October 24, 2012
RESIST THE DEVIL WITH THE SAME TOOL JESUS USED: THE WORD OF GOD!
1 Peter 5
Elizabeth Tamlyn
Central Truth
Combating an evil that we forget is seeking to devour us is probably our greatest deception. We need to be alert and deliberate in our plan to resist the devil. The Word of God provides us with everything we need to resist him.
Key Verse | 1 Peter 5:8–9
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. (1 Peter 5:8-9)
1 Peter 5
Shepherd the Flock of God
1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, 1 5:2 Some manuscripts omit exercising oversight not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; 2 5:2 Some manuscripts omit as God would have you not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. 13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with the kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Dive Deeper | 1 Peter 5
When I initially think of a lion, I think of Simba in The Lion King, happily singing. Scripture tells us that the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, not a cuddly cartoon character. "Prowling" is not a passive word. To prowl is deliberate, active, in pursuit of, aggressive.
Satan is after you. Yes, you! We prefer to not think about this. But he is.
Next week, when trick-or-treaters come to your door dressed as the devil, you will recognize that they are trying to be the devil by the look of their costume. In our daily lives, Satan may not be as easy to recognize.
We know from the Gospels that Jesus resisted the devil by using the Word of God. Do you know God's Word well enough to fight the enemy with it? Or are you like Eve paraphrasing God's Word? Eve remembered part of what God had said, but not exactly, "God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it . . . .'" (Genesis 3:3).
I used to be familiar with the Word of God -- but more and more He's transforming me with a passion to know His Word: really know it, love it, and memorize it. If you really believed that a live, hungry lion were outside your door, you would be of "sober spirit and alert" to do whatever it might take to combat it. You would go to extreme measures. But somehow we do not truly believe the threat is real.
The Word of God is our tool to resist the devil. Jesus Himself used the Word when Satan tempted Him in the desert. He said repeatedly, "It is written . . . ." (Matthew 4). If Jesus used Scripture to combat Satan, then I am inspired to do the same. There is no trick. Just learn one word after another. People ask me for a formula so here goes: Desire + Intentionality = Successful Memorization. Start now with verse 8. Read it three times, look away, and try it again. You may be on your way!
Discussion Questions
1. How does Satan appear to you in your life?
2. What do you currently do to combat him?
3. What else can you add to your "armor" to fight him?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
October 22-26 (1 Peter 3 – 2 Peter 2)
Read 2 Peter 1:3-11.
• What does verse 3 say about knowing Jesus? What do we receive?
• Does this mean that we can then just sit back and do nothing?
Peter is very quick then to give us what we are to do. Make a list of these things. You should find seven things. For each one, discuss what it means and write out a definition. Then, look up the verses below for each one.
• Moral excellence: Philippians 4:8
• Knowledge: Proverbs 1:7, 9:10
• Self-control: Proverbs 16:32; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
• Perseverance: Romans 5:3-4; James 1:3
• Godliness: Proverbs 13:6; 1 Timothy 4:8
• Brotherly kindness: 1 Peter 1:22, 3:8
• Love: John 3:16, 13:35; 1 Peter 4:8
Discuss how each shows up in your life and which ones you need to put more effort into.
Peter gives all these things as a recipe for living a life that honors God. It is important to not leave any of them out, just as it is important to remember the sugar in the recipe below.
Activity: Go to the myrecipes.com website and get the ingredients for making sugar cookies (http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sugar-cookies-10000001010479/). While making the sugar cookies, follow the instructions, but do not add the sugar when it says to. Then divide the dough in half. Now add half the required sugar to only one of the dough halves. Continue following the instructions and bake both batches of cookies. How do the ones without the sugar taste? Why did it make such a difference? When following a recipe, it is important to be sure you include all the ingredients.