May it please God to bless us
together this evening as we consider his word. Let us turn to the
epistle of Peter, first epistle, chapter five, and reading verses
eight and nine. The first epistle of Peter, chapter
five, and reading verses eight and nine. Be sober, be vigilant,
because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour, whom resist steadfast in the faith,
knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren
that are in the world." Apostle Peter was well qualified
and well equipped by the Spirit of God to be able to write such
words of admonition as we have here before us this evening. Because he had been in that situation
where he had not been sober and he had not been vigilant. And
therefore, he was overtaken and attacked by the great adversary
of our souls and was very quickly and very simply and very powerfully
overcome. And therefore, we can realize
that he, by the Spirit of God, was able to write these words
really from his heart, recognizing the relevance of them in his
life. and truly they are so relevant
in all of our lives and the worst position for us is to forget
such statements which are recorded in the Word of God for our encouragement. Now let us remember The Apostle
was writing here to the Church of God. And he was speaking in
this way to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, Mythinia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God.
It was those whom the Lord had determined to save. He was writing
this to instruct them and to encourage them as they journey
through this world. And of course, it was written
for the people that were alive when he was alive, and it's written
for all the Church of God right from then up to the present moment
of time and down to the end of time. And so we should be thankful
we have such statements before us tonight, and to always remember
that we have a adversary a great adversary the adversary the devil
who is intent on destroying us if he can given every opportunity
and he's alert and he's marching up and down you may remember
in Job's case in that very first chapter in Job the Lord speaks
to the devil himself and we read Now there was a day when the
sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came
also among them. Yes, Satan mingles. Satan wants
to be among us, to grasp every opportunity. And so the Lord
said unto Satan, whence comest thou? And Satan answered the
Lord and said, from going to and fro in the earth, from walking
up and down in it So there was the devil in those days Satan
himself walking up and down backwards and forwards Looking for every
opportunity to attack the people of God and the Lord said to Satan
Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him
on the earth a perfect and upright man one that feareth God and
estueth evil No one can count themselves exempt from this adversary,
the devil. The Lord, you see, gave permission
to the devil. The devil said, and doth Job
fear God for naught? Hast not thou made a hedge about
him, and about his house, and about all that he hath? on every
side that thou has blessed the work of his hands and his substance
is increased in the land." Well, it was true, wasn't it? The Lord
had done that to Joven. It's a blessing, you know, if
the Lord's done that for us in our lives. To think that he's
graciously, and not for any merit in ourselves, graciously blessed
us in a position like that with a hedge round about us. But the
devil says, But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that
he hath, and he shall curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said
unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power, only
upon himself. Put not forth thine hand. So
Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. And we know, at
least I hope you can remember what happened. See, Job lost
nearly everything. And yet we read in all this,
Job sinned not, nor chanced God foolishly. Well I know of course
it didn't always remain quite like that with Job, but nonetheless
we have the example and we have the need therefore for us today
to be sober and to be vigilant. Because we still have the same
adversary, the devil. And the Apostle points it out
that we should be sober and we should be vigilant. That means
we should be careful. We should always be watching.
We shouldn't allow ourselves to be absorbed into the things
of this world so that we lack that sober spirit, so that we're
overcome by the frivolity of the things in this world. We
all have an old nature. We all have a nature which goes
after the poor things of this world. And sometimes we don't
think they're so poor, and we think they're attractive. And
our natural mind and heart will sometimes go after such things. And that's why the Lord tells
us here to be sober, to sober and consider the situations which
we're in, to be careful we don't become involved in things that
detract from soberness in the things of God, in the things
of the world which may come into our lives. A gracious admonition
this is to be sober. Sometimes we perhaps forget it,
especially if we are given to a light spirit and given to a
spirit which perhaps very easily falls into the snares and the
traps the devil sets for us. Well, we should thank God tonight.
