1 Pedro 5
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Pedro 5:8
Spurgeon remarks that there is no temptation in the world which is so bad as not being tempted at all, for to be tempted will tend to keep us awake. Whereas, being without temptation, flesh and blood are weak. Though the spirit may be willing, yet we may be found falling into slumber. Children do not run away from their father’s side when big dogs bark at them. The howlings of the devil may tend to drive us nearer to Christ, may teach us our own weakness, may keep us upon our own watch tower, and be made the means of preservation from other ills. (Spurgeon, C. H. Satan, A Defeated Foe) Mark it down that the Christian who is not alert to Satanic attack is in for trouble. Don't misunderstand...we are not to look for a demon behind every bush. We are simply called to a continual state of spiritual alertness. It is as if we are like a sentry constantly on guard duty at the door of our mind and the gate of our eyes and ears, alert for any deceptive, seductive intruders. Keep watching and praying beloved. John Calvin on "be sober...on the alert" writes that "as we have war with a most fierce and most powerful enemy, we are to be strenuous in resisting him. But he uses a twofold metaphor, that they were to be sober, and that they were to exercise watchfulness. Surfeiting (intemperate or immoderate indulgence in something) produces sloth (disinclination to action or labor, spiritual apathy and inactivity) and sleep; even so they who indulge in earthly cares and pleasures, think of nothing else, being under the power of spiritual lethargy." (Commentaries) J R Miller... We are not at all times equally strong. There are days with all of us when we throw off temptation with almost no effort. But none of us are so every day. There are hours with the strongest of us—when we are weak. These are the times of peril for us, and our adversary is watching for them. In your weak hours keep a double guard, therefore, against temptation. Keep out of its way. Throw yourself with mighty faith on Him who was tempted in all points as we are, and knows therefore how to deliver us when we are tempted. In time of special weakness—run to Christ for shelter! Thomas Watson... "Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry!" Lk 12:19 A Christian must deny his ease. "Ease slays the simple." The flesh is prone to sloth and softness. It is loath to take pains for heaven. Weeds and vermin grow in untilled ground; and all vices grow in an idle, untilled heart. How can they expect to reap a harvest of glory—who never sowed any seed? Is Satan so busy in his diocese, 1Pe 5:8, and are Christians idle? Are they like the lilies—which neither toil, nor spin? O deny your ease! We must force our way to paradise. God puts no difference between the slothful servant and the wicked servant, "You wicked and lazy servant!" Mt 25:26. Those slothful people in Eturia, who like drones enter into the hive and consumed the honey, were expelled from others and condemned to exile. Such as idle away the day of grace and fold their hands to sleep when they should be working out salvation—God will condemn to a perpetual exile in hell. Let us shake off sloth—as Paul did the viper! Paul like a general keenly aware of the real spiritual war surrounding every saint, uses four Greek military terms to issue a staccato command (all in the imperative mood) to the church and all in the present tense (continuously) calling for each to be the habitual practice for the rest of our lives! (Note: "be on the alert" = gregoreuo) The saints are to be on guard all the time. They are not to give up an inch of vital territory. They are to behave with true courage. Be on the alert Stand firm in the faith Act like men Be strong (1 Co 16:13+) HOW NOT TO BE SATAN'S BREAKFAST! Tim Schoap has a practical application of Peter's exhortations in chapter 5 to the believer's warfare in the Spirit in his section subtitled "How to be Satan’s Breakfast" and "How Not to Be Satan’s Breakfast"... While most of us may already have this down pat, consider this list of ways to ensure that you are defeated spiritually at every turn: 1. Resent and resist authority (at home, at church, at work, in the government) 2. Be proud (view yourself as the favored of God, a pillar of society, first among equals) 3. Seek praise (per your own schedule, on your own priorities) 4. Be anxious (worry over trivial details, performance – act as though you are the critical component to all success) 5. Question God’s care for you (blame God for your life, assume no responsibility for your decisions, or the consequences that follow) 6. Be unbalanced in your thinking (doubt God’s control of life) 7. Be self-focused (spend your time on yourself, make sure your needs are met first) This is pretty much a foolproof list of ways to ensure that you too can be Satan’s breakfast, because it is actually just Peter’s advice of how not to be Satan’s breakfast reversed. How Not to Be Satan’s Breakfast (1 Peter 5) 1. Subject yourselves to authority (1Pet 5:5; God’s, man’s) 2. Be humble (1Pet 5:5-6 – How? By becoming obedient, as Jesus did in Philippians 2:8; humble with each other, humble under God) 3. Seek God’s praise according to God’s schedule (1Pet 5:6 – at the proper time. Who chooses the time? God alone.) 