A Roaring Lion

1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)
8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

There is a lot packed into this one verse. The apostle first warns us to stay alert or in some translations to be sober and vigilant. We should allow nothing to distract us from the fact that Satan is an enemy of those who love God.  Matthew Henry’s commentary tells us this of Satan’s name:  “By his characters and names. (1.) He is an adversary: "That adversary of yours; not a common adversary, but an enemy that impleads you, and litigates against you in your grand depending cause, and aims at your very souls.’’ (2.) The devil, the grand accuser of all the brethren; this title is derived from a word which signifies to strike through, or to stab. He would strike malignity into our natures and poison into our souls. If he could have struck these people with passion and murmuring in their sufferings, perhaps he might have drawn them to apostasy and ruin. (3.) He is a roaring lion, hungry, fierce, strong, and cruel, the fierce and greedy pursuer of souls.”  Satan is not idle in his activities. We see that he prowls or walks about looking for opportunities to tear down those who love God. We know from the Book of Job that Satan attacked Job who was a man of faith, who loved God and who went out each morning to pray for the sins of his family. Yet Job persevered and stood firm in his faith.

 

According to Psychology Today, in 2008, 4,000 books were published on happiness—up from 50 books in 2000. If you don’t believe people are under attack in today’s society those statistics on books to make us happy should be convincing. People are searching for happiness. Iif there isn’t a firm faith in The Lord and a good understanding God has the best plan for their lives – they look for happiness in the wrong places.

Satan is walking about looking to steal our happiness which is found in the Lord. Peter chose a lion for illustration because a lion roars to claim its territory. The roar of a lion is frightening and can be heard five miles away. Satan wants to claim the world as his own. Fortunately we have a savior Jesus Christ who is The Lion of Judah. The voice of Jesus carries around the world speaking to every one of His love, grace and mercy.