Our Response to the Devil’s Attacks
Peter exhorts us in 1 Peter 5:9, saying, “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
Resist the Devil
Peter’s command is clear: resist him. This means refusing to comply with the devil’s solicitations. But how can we do this? Is it up to each believer to devise their own strategies? Absolutely not! Peter explains, “Resist him, firm in your faith.”
True resistance begins with faith:
- Faith acknowledges our powerlessness against the devil.
- Faith teaches us to distrust our own ability to fight and instead rely wholly on God.
- Faith recognizes Jesus as our Deliverer, the one who has set us free from the devil’s grasp.
Standing firm in faith means continually reminding ourselves of these truths. Sanctification comes by truth, and so we must constantly envelop ourselves with God’s Word and His promises. As Paul exhorts in Ephesians 6:14 and 16: “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth… take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”
Using God’s Word to Resist
The key to resisting the devil lies in those three simple words: “It is written.” Just as Jesus resisted Satan’s temptations in the wilderness by quoting Scripture, so must we:
- Hold fast to what is true and good.
- Combat the devil’s lies with God’s eternal truth.
Battling and Falling
We must acknowledge, however, that in this life, we will not win every battle. There will be times when we fall, even against our deepest desires. When that happens, the devil will seek to accuse us, whispering lies like: “You’ve failed. God is done with you.”
In these moments, faith must rise to speak the truth:
- “Devil, I know all is not lost because of Jesus. Though I fall, I will not remain fallen, for Christ is my Redeemer.”
- “You may hate me, but Christ loves me, and He demonstrated that love by dying for me. Your grip on me has been broken forever.”
Proclaim the promises of Scripture:
- “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
- “Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Shared Suffering
Peter offers encouragement by reminding us that our struggles are not unique: “The same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” Every Christian faces these attacks, but through them, we are being refined and made fit for glory.
Fixing Our Eyes on Heaven
Ultimately, Peter directs our gaze to our heavenly home:
- Right now, we are within the devil’s reach, enduring suffering and temptation.
- But a day is coming when we will no longer be in his reach.
In that eternal homeland, all fighting will cease. The trials of this life, though painful, are but a short season of preparation for an eternity of peace.
Closing Exhortation
Let us then fix our eyes on Christ and on the hope of heaven. When we are called home, Christ will welcome us, removing our helmets of war and replacing them with crowns of glory. May we endure with faith, knowing that the battle belongs to the Lord and that He has already secured the victory.
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