1 PETER 5
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 5:6-11
1 PETER 5 SENSIBLENESS & WATCHFULNESS LEAD TO SELF-CONTROL
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Be on guard when you are called in the kingdom of the Lord
Remember that you have an enemy seeking to devour you
As you live in this corrupt world, be firm in your trust in Him
This will keep you protected from temptations to sin
Seek the word of God so you will have sensibleness
It will make you discern wickedness versus righteousness
Watch your mouth, mind and heart; align it with God’s will
Always be connected to the Lord and all his chosen people.
Peter reminds the believers of the adversary who is constantly at work to steal, kill and destroy the people of God and derail them from serving God and his kingdom. The first thing he mentions in this account has to do with humility and trusting in him alone. It is easy to forget to lean on the Lord when we are so busy living in this corrupt world system. We are bombarded with noise, distractions and accusations that hinder our maturity in our faith. We live in a chaotic and disorderly world where boundaries are not kept and so there is so much confusion and anxiety perpetuated on us humans.
Peter brings us back to the early Christians’ dilemma. They are not far from our troubles and challenges as believers. He instructs the believers to first have humility and trust in the Lord, then obey his laws so that in that obedience, there is no open door for the devil to get in. In verse 9, he reminds us not to let the enemy isolate us into thinking that we are alone in what we are going through. That’s one of Satan’s tactics. He will detach us from reality and then accuse us, distracting us from leaning on the Lord and shifting it to our own strength. As soon as we allow him to do this to us, we have just let him into our consciousness. That little opening is all he needs so that he can destroy any progress we have done to keep in the path of righteousness and stay faithful to serving God. In verse 10, he emphasizes the importance of going through the adversities and suffering as it will make us endure and stronger so that we will be established in God’s grace alone. Then we can have self-control as a result of this sensibleness, and watchfulness to be mature in our faith and be salt and light to this world.
REFLECTION
- Why is it important for us to have a soldier mindset in order to have self-control?
