WHEN THE LION ROARS

1 Peter 5:8-9

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

                Lions roar for different reasons. Lions roar as a means of communicating with other lions. A primary reason for a lion to roar is to remind other lions that they are in control over an area and to warn them to stay away from their territory. A lion will roar after a kill for the same reason, to warn others to stay away. Most lions choose to roar at night because the sound travels further when the air is thinner.

                Peter tells us that Satan is like a roaring lion. There are many ways that we are hearing “the lion” roaring today.

                We hear him roaring in the general moral and spiritual decline of our society. He is making a clear statement that this world is his territory and that he is in charge. Paul refers to this in Ephesians 2:1-2. As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. Satan is very jealous for his territory. Followers of Christ are a real threat to his power, so he roars all the louder to get us to back off.

                We hear the roar of the lion in the political and military turmoil in our world. There are many places where our world is engulfed in the flames of war. There are many other places where we are engulfed in political unrest. Many people’s lives are being destroyed through these conflicts. Satan is actively devouring them through whatever means he has at his disposal.

                We hear Satan’s roar in interpersonal conflicts; whether that be within marriages, or communities, or the workplace. Many people are living their daily lives in an adversarial situation. They are afraid of being attack, so they attack first. Satan is the master at stirring up relational conflict to tear people apart.

                Satan loves to roar in the dark. The dark masks reality and allows a person’s mind to envision all manner of things. Satan uses the darkness to intimidate and frighten people.

                Peter tells us how we need to respond when the lion roars. The very first thing he tells us is to not be caught unaware. Our first line of defense against Satan’s attacks is to strengthen our faith in Christ. Satan is always looking for vulnerabilities that he can exploit. The closer we walk with Christ, the harder it is for Satan to manipulate us into a vulnerable position. Paul says that the way we protect ourselves is by actively putting on the armor of God. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:10-13)

                Peter also tells us to stand firm in the faith. One of Satan’s favorite tactics is to call our faith into question. He compares our faith to the current popular thinking and suggests that our faith is outdated, irrelevant, and out of touch with real life. When the lion roars, we need to hold firmly onto our faith. We need to remember that Satan is a defeated enemy who is desperate. Our faith is in the one who has already won the victory; Jesus Christ. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. (Hebrews 4:14) Satan is basically a coward who uses intimidation as his prime weapon. If we will stand firm, he will back off.

                The best way for us to stand firm is to stay together. A lion always targets the old, the weak, the young, that get separated from the rest. In nature, the best defense against a lion attack is to stay together. Spiritually, the same is true. Peter reminds us that we are not alone in our struggle against Satan. Our strength is increased when we band together and not allow Satan to pull us apart.

    And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25

                There is one other thing we can do to counter the effects of the roaring lion; bring things into the light. Darkness hides the truth. Light exposes reality. Too often we allow things to stay in the shadows, where they can morph into all kinds of things. The Bible tells us that we need to bring things into the light so that we can see them for what they really are.

                In John 3, it is made clear that the darkness is the place where people try to hide. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:19-21

                Paul reminds us that we do not belong to the darkness any longer. Instead we need to live as children of the light. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (Ephesians 5:8-14)

                There is another Lion who has roared in our world; the Lion of Judah. His roar was heard on the cross of Calvary and in the echo of an empty tomb. His roar continues to echo throughout our world. Jesus has already defeated Satan. He is the rightful King to sit on the throne over all of creation. Let His roar drown out the feeble roar of Satan.

Philippians 2:9-11

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

      and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

  in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.