Westside Church of Christ

What if a lion were right outside the door? He was pacing back and forth seeking an unsuspecting victim. He roars. He looks. His empty stomach growls at him as he stares at us. He is starved, and we are the main course. We would be ripped to pieces as soon as we stepped out the door, and he is going nowhere. He simply waits with sharp claws and powerful jaws.

It is an ugly, frightening picture. Yet, we face an even more vicious enemy every day. He goes to work on us as soon as the alarm sounds. He is never far away with his bag of deceptive tricks. He dangles tempting illusions of “harmless” pleasures in front of us. A little won’t hurt. Everybody does it. The evil one salivates. We edge out toward him, and he attacks. The darkness claims another soul.

The word of God uses the lion imagery in describing the devil (1 Peter 5:8). He is not a kitty cat. This isn’t a Flip Wilson comedy sketch. He is not an innocent little red cartoon character with a pitchfork and pointed tail. He is looking to eat us alive. His greatest deception might be in convincing us to take him lightly. We let our guard down and he pummels us. Peter knew

better. The Lord warned through his pen that we better watch out. This is a very serious encounter with a deadly opponent.

The fisherman-turned-apostle experienced an epic failure which he was convinced could never happen. Jesus warned him of his imminent collapse in the face of the pressures of the darkness. It is a familiar piece of that night and God used it in accomplishing His plan to save humanity, but it was also an incredibly heartbreaking episode for Peter. His Lord looked at him, and he wept bitterly (Luke 22:61-62). The evil one appeared to have won a victory, but the war wasn’t over yet. The story did not end there.

It's impossible to know the thoughts that ran through Peter’s mind as he wrote those words about the devil being like a roaring lion, but he bore the scars of that evening. He had lived through the brutal bites of the one who was more clever than him. He knew how desperately it hurt. He also learned of resurrection and forgiveness. He fell dramatically, and the Savior picked him up.

Yes, the devil is much like the one who is called the king of the jungle, and it is a critical mistake to take a casual approach to our most serious threat. He is always lurking, but there is another king whose power is greater. Satan and his forces can inflict terrible damage when we lose our focus, but the King of kings is always there to forgive, heal and restore if we will come back to Him.

Call to Praise: Mark 8:34-38

His word on it: Luke 9:23

Sermon: “Follow Me”