, the devil is defeated, and he will flee you. (James 4:7)
Oh, how foolish it would be of us to deny that we have such an adversary, and how careless it is not to be prepared for his coming attacks.
Continue Strong ALERT for the Adversaries’ Attacks,
And remember to DATE the Word