Here we have a gracious exhortation that might be before our minds
to be sober. To be sober. And not only to
be sober, but to be vigilant. And surely to be vigilant means
to be careful, always to be alert, always to be ready to observe
if our adversary is on the prowl and looking for us and about
to attack us. To be vigilant. And of course,
I suppose the greatest blessing in being vigilant is to be prayerful,
isn't it? To be prayerful, prayerful in
our lives, prayerful that God will be gracious to us, prayerful
that God will give us eyes to see when the devil sets snares
for our feet, traps to entangle us, to be vigilant, to be on
the watch, for such things. And we must remember, of course,
that the devil knows what are our weak points. We might classify
it as our besetting sins. That doesn't mean to say there's
any excuse for it, but nonetheless, the devil does know that which
we might classify as sins which easily beset us, sins which easily
attract us, And again, they may be different for each one of
us. There may be those sins which are attractive to our nature,
which are unattractive to the person next to us. But don't
forget, the devil knows. He knows what you're likely to
give in to. He knows what you're likely to
submit yourselves to. He knows what you're likely to
go after. And so we have a statement like
this, be sober and be vigilant. And of course then he gives the
reason. And the reason is spelled out
very clearly, because your adversary, the devil, and there's no mistaking
who the Lord is referring to, our adversary, the devil. The devil, my friends, ever since
The world has created and the devil fell from heaven. His great
concern has been to destroy the souls of the people of God. And therefore, we must remember,
here is his statement, that he is as a roaring lion, walking
about, seeking whom he may devour. And a roaring lion is a fit description. A roaring lion is really fearful
of no one, and is strong, and is very anxious to destroy animals
and anybody that's in his way. Especially if they're hungry,
and the devil, you can be sure, is hungry for the souls of the
Lord's people. therefore he's going about as
a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour and
be sure of this that if you and I are amongst the church of God
the family of God we are amongst those who he is aiming at he's
watching us and You know what it's like in nature? What do the lions do? They watch
the flock. They watch the herd. They watch
for one perhaps that wanders away. One that may become stray. One that may become isolated. We might say one that hasn't
been sober and vigilant. When the lion then sees the opportunity,
he will attack that animal, usually with great success. And so we
must remember this description of this roaring lion walking
about seeking whom he may devour, and to desire that we may not
be left to wander away To leave the flock. To leave the flock,
you know. To, as you might say, desert
the flock. You might say, well, how does
that align with our lives? Well, you know the Word of God
tells us this. Then they feared the Lord, spake
often one to another. And a book of remembrance was
written. And also, not to forsake the
assembly of ourselves together, as the manner of some is. Because
if we follow those paths, the likelihood is that we will wander
away. And by that I mean this, we wander
away in our spiritual condition. We become lukewarm. We become unattached. And worse still, we can become
attached to the world. And instead of being drawn to
the people of God, we can find ourselves being drawn to the
world. Now remember, you and I have
a worldly nature. And that's why Peter tells us,
kept by the power of God. Because we are not able to keep
ourselves. But it's a blessing when the
Lord God gives us accompanying believers, to be able to gather
together with, to worship with, to join together, to speak to
one another, indeed to, as we spoke recently, an iron sharpeneth
iron, to be amongst those then who are blessed in that way. And so here we are then, to be
sober and vigilant because The devil's waiting and watching
for an opportunity to destroy us if he can. He may not always
be successful, but he may wound us. He may wound us so that we
find we're not what we were, and we're not able perhaps to
get back to the condition that we were in. Yes, this roaring
lion, he seeks who he may devour. and he may strike us, and he
may wound us, and he may make us lame. And therefore we don't
find it easy then to continue and at the same pace, in the
same way we did at one time. That's why the Lord has given
us a gracious warning here to be sober and to be vigilant because
Let us not forget there is a devil, there is a very real devil and
he is our adversary and his great concern is to attack us and if
possible to destroy us. And he will go in this guise
of a roaring lion, perhaps to try and frighten us. Perhaps
we might think, well, how can he frighten us? Well, let me
tell you this. The fear of man bringeth a snare. And sometimes we might be fearful
of offending people. So we go along with them. We
join with them. And in fact, they're not going
to Zion. They're not going in the narrow
way. They're on the broad way, which leads to destruction. And
yet there is that tendency therefore to go with him because we're
afraid of this roaring lion. We're afraid of the effect that
he may have upon us. And he may indeed influence perhaps
our friends, perhaps those we meet with at school or university
or at work or our neighbours. And we don't want to perhaps
appear to be too different and too separate from them. And the
result is we're not being sober, and we're not being vigilant.
And the old devil's there, and he's on the watch, and he's waiting
for us to move out a little bit so that he can pounce upon us.
