Encouragement in SufferingSample

Be alert and vigilant.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

We have an enemy. An unseen, evil enemy with lots of assistants. This enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion. This image tells us he is fierce, dangerous, hungry, and ever ready to inflict harm. 

The devil is not just a roaring lion, but a roaring lion seeking someone to devour, and that someone includes you. He and his minions want to devour you, hurt you, destroy you. They want to distance you from God in any way possible through deception, accusation, condemnation, and temptation. They want to convince you that God isn’t good, that God cannot be trusted, that God is mad at you, that God is disappointed in you, that God doesn’t really love you, and that God is a cosmic killjoy.

Satan wants to destroy your marriage and convince you that some other spouse would be much better for you. He tries to persuade you that you should get a divorce because God wants you to be happy. He seeks to bring anger, pride, debt, fear, a lack of forgiveness, and guilt into your marriage.

In all kinds of ways, Satan is out to devour your soul, ruin your family, and damage your spiritual life. What do we do? Wake up and fight the battle. Be vigilant. Be alert. Be aware that there is a battle, that there is an opponent, and that he is real. 

If you were on a cruise ship, you could drift off to sleep and take a nap. But you are on a battleship, so you should be fully alert, scanning the horizon for signs of the enemy. If you don’t often pray that God will protect you and your family from the enemy, then you are not alert and vigilant. If you are not aware that the voices in your head that condemn you, accuse you, tempt you, and lie to you are the voices of the enemy, then you are not alert and vigilant. If you are not aware that conflicts and misunderstandings are at times caused or exacerbated by the enemy, then you are not vigilant.

We don’t focus on the enemy, but we are aware of the enemy and his schemes. Be alert and vigilant.