Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
Years before the devastating attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, a young French daredevil captivated the world’s attention by walking a tightrope between the two towering buildings. The tightrope was suspended 1,350 feet above the ground. Unbelievably the man effortlessly traversed from one tower to the next while spectators below stood open mouthed staring at his daring feat.
Now advance the clock several months later. While practicing on a comparatively low wire in St. Petersburg, Florida, the same man experienced a fall of 30 feet and suffered multiple injuries. As he lay on the ground in pain and awaiting help, he pounded his fist, exclaiming, “I can’t believe it! I never fall!!!” I.Never.Fall.
Believe it or not, our most significant mistakes and failures occur not when we venture outside our comfort zone but when we are in a comfortable place. That might be why the Bible tells us in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.” The bottom line is that when we believe something could never happen to us or we become so accustomed to a certain thing, we tend to become complacent or sloppy, or both. We lower our guard and leave the door open or perhaps cracked allowing carelessness to lead us into falling, failing or stumbling.
This is why the truth in 1 Peter 5:8 is so vitally important. Peter encourages us to, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Here’s the big truth—we are definitely on Satan’s lunch menu. He is just waiting for us to get complacent, or sloppy or both (yup…I wrote it twice on purpose) so he can gobble us up. When our guard goes down—the risk goes up—and he launches his attack.
Peter accurately portrays Satan as a lion. Lions don’t target animals prepared to run or fight; instead, they go after the unsuspecting and weak. Write this one down—don’t allow Satan to catch you off guard through carelessness. Remain vigilant in the Christian life, and you’ll be prepared to face challenges head-on. And that is a great way to begin a New Year—on guard, on alert and off the lunch menu. Need a little help with that? Well, your Dearest Daddy is a great lion hunter and He will be right by your side. Remember, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 