Well, remember, what is he doing? He's seeking whom he may devour. Well, some of us may realise
in our lives when that's happened. Yes, when we may have wandered
away from the flock. We may have followed our own
way. We may have been left to ourselves. And of course, Peter was so aware
of that condition, wasn't he? And Peter's problem, same as
our problem sometimes, he thought he was strong. He thought he
would never fall. He thought he would always live
near to his saviour and in fact willing to die for him. But we
see that when he relied upon himself, there was failure. Utter failure. And that'll be
exactly the same with us. If we have any confidence in
our flesh, rest assured, we shall fall, we shall fail. And so the apostle goes on to
encourage us, whom resist steadfast in the faith. The faith that
God has given to us. That faith which is the gift
of God. And as we possess this faith,
to remember to be steadfast in that faith that God has given
us, to not to turn aside, to not to listen to the insinuations
of the Satan, and the insinuations of Satan fall often into this
category. Well, there's no harm in following
that path. There's no real wrong in just
being involved in that. You can just carry on in that
situation. Well, dangerous ground. And what it produces is this. We find ourselves, instead of
walking closely to the Saviour, we gradually go away until, like
Peter, we are then following afar off. And there we are then,
ready to be attacked by our adversary. Poor old Peter was attacked by
the adversary, wasn't he? Who would have thought a few
hours previously that strong man would ever have denied the
law of Jesus Christ? Not once, not twice, but three
times, and that with oaths and curses. Well, never say, I won't
do that. Never think that you'll be kept
from this and that. Because if you're relying on
your own strength, you'll find you have a hard lesson to learn.
And you'll find you have to prove with the Apostle Peter, kept
by the power of God. And so when He writes in these
ways how necessary it is for us to desire that grace, to be
steadfast in the faith and to resist steadfastly. Resist steadfastly. There will be many temptations
that come into our lives. The devil's very clever. He's
very subtle. My friends, you and I would never
match his subtlety and the cleverness by which he comes to us in different
forms, in different guises. And sometimes he comes as an
angel of light. And you know, in that guise as
an angel of light, as it were, he sidles up beside us. and informs us, well, you can
involve yourself in this operation, in this situation, and because
of our nature, which desires to follow that way, very quickly
we fall into temptation. The Word of God tells us, the
Lord tells us in that Lord's Prayer, a very blessed couplet,
when he says, lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from
evil." That's a good prayer to say often, at least once a day. To seek that, lead me not into
temptation and deliver me from evil. What is that? Well, that
really is being sober and being vigilant and really that is desiring
to be steadfast and to resist steadfastly in the faith. To be blessed then by the good
hand of our God to encourage us and to strengthen us, to help
us as we travel on through this life. And we might think as we
get older, it'll get easier. In fact, I believe the reverse
is often true. You may think, well, why is that
so? It's because the devil knows
his time's short. His time's short. I remember,
I've told you before, we had an old resident in the home here,
Miss Greengrass. And she was in the home when
I and Frank were baptized. And soon after that, I remember
she called me to one side and she said, my boy, she said, you
must remember that when we get older, the devil knows that his
time is short. and therefore he tempts us more."
Well, that was good words of advice, wasn't it, from an old
gracious lady. And I've never forgotten it.
And it's important for us to never think that, well, as we
get older, it'll get easier. We tend to think that. We would
hope that we have possessed more grace as we get older, and more
experience. but nonetheless to never rest
on our laurels and never to rely on our own ability, but to pray
that as we face this adversary, the devil, who may perhaps try
and frighten us into a situation, to be given that grace to steadfastly
resist him in that faith, the faith that God has given to his
people, to his church. In this first chapter in Peter, we read that which I referred
to already this evening about being kept by the power of God.
And he tells us, wherein ye greatly rejoice. And I believe when the
Lord gives us that grace, and remember it is his grace to resist
the devil when there's been a great temptation before us. And that
temptation may be peculiar to you or peculiar to me when there's
been a temptation before us and the Lord has given us grace to
resist that temptation. Your flesh goes after it when
God gives you that grace to resist it. Then I believe we understand
the truth of these words. The Apostle says, wherein ye
greatly rejoice. We're thankful for that grace
that God has given us to resist the devil. We've been overcomers,
not through our own strength, but we've overcome through the
blood of the Lamb. It's through what Christ has
done. And so then, we greatly rejoice. I wonder whether you know what
that is, to come through temptation it may have been a great temptation
you may have had a real tussle and yet when God has given you
the victory and don't forget that when God has given you the
victory you're thankful you weren't left to fall you may have had
your way hedged up bless God if that was so you perhaps didn't
want it to be hedged up but God did hedge it up and God defended
you and strengthened you. And as you come out of that temptation,
wherein you greatly rejoice. For now, for in season, if need
be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations. It's not
just one little temptation in the life of the believer. There's
many temptations, manifold temptations. The old devil brings them in.
one after another sometimes, and that we may think we'll be
overcome. Well, the apostle goes on, that,
here we have, steadfast in the faith. That, the trial of your
faith. The trial. Our faith is put on
test. There is a trial. The Lord tests
us. And how we need then the Spirit
of God to give us grace to resist the devil, the trial of your
faith. And he tells us, being much more
precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire.