4. Don’t be anxious (1Pet 5:7) – instead, 5. Be sure of God’s care for you (1Pet 5:8). 6. Be sober-minded (1Pet 5:8, know that he is in control, no matter what appearances may be) 7. Be spiritually-alert (1Pet. 5:8 – knowing Satan is prowling around out there, looking for an easy meal). If these things mark your life, Peter says you won’t be Satan’s breakfast! In the end, it all comes down to who you seek to please, self or Christ? Are you driven to perform, or do you have drive? Are you depending on the Lord, or on your own strength? The need for absolute dependence on him is greatly underscored by the reality of spiritual warfare (From Chapter 11 "How Not to Be Satan's Breakfast" - see also Chapter 10 on "Spiritual Warfare" - Introduction to “The Spiritual Life - 46 page Pdf - recommended!”) Jeremy Taylor on Christian sobriety (See Biblical Illustrator) is all that duty that concerns ourselves in the matter of meat, and drink, and pleasures, and thoughts; and it hath within it the duties of- 1. Temperance. 2. Chastity. 3. Humility. 4. Modesty. 5. Content. Ready for temptation - “I fell in an unguarded moment; the temptation came so suddenly.” How often such excuses are made! But why were we off our guard? Because we live in spiritual things too much like the Saxon king who earned for himself the inglorious surname of the Unready. (King’s Highway.) (Biblical Illustrator) Our vigilance must be comprehensive - Many a city has been taken on its strongest side, which was counted so strong that no watch was kept, even as no danger was dreaded there. We think that we are not exposed to one particular form of temptation; let none be too sure of this; and in resisting one form of evil, never let us forget that there are others in the world. Fleshly sins may be watched against, and yet room be given in the heart for spiritual wickedness, pride, self-righteousness, and the like. The victories gained over the lusts of the flesh may minister to those subtler mischiefs of the spirit: and our fate may be like that of the hero in the Maccabees, who was crushed by the falling elephant himself had slain. There is a white devil of spiritual pride as well as a black devil of fleshly lusts; and if only Satan can ruin us, it is all the same to him by what engines he does it; it is all the same to him whether we go down into hell as gross and carnal sinners, or as elated self-righteous saints. Set a watch, therefore, all round your heart; not on one side only, but on all; for you can never be sure on which side temptation will assail. (Archbishop Trench.) (Biblical Illustrator) Watch against little sins - The truly pious is never at rest in his mind but when he stands upon his guard against the most minute and unobservable encroaches of sin, as knowing them upon this account more dangerous than greater; that the enemy that is least feared is usually the soonest felt. For as in the robbing of a house it is the custom for the sturdiest thieves to put in some little boy at the window, who being once within may easily open the doors and let them in too, so the tempter, in rifling the soul, despairs for the most part to attempt his entrance by some gross sin, and therefore employs a lesser, that may slide into it insensibly; which yet, little as it is, will so unlock the bars of conscience that the most enormous abominations shall at length make their entrance and take possession of it. Let no man measure the smallness of his danger by the smallness of any sin; for the smaller the sin the greater may be the stratagem. Some have been choked by a fly, a crumb, a grape stone; such contemptible things carry in them the causes of death; and the soul may be destroyed by sinful desires, idle words, officious lies, as well as by perjuries, blasphemies, and murders. Those who consider in how many ways a soul may be ruined, will not count it scrupulosity to beware of the least and slenderest instruments of damnation. (R. South, D. D.) (Biblical Illustrator) Watch against our old sins - The embankment is weak where it once gave way; and though the breach has been repaired, it must be diligently watched. The flames have been put out, but the ashes are still smoldering; and, if the wind rises, the fire may burst forth anew. The rebellion has been put down; but though its armies have been scattered and its prince dethroned, many traitors lurk in secret places, watching for opportunities to renew the struggle. Our old sins are conquered, but not quite killed. (Newman Hall.) (Biblical Illustrator) SPIRITUAL WARFARE: Six Things Every Believer Needs To — Be On The Alert For 1).Satan: As Peter exhorts us in this present passage "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert (gregoreuo)." Be aware of Satan’s strategies (word study = methodeia), which are always deceptive and subtle but can basically be classified into one of three categories "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” (1Jn 2:16-note). 