The world has a twisted view of the devil. Cartoons picture him as a horned creature in a red suit carrying a spear. There is NO truth to that picture. He is not a make-believe character. He is very real. The world honours him on Halloween, but he is our dangerous enemy.

Transition

This morning as we consider the topic of “Our Enemy the Devil”, we will examine first Our Dangers and then Our Duties.

Our Dangers

Our 1st danger is the Devil.

  1. The Bible paints a dark description of the devil.
    1. He is a liar. (All turn to John 8:44) You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
    2. He is the accuser of the brethren (Re 12:10).
    3. He is the wicked one. (Matthew 13:38).
    4. He and his angels (demons) deceive the whole world. (Revelation 12:9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
    5. God made hell for the devil. (Matthew 25:41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
    6. Jesus judged the devil when He died and rose again for man’s sin. (John 16:11) Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
    7. The devil is so powerful that even Michael, the chief angel of heaven would not rebuke him in his own power. (Jude 1:9) Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
  2. Peter describes the devil as very dangerous.
    1. He is our adversary. This words means he is our enemy. He wants to take every unsaved person to hell with him. He knows he cannot take Christians to hell, so he wants to ruin our testimonies for the Lord.
    2. Peter called him the devil – the slanderer.
    3. He is as a roaring lion. The lion is a symbol of power and might. Albert Barnes tells us, “The lion here is not the crouching lion – the lion stealthfully creeping toward his foe – but it is the raging monarch of the woods, who by his terrible roar would intimidate all so that they might become an easy prey.”
    4. Peter tells us that the devil is walking about. Because he is a spirit, the devil is not limited by a body. He can only be in one place at a time, yet he can move about extremely fast. Besides this, he has millions of demons who are helping him.
    5. Peter finally tells us that the devil is seeking whom he may devour. The word “devour” means to swallow down. The book of Job assures us that the devil is limited in what he can do to God’s children, but he swallows Christians by getting them to disobey God so they lose their fellowship with God and shame Him.
  3. The devil is a very GREAT danger to your spiritual life.

Our 2nd danger is drowsiness.

  1. Peter began the verse with two commands against spiritual drowsiness (cf., 1Th 5:6). When we let down our guard, the devil can easily attack. These two commands call for self-control. Believers are to control their desires and stay mentally alert.
  2. Note carefully what God commands.
    1. Be sober! This is a command to stay clear-minded. Do not get distracted. Be ready at all times for Satan’s attacks. Just as alcohol causes a person to lose his physical soberness, so worldliness will cause a person to lose his spiritual soberness. Television, secular movies, and godless music have done more to rob Christians of spiritual soberness than perhaps any other evil the devil has used in the last 100 years.
    2. Be vigilant! This is a command to stay awake. Be cautiously watching for the devil’s attacks. Do not fall asleep spiritually. Apathy or a careless attitude about the dangers of the devil will cause us to fall asleep and not keep watching. The devil wants us to think that sin is not all that bad. Do not become callused by being around the sinfulness of our world. (1 Corinthians 15:33) Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. (Galatians 6:7) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
      In years gone by, soldiers that fell asleep on night guard duty were put to death. That may seem harsh, but their sleeping endangered the lives of the entire army.
  3. One preacher put it this way, “The opposite of this sober watchfulness is a kind of spiritual drowsiness in which one sees and responds to situations no differently than unbelievers, and God’s perspective on each event is seldom if ever considered.” (Grudem p. 196, quoted by Dunagan)

Our Duties

Peter lists three duties.

Our 1st duty is to resist.

  1. The word “resist” means to set one’s self against, to withstand, to oppose.
  2. This word does not mean we are to fight the devil. He is far too powerful for any of us. Instead, it means that we are to put on God’s spiritual armour (Eph 6:10-18). We must stop looking at bad movies and bad Internet (Psa 101:3). We are to close our ears to Satan’s lies (Ga 6:7). We are not to yield to outside pressures (Ro 6:13). We must not think on sensual things (Job 31:1). We are not to take a second look at tempting things (Pr 4:25). We are not to allow our lusts to draw us toward sin. (James 1:14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. We are to resist by running for cover (2 Timothy 2:22). When we submit to God and resist the devil, he will flee (James 4:7).

Our 2nd duty is to be steadfast in the faith.

  1. The word “steadfast” means to be firm, immovable, or solid. Stand your ground as a child of God and do not give in.
  2. Being steadfast in the faith is standing firmly in your faith in Christ, not in your own human power. It is resting fully in the power and promises of Christ. (1 John 4:4) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. In a similar context, the Apostle Paul wrote, (Romans 8:31) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? It is standing firmly on the Word of God. (Psalms 119:11) Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Our 3rd duty is to remember we are not alone.

  1. Feeling all alone may cause us to lose hope and give up. It may cause us to feel sorry for ourselves and let down our guard. We are the most weak and vulnerable to temptation when we are either tired or discouraged.
  2. Peter urges us to remember that our brotherhood in the world face the same afflictions or trials. Fellow-Christians still living in this world endure temptation just like you. You are not alone in this fight!
  3. The Lord is also always with you (Heb 13:5)

Conclusion

We live in a dangerous world where the devil is actively trying to catch us. He is real and far too powerful for us. Without God’s help, we stand no chance. However, we can be victors if we do the duties God has given us – resist the devil, be steadfast in the faith, and stay encouraged. If you have not been staying awake and alert, you need to change your ways. Stop giving in to Satan. Claim the victory through Christ.

Song: Stay Awake!
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Our Enemy the Devil
18 October 2015 AM – 1 Peter 5:8-9 – 1Pe15 – Scott Childs