Tried with fire. You know, fire is a great test,
isn't it? You think historically of those
martyrs, who were burned at the stake and they were inevitably
given the opportunity to recant of their stand for the faith
of God. As the flames were lit and the
flames engulfed them, what a temptation there was to recant and to escape
that death, that suffering death, which they were to endure. And
here the Apostle tells us, this faith given by God is much more
precious than a gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire.
Well, not physical fire perhaps today, but nonetheless as it
were, a fire against us. Perhaps the situation where we
think we're going to be enveloped by it, we're going to be overcome
tribe of fire might be found unto praise and honour and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ. The Apostle goes on, it's worthwhile
just saying, and whom having not seen ye laugh. Yes, because of Christ's love
for us, in not leaving us to fall given us grace to resist
the devil. It's his great love toward us. And we know the savior overcame
and just ponder what the Lord Jesus had to endure on our behalf. Oh, my friends, what temptations,
what agony? And he endured and seeing him
who is invisible. My friends, may we know what
it is to endure. And so the apostle goes on, whom
having not seen ye love, in whom though now you see him not, yet
believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory,
receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Now the pathway through life
is a battle. It's a battle, isn't it? That's
why we have this expression here, resist steadfast in the faith. It is a steadfast battle to stand
firm for the things of God. And we remember that well-known
account, the apostle gives to us when he wrote to the Ephesians,
and in that last chapter he speaks about the whole armour of God. And so here he says, 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. Wherefore, take unto
you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand
in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." And he also tells
us this, with regard to faith, above all. taking the shield
of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked. And when we have the shield of
faith, that shield of faith is in front of us. We're able then to face and to
resist the devil. We don't turn our back upon the
devil. We're not to turn our back. Because then we're an easy
person to receive those arrows, but we are to have that shield
of faith before us. Our believing, it is the Lord
Jesus Christ who does and is able to deliver us out of every
temptation. But don't forget the wording,
above all, take in this shield of faith, wherewith ye shall
Be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Again, the
expression is good. The fiery darts of the wicked.
It's not easy. It's difficult. The fiery darts
are very painful. The devil intends to be so, if
possible, to overcome us and to defeat us. Whom resists steadfast
in the faith, knowing the same afflictions are accomplished
in your brethren that are in the world. So we're not walking
a lonely path. We're not walking a path that
is unique to ourselves. It is in one way, we all live,
we all walk of course a unique path, but in a general situation
it's not unique because we are all amongst those whom the devil
desires to overcome. And he is going around seeking
whom he may devour, yes, as a roaring lion. And the blessing is, if
you and I are given that grace to continually be on our watch,
on our watch, that's being vigilant, so that we might be able then
to resist him. The devil will come at us at
all times, daytime, nighttime. Whatever position we're found
in, and the weaker we are, the stronger the devil will be. Now
then, where is our strength? Where is our strength? Well,
I hope we know where it is. Is it in ourself? No, it's not. Where is it? It's in the finished
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's our strength. And that's
how we shall be able to resist steadfast in the faith, that
faith given to us, faith to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. We're
not to cast it away, we're to take firm hold of it and desire
we may be able to live with it and by it and to recognise and
enjoy the blessed Spirit of God helping us as we look to the
Saviour. Look unto me, says the Lord Jesus
Christ. Yes, not look anywhere else.
Don't look to self. Look unto me. Look unto the crucified
Saviour. Look what he endured. Look what
he overcame. Look how he was tempted. Tempted
in all points. All points, yes. Like as we are
yet without sin. So we have a friend in Jesus. What a friend we have in Jesus.
He understands. He knows what temptations we're
faced with. And we can come to him, can't
we? And therefore, that's what the apostle says here, casting
all your care upon him. That means in all these times
of temptation, when the devil's roaring at us, trying to frighten
us, we can come to him. Come unto me. and be ye saved,
casting all your care upon him, and what a consolation, for he
careth for you." What a strength that must be to the suffering,
tempted Church of God, to believe we have such a great God who
cares for you and me, cares for us, and to give us such gracious words of encouragement
because he's caring for us. And may we therefore take them
to heart and be found desiring day by day to remember them,
to not be left to wander away from the flock, to be found by
ourselves, but to heed the gracious exhortations to be sober and
to be vigilant. Because your adversary the devil
as a roaring lion Walketh about he's not stationary my friends.
He's walking up and down He finds where you live. He knows where
you live comes into your room. He comes into your heart As a
roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom resist
steadfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are
accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. Amen.