Be Watchful

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world" (1 Peter 5:8-9). It is clear from Scripture that our enemy, the devil, seeks to "devour" all of God's children. One of the ways he does that is through "suffering" in this world. The example of Job is tremendous when seeing the extent the devil will go to in accusing us before our heavenly Father. But one thing we must remember in the fight -- God is victorious! There is NOTHING that can happen in our life that first hasn't passed through the hands of our Father. But even with that confidence we must "be sober" and "vigilant." Puritan George Downame wrote, "The Christian soldier must avoid two evils—he must not faint or yield in the time of fight, and after a victory he must not wax insolent and secure. When he has overcome, he is so to behave himself as though he were presently again to be assaulted. For Satan's temptations, like the waves of the sea, do follow one in the neck of the other." If for no other reason we need to "be sober, be vigilant." The devil does not sleep or slumber nor should we. Paul said "lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor.2:11). So resist the devil today, "be steadfast in the faith" and remember "Satan's temptations...do follow one in the neck of the other."