Daily Devotion in I Peter 5

Daily Nugget:
One of the most important principles for a Christian to understand is a spiritual battle is raging. Most of the assault is invisible, but the war against God and His followers is ongoing. 
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12

Peter closed this letter with a similar warning.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” I Peter 5:8

Many Christians trust Christ as Saviour, but that is as far as their relationship with Him goes. They never see a battle all about them and never even realize that they are casualties in the war.

A Christian cannot lose his salvation in the battle. It is already bought and paid for. His name was already written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. However, a Christian can have his testimony destroyed in the foray. That is the intent of the enemy, Satan. He cannot take a saved man to Hell with him, but he can make sure the child of God is of no use to the cause of Christ. If he can wound one of God’s warriors, that Christian will be out of the battle, at least temporarily.

Sadly, Satan has won many battles. Many Christians have gotten saved, but the “roaring lion” sought them and devoured their zeal and testimony. He may have pounced on a Christian’s pride and permanently sent the child of God home from church because his feelings were hurt. The adversary may have crippled a babe-in-Christ by making it seem like the Word of God was too hard for him to understand, so the believer never read the Bible for himself and was weakened by spiritual ignorance.

Perhaps the enemy used the ploy of leading the Christian to a dead or liberal church, and the child of God never grew because he was not spiritually fed. It does not even surprise me that the enemy lets believers read a modern perversion of the Word of God, so they never hear all the Truth. They are also weakened because they were not fed real meat from God’s Word.

There are thousands and thousands of weapons in the enemy’s war chest. Satan hates God and the things of God. His main strategy is to make sure that the cause of Christ is hampered. Sadly, he has succeeded with his attacks on many attempting to live for Christ.

We have been warned. There is a battle for the souls of man and to disarm Christian soldiers. However, if the spiritual armor described in Ephesian 6 is spiritually donned, we can be victorious in the battle for the cause of Christ. With God’s help, we can be victorious.
“Whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world,” I John 5:4

Today’s Thought: 
“You cannot win the war if you are not even in the battle.”

Word to Understand:
Vigilant: watchful, observant

Today’s Reading:
I Peter 5
1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
5 ¶ Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
8 ¶ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10 ¶ But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.
14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.