At the beginning of this month, I was working on a few different articles. However, over the past week, I experienced something profoundly significant that I must share with you. I had a deeply emotional encounter with the truth. It wasn’t just from reading a book or an article; I felt the grip of the devil. For the past month, I’ve been struggling with a conflict in my mind about the direction of my life. When you reach such a low point, feeling spiritually depressed, the devil seizes the opportunity to drag you into sin. He waits for moments of vulnerability to draw you away from the loving and protective arms of Christ. As Peter exhorts us:
“Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.”
There are a couple of important insights to gather from Peter’s exhortation. First, let’s consider the adversary. Notice how Peter refers to the Devil as our adversary, not God’s. This distinction is significant. While there’s much to explore here, for the sake of this article, I’ll focus on this: we must take an active role in confronting our sin.
Yes, God saved us unconditionally—absolutely. However, our sanctification is conditional. As R.C. Sproul aptly puts it: salvation is monergistic, while sanctification is synergistic. We do nothing to earn our salvation, but our sanctification is a partnership with God. We strive to become better, and God provides us with the strength to do so.
Secondly, let’s examine the prescriptive commands that Peter gives us. First, we must be sober-minded. This means being rational in all our decisions, keeping our emotions, actions, and thoughts in check at all times. Failing to do so can lead to significant trouble. Second, to be sober-minded, we must also be alert at all times. This vigilance helps us resist sin. We need to recognize the tricks, tactics, and weapons of the devil. One of these weapons is clearly outlined in this passage.
This weapon is suffering, but God provides us with two encouragements in the context of 1 Peter 5. First, remember that other believers around the world are experiencing the same kind of suffering. You are not alone, and you can find and confide in them. Scripture repeatedly tells us to confess our sins to one another so that our brothers and sisters in Christ might be a means of grace, offering exhortation, advice, and encouragement. Second, God promises to give us full strength, courage, and security. If we resist, even for a short time, He assures us that we will receive strength, restoration, support, and stability.
Finally, the last question is, “Well, I want to resist, but how?” God provides us with the answer. He tells us to be “firm in faith.” We can be firm in faith, knowing that many other Christians are enduring the same suffering as you are. What does it mean to be firm in faith? It means being unwavering in your commitment to living out your identity in Christ, which involves following His commandments. There’s a crucial distinction here: one must live out their life in Christ because of salvation, not for salvation. It is because of Christ that you can and must live out your life in Him. However, one must never fall into the delusion that they can live out their life in Christ to earn salvation. Saying you must live out your life in Christ presupposes that you have already been saved, as an unbeliever has no life in Christ.
So, my friends, let us heed Peter's exhortation. Let us be sober-minded and alert, resisting the devil by standing firm in our faith. Lean on your fellow believers, confess your struggles, and draw strength from God's promises. In this way, we partner with God in our sanctification, fighting against sin and growing in holiness. Remember, you are not alone, and with God's strength, you can overcome. Stand firm, resist the devil, and live out your identity in Christ.