2). Temptation: Keep watching (What were they doing? - Mt 26:40) (gregoreuo in the present imperative -command [not a suggestion] in the present tense = continuously = make this your lifestyle) and praying (present imperative- word study = proseuchomai), that you may not enter into temptation (peirasmos) = basically means to learn the nature or character of something and in this context is an attempt to entice, make or cause one to do something evil); the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (asthenes = inadequate, feeble, even helpless!). (Mt 26:41) If we are not watching (we are not looking for a demon behind every bush but we are aware that every moment of every day we are in a war -- no furloughs in this spiritual war beloved! At least not until our glorification!) and seeking the Lord’s help in prayer (don't be too proud to cry out), we often will not even notice temptation when it comes. When our spiritual eyes are shut or sleepy, we can fall more easily into sin. 3). Apathy and indifference: The very nature of those sins makes them very difficult to notice. By definition, a person who is apathetic and indifferent is insensitive and therefore cannot be alert. Although the city of Sardis (see discussion and picture in Revelation 3:1; general article) was considered to be a natural citadel and incapable of capture, there were several times in the city’s history that the city fell because of self-confidence and consequent failure to stay alert and watchful. (cp Paul's warning command - 1Co 10:12, Pr 16:18, 28:14, Peter's pride Mt 26:33,34, cp Rev 3:17-note, Rev 3:18-note). The church at Sardis assumed that it had spiritual life because it had “a name that [it was] alive,” (Rev 3:1-note) but it was so indifferent to the Lord’s will that it did not realize it was “dead”! Our Lord's warning to the church at Sardis was Wake up (gregoreuo) (present tense = continually keeping awake) and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. If therefore you will not wake up (gregoreuo), I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you." (Rev 3:2, 3-note) John MacArthur wisely warns us that... Christians cannot disregard the Lord’s Word with impunity. To neglect Scripture is to disregard it and treat it as if it means nothing. Before long we cannot remember what we have received and heard, and the Lord’s way becomes more and more vague and indefinite. When His Word is indefinite to us we become indifferent to it, and we need to begin to “keep it, and repent.” If we do not, God will chasten us in love—at a time, and perhaps in a way, that we do not expect." (MacArthur, J: 1Corinthians. Page 472. Chicago: Moody Press) 4). False teachers: In view of the certainty of the attack on the church from within Paul instructed the Ephesian elders Therefore be on the alert (gregoreuo - present tense, imperative mood commands this to the overseers' continual practice), remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. (Acts 20:31) This is the clarion call to elders everywhere and for all times -- They are charged to be ever aware that the savage wolves (false teachers who would devour and destroy the faith of believers) are awaiting an opening to attack their flocks, they must be vigilant. Let me ask you dear elder -- First, do you teach those who are under your care (cp Titus 1:9-see note)? Secondly, do you monitor Sunday School classes and other studies (including video series) being offered to the "sheep". If you don't, you need to remember that you will still be held accountable for doing so and will be rewarded accordingly (cp 2Cor 5:9-note, 2Co 5:10-note, 1Co 3:10, 11, 12, 13, 14) Charles Jefferson explains why overseers must be continually on the alert: The Eastern shepherd was, first of all, a watchman. He had a watch-tower. It was his business to keep a wide-open eye, constantly searching the horizon for the possible approach of foes. He was bound to be circumspect and attentive. Vigilance was a cardinal virtue. An alert wakefulness was for him a necessity. He could not indulge in fits of drowsiness, for the foe was always near. Only by his alertness could the enemy be circumvented. There were many kinds of enemies, all of them terrible, each in a different way. At certain seasons of the year there were floods. Streams became quickly swollen and overflowed their banks. Swift action was necessary in order to escape destruction There were enemies of a more subtle kind—animals, rapacious and treacherous: lions, bears, hyenas, jackals, wolves. There were enemies in the air; huge birds of prey were always soaring aloft ready to swoop down upon a lamb or kid. And then, most dangerous of all, were the human birds and beasts of prey—robbers, bandits, men who made a business of robbing sheepfolds and murdering shepherds. That Eastern world was full of perils. It teemed with forces hostile to the shepherd and his flock. When Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Habakkuk talk about shepherds, they call them watchmen set to warn and save. Many a minister fails as a pastor because he is not vigilant. He allows his church to be torn to pieces because he is half asleep. He took it for granted that there were no wolves, no birds of prey, no robbers, and while he was drowsing the enemy arrived. False ideas, destructive interpretations, demoralizing teachings came into his group, and he never knew it. He was interested, perhaps, in literary research; he was absorbed in the discussion contained in the last theological quarterly, and did not know what his young people were reading, or what strange ideas had been lodged in the heads of a group of his leading members. There are errors which are as fierce as wolves and pitiless as hyenas; they tear faith and hope and love to pieces and leave churches, once prosperous, mangled and half dead." (Bolding added. The Minister as Shepherd, page 41, 42, 43, 44. Hong Kong: Living Books for All, 1980) 5). Listless Prayer: Gregoreuo is used in Colossians where Paul exhorts the saints to Devote (proskartereo; present imperative - command [not a suggestion] in the present tense = continuously = make this your lifestyle) yourselves to prayer, keeping alert (gregoreuo) in it with an attitude of thanksgiving." (Col 4:2, see note) ; cp example of Epaphras - Col 4:12-note, of Paul Col 1:9, 10, 11, 12, 13-see notes, the psalmist - Ps 55:16-Spurgeon's note, Ps 55:17-note) Lightfoot says: “Long continuance in prayer is apt to produce listlessness. Hence the additional charge that the heart must be awake, if the prayer is to have any value.” Paul's use of gregoreuo here suggests that in our prayers we are to guard against anything which would weaken their effectiveness, such as listlessness, carelessness or unbelief. 6). The Lord’s return (see discussion of Second Coming). When we take Communion we proclaim (and remember) the two great motives for faithful living - "you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes." (1Cor 11:26) We look back to His Cross and forward to His imminent Coming (cp 1Jn 3:2-note, 1Jn 3:3-note). In the context of the pouring "out of the last seven bowl of the wrath of God into the earth" (Rev 16:1-note), Jesus speaks this fearful "beatitude"... Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake (gregoreuo) and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame. (Rev 16:15 - see note) THE SHRIKE SYSTEM - an excellent illustration of Peter's exhortation - The ancient sport of falconry used trained hawks or falcons in the pursuit of wild game. When the "educated predator" was allowed to fly, however, it often rose too high for human eyes to see it. So a hunter often carried a small caged bird called a Shrike. By watching the antics of the little bird, the man could always tell where his hawk was, for the shrike instinctively feared the predator and cocked its head to keep it in view. Is your spiritual "shrike system" working well? --(M R De Haan II) The devil is clever, deceiving us all, He subtly causes the strongest to fall; But we his sly methods are sure to discern By making God's warnings our daily concern. --DJD YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL PROWLS AROUND: o antidikos humon diabolos os leon oruomenos (PMPMSN) peripatei (3SPAI) zeton (PAPMSN) (tina) katapiein (AAN): Esther 7:6; Job 1:6; 2:2; Ps 109:6; Is 50:8; Zech 3:1; Lk 22:31 1 Peter 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries 1 Peter 5:5-14 Exhortations to the Flock - Jack Arnold 1 Peter 5:6-14 Growing Solid Through Suffering - Steven Cole 1 Peter 5:8 Fundamental Attitudes for Spiritual Maturity-Pt 2 - John MacArthur 1 Peter 5:8-14 Fundamental Attitudes for Spiritual Maturity-Pt 3 - John MacArthur Cross References on Satan - Schemes of the devil = Mt 4:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11; 13:39; His doom is sure ! - Mt 25:41, Rev 20:10-see note ; The very essence of the nature of Satan = Jn 8:44 - when did he lie and murder? Ge 3:1,2,3, 4, 5, 6; Don't open the door to the devil and invite him into your house! Eph 4:26 - note; Eph 4:27-note; Eph 6:11-note; James 4:7 What is to be our heart's attitude in order to submit...resist? = James 4:6; 1Jn 3:8, 9, 10; The devil's last stand before the Throne of God = Rev 12:9-note, the devil's continual activity - Rev 12:10 -note; Rev 20:2,10. The Devil is a slanderer, "the accuser of our brethren" as John writes in Rev 12:10 -note, and he carries out his nefarious task "day and night." Not only does he accuse us before the throne of God, but he accuses us to ourselves! Paul says he is capable of shooting fiery missiles into our mind (Eph 6:16-note) and doubtless many of our self-defeating thoughts come from the "bow" of his demonic minions! He ever seeks to accuse us, to pile guilt upon guilt, continually prompting shame and continually coming against us with a desire to destroy us and our witness for the Lord. Adversary (476) (antidikos from anti = against + dike = a cause or suit at law) was used first as a word for an opponent in a lawsuit and then came to mean an adversary or enemy without reference to legal affairs. It describes one who is actively and continuously hostile toward someone. An adversary is one that contends with, opposes, or resists. Antidikos - 7x in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) -1Sa 2:10; Esther 8:11; Pr 18:17; Is 41:11; Jer. 50:34; 51:36; Ho 5:11). Below are the other 4 (of a total of 5) uses in the NAS... Matthew 5:25 (note) "Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, in order that your opponent may not deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Comment: Jesus' Sermon on the Mount repeatedly challenges us to maintain an attitude or carry out an action which is directly counter to our "natural bent", the direction our old flesh nature (inherited from Adam) continually seeks to entice us and guide us. Given such "impossible odds" it is clear that Jesus' description in the Sermon on the Mount is ultimately of a believer who has access to the enabling power of the Spirit which allows him for example to carry out the unnatural action to "make friends quickly" with one's adversary. Beloved, don't try to "live up" to the impossible standard of the Sermon on the Mount, for success is only Him-possible, i.e., only possible as we acknowledge our own inherent inability and choose to surrender to the enabling power of the Spirit of Christ. In John 15:5 Jesus made it very clear that apart from Him we can do nothing and that includes making friends with our adversaries! We need to believe Jesus' Word regarding our own spiritual weakness, and then we are ready to hear and experience Paul's word that we can do all things through Christ (His Spirit Who indwells us) Who continually strengthens us (Phil 4:13-note). Luke 12:58 "For while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on your way there make an effort to settle with him, in order that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. Comment: Here we clearly see the legal sense of antidikos, which is repeated in the following passage. Luke 18:3 "And there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Give me legal protection from my opponent.' 1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. The use here by Peter describing the Devil, could refer in a sense to the legal aspect of the word, since the Devil accuses men before God. For more on your adversary's wiles read Spurgeon's sermon "Satan Considering the Saints" (click) on Job 1:6. (See also "The Snare of the Fowler" wherein we read in part "Satan is the fowler; he has been so and is so still; and if he does not now attack us as the roaring lion, roaring against us in persecution, he attacks us as the adder, creeping silently along the path, endeavoring to bite our heel with his poisoned fangs, and weaken the power of grace and ruin the life of godliness within us.) Jesus instructed his hearers to "Make friends quickly with your opponent (antidikos) at law while you are with him on the way, in order that your opponent (antidikos) may not deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison." (Matthew 5:25-note) The definite article modifies adversary marking one who is definite and well-known, in this case specifically identified as "the devil". Devil (Latin diabolus) (1228) (diabolos from diá = through, between + ballo = to cast, throw) means a false accuser, slanderer (one who utters false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another’s reputation), backbiting (malicious comment about one not present), one given to malicious gossip or a calumniator (one who utters maliciously false statements, charges, or imputations about, this term imputes malice to the speaker and falsity to the assertions). See also study on Satan (4567) satanas Diabolos is used 37 times in the NAS Matt. 4:1, 5, 8, 11; 13:39; 25:41; Lk. 4:2, 3, 6, 13; 8:12; Jn. 6:70; 8:44; 13:2; Acts 10:38; 13:10; Eph. 4:27; 6:11; 1Ti 3:6, 7, 11; 2Ti 2:26; 3:3; Titus 2:3; Heb. 2:14; James. 4:7; 1Pe 5:8; 1Jn 3:8, 10; Jude 1:9; Rev. 2:10; 12:9, 12; 20:2, 10 Diabolos is the noun form of the verb diaballō which describes not only those who bring a false charge against one, but also those who disseminate the truth concerning a man, and do so maliciously, insidiously and with hostility. Notice how the root words (diá = through + bállō = throw) picture what the devil does. He constantly throws between seeking to divide whether it be between a husband and wife, a child and parent, a church, etc. Resist his divisive, condemnatory accusations firm in your faith.
1 Pedro 5:8
Spurgeon says "Thou wast once a servant of Satan, and no king will willingly lose his subjects. Dost thou think that Satan will let thee alone? No, he will be always at thee, for he “goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Expect trouble, therefore, Christian, when thou lookest beneath thee. " (Morning and evening : Daily readings. May 3 AM) Spurgeon comments that "At this very moment, he may be trying to seize us with hostile attacks. Still, this is our security: “The Lord is our shield” (Ps 28:7). Though earth and hell should blend their malice, we are safe when God protects. “Where would you hide,” someone asked Luther, “if the elector of Saxony should withdraw his protection?” Luther smiled and answered, “I put no trust in the prince of Saxony. Under the broad shield of heaven, I stand secure.” So he did, and so do we." As F B Meyer said our Adversary, the Devil "tempted our Lord, he will tempt us. He will entice us to do wrong by every avenue of sense, and will pour his evil suggestions through eye, and ear, and touch, and mouth, and mind. If he does not attack us himself, he can set on us any one of his myriad agents who will get behind us and step softly up to us and whisperingly suggest many grievous blasphemies which we shall think have proceeded from our own mind." (Meyer, F B: from his sermon entitled "The Secret of Victory over Sin) WAKE UP CALL - A few months after our family had moved to a rural area of central Texas, I thought all the snakes must have packed up and gone away. People living nearby said they hadn't seen a snake in a long time, and that was just fine with me. One afternoon, though, I opened the door of the tool shed and saw a poisonous copperhead coiled in the corner. I called my wife and daughter to point out our need for alertness, then I killed the snake with a hoe. That tool shed encounter with a copperhead served as a valuable wake-up call. I had become careless, mistakenly believing that an age-old threat had disappeared. The Bible tells us to be alert to the presence of our spiritual enemy, the devil. "Be sober, be vigilant," 1 Peter 5:8 reminds us, "because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." As we move through each day, we must neither pretend that Satan doesn't exist, nor should we become paralyzed by fear of his presence. Knowing his destructive potential, we must depend on God's power to "resist him, steadfast in the faith" (1Peter 5:9). The devil is subtle, deceptive, and sly; He's clever and tricks us to swallow his lie. But his cunning methods we're sure to discern If we make God's warnings our daily concern. --D J DeHaan God's truth is the best protection against Satan's lies Devour (2666) (katapino from katá = down + pínō = to drink) means literally to drink down, and so to swallow and to swallow up completely. "Devour" means to cause something to pass through the mouth and into the stomach--to gulp down. Figuratively katapino means to cause the complete and sudden destruction of someone or something. Friberg - (1) literally drink or gulp down, swallow; (a) of the ground absorbing liquids take in (Rev 12.16); (b) of animals devour; used as part of a metaphor to denote the devil's activity against someone completely overpower, bring under control (1Pe 5.8); (2) figuratively overcome, destroy; (a) of waves of water overflowing someone drown (Heb 11.29); (b) of heavy and continual sorrow happening to someone overwhelm, prevail over, overcome (2Cor 2.7); (c) of one force putting an end to another force absorb completely, cause the end of (2Cor 5.4) (Analytical Lexicon) Classical Greek uses katapinō in the general sense of “to gulp down” or “to swallow.” The use of the word may or may not have a negative or destructive connotation, depending on the context. The Septuagint uses katapinō with its negative connotations in mind. Katapinō is used to translate the Hebrew bāla‛ and has the meaning of “to swallow up” or “to destroy.” Usually man is the object of this action because of his wickedness or disobedience (Exodus 15:12; Numbers 16:30; Jonah 2:1). Katapino is used 7 times in the NAS (Matt. 23:24; 1 Co. 15:54; 2 Co. 2:7; 5:4; Heb. 11:29; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12:16) Our enemy is seeking to bring us to spiritual ruin, to demoralize us so that we are on the "sidelines" so to speak, to weaken our faith and replace it with fear (See Fear, How to Handle It) Swindoll writes that... Apart from God’s help, we would be devoured by him (1 Pet. 5:8). In God’s strength, however, we can resist him (5:9) and “stand firm” against him (Eph. 6:11). As discussed elsewhere in this book, Satan is a defeated foe. The Lord Jesus Christ defeated him at Calvary. Proof of that is the open tomb. Christ arose triumphantly over Satan and death. The finished work of Christ is our source of victory over every snare of Satan. Therefore we need to claim victory by faith (Ed: And not just with our lips but our heart, walking in obedience which acts as a shield against the devil's deceitful slings and arrows! In other words if you "claim victory" with your lips and practice sin with your life, you will not experience victory. Faith that "works" is faith that obeys and Spirit enabled obedience will give us victory over our defeated foe.)....Never should a believer “give the devil an opportunity” (Eph. 4:27). In the immediate context of this command, anger, lying, stealing, and unwholesome talk among Christians are discussed, thereby suggesting that through these sins Satan is given opportunity to do his dirty work. (Understanding Christian theology) Peter's point is that this "lion" doesn't just want to paw at his victims and scratch them but he wants to "chew them up" and "swallow them down", seeking to devour them completely by destroying their faith so completely that they wholly cease from walking dynamically with God. He wants to ruin their testimony. As someone has well said, Some of you are already lying on his dinner plate, and the sound you hear is the licking of his lips. In the immediate context, the devil's plan for suffering Christians in Asia Minor would be to get them to deny Jesus Christ. (see Mark ) Richison notes that whereas Jesus came seeking sinners... the Devil seeks saints. He looks for Christians with their guard down. He could not keep Christians from becoming Christians, now he wants to make them ineffective Christians. He will do everything in his diabolical power to render them ineffective. He wants an impotent Christian and an impotent church. He will slander, hinder and handicap you. He will do everything in his power to keep you from sharing Christ with a non-Christian. He lost you but now he seeks to make sure that no one around you will come to Christ. The Devil is not interested in nibbling on us, he seeks to gulp us down. He looks for those who play into his clutches. He lurks in the spiritual bushes waiting for the Christian to come along. Do you have a spiritual mine detector? If we do not stay on the path, he will have a booby trap waiting to deform us for life. (Today's Word) Spurgeon in his sermon "The Roaring Lion" (click for full text) writes that Satan can never be content till he sees the believer utterly devoured. He would rend him in pieces, and break his bones and utterly destroy him if he could. Do not, therefore, indulge the thought, that the main purpose of Satan is to make you miserable. He is pleased with that, but that is not his ultimate end. Sometimes he may even make you happy, for he hath dainty poisons sweet to the taste which he administers to God’s people. If he feels that our destruction can be more readily achieved by sweets than by bitters, he certainly would prefer that which would best effect his end. Paul uses this verb to explain that "when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up (katapino) in victory. (1Co 15:54) (see the prophecy in Isaiah 25:8 below) In a similar use Paul declares that he could hardly wait for his glorified body writing that while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up (katapino) by life. (2 Co 5:4-note) The writer of Hebrews uses katapino literally writing that By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned (swallowed up). (Hebrews 11:29-note) In a somewhat similar usage John writes that when the Jews flee from Satan in the time of Jacob's Trouble, "the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up (katapino) the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth." (Revelation 12:16-note) Evidently the earth (the physical ground) will assist the Israelites in escaping from the enraged Serpent, the Devil, who himself certainly desires to "swallow them down"! In the past the ground swallowed the Egyptians ("Thou didst stretch out Thy right hand, the earth swallowed (LXX = katapino) them." Ex 15:12) and later Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (the Septuagint [LXX] uses katapino in each of the following OT references > Nu 16:28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33; 26:10; Deut. 11:6; Ps. 106:17). Writing again to the Corinthians regarding a church member who had become repentant, Paul exhorted them that instead of further rebuke, now they should turn and graciously forgive and comfort him, lest somehow such a one be overwhelmed (KJV = "swallowed up" = katapino) by excessive sorrow. (2Cor 2:7) What a picture of the meaning of katapino - here it is used as an idiom for a person being so overcome with grief as to despair or give up completely. The Greek verb katapino was used in Greek writings to describe engulfing waves. Thus Paul’s image in 2 Corinthians was of the disciplined person drowning in sadness. Isn't this a picture of how Satan sometimes "swallows" saints? Sadly he can work through members of a local body who want revenge more than restoration. Forgiveness should always follow the correction, lest the corrected one become so "swallowed up" by discouragement that he won’t be able to recover. Note that it is not that you have to come into contact with the personal Devil individually to fall prey because he commands a whole realm of demonic beings and he orchestrates and controls the whole world's system for John records that "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." (1Jn 5:19) Paul records that even believers "formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience." (Ephesians 2:2 - note) so from Satan's seat as prince of the world he orchestrates an environment which in and of itself can devour us. John MacArthur has his usually insightful thoughts on the devil constantly prowling and seeking to devour writing that in the book of Job we see "the Lord said to Satan...Job 1:8...Have you considered My servant Job?" You want to try to chew on him, see if he'll go down? You want to try to devour Job? "There's no one like him on earth, a blameless upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And Satan says, Let me have him and I'll show you how strong his faith is. So God said, All right, have at it." And you know the story, no matter what happened in Job's life Satan couldn't devour him. And Job said, "Thou He slay me yet will I trust (hope in) Him. (Job 13:15) And Job said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God." (Job 1:21, 22) And the Lord took everything away from him, everything he owned, his property, took away all of his children, took away all of his wealth, all of his animals. The only thing the Lord left was his wife and I think there were some days when he would gladly have traded her for somebody else because she was always telling him to curse God and die. ("Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" 10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips." Job 2:9-10) But even she as an instrument of Satan couldn't bring him to do that. But, you see, that's Satan's ploy, to move through the world to find somebody he can consume. The prowling roaring lion is a symbol of viciousness in Scripture. I would just commend to you Psalm 22:12, that Messianic Psalm talking about how the bulls of Bashan have encircled me ("Many bulls have surrounded Me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me"), referring to Christ being encircled by those who hated Him at His cross. "They opened wide their mouth at Me like a ravening and a roaring lion." (Psalm 22:13) That's a picture of viciousness, of maliciousness. That same expression is used elsewhere in the Psalms with the same intent of one who would be vicious. Psalm 104:21, "The young lions roar after their prey." So, Satan is going after his prey. He's going out to consume. He's going out to chew someone up. That's his goal." (from Dr MacArthur's sermon entitled "Fundamental Attitudes for Spiritual Maturity" on 1Peter 5:8) Although the verb is not used in this passage, the idea inherent in Peter's description is certainly present. Ezekiel records God's indictment of Israel's leaders (in Judah) declaring that There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. (Ezekiel 22:25) False prophets had conspired to take advantage of the people like a wild lion tears its prey. They had eaten up people’s lives and had stolen their possessions. They had even been responsible for the deaths of many men and for many women becoming widows. In short we as believers need to understand Peter's picture in his description of the devil as one who "prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" Peter is painting an ugly portrait of an Adversary with malicious intent moving around wanting to rip your life to shreds. His goal is to devastate and to destroy. Although the Devil cannot take away your salvation, he can destroy your life and your testimony, wreaking havoc and devastation in your lives. See Related Topics: Wayne Barber's Series on Spiritual Warfare Ephesians 6:10: SPIRITUAL WARFARE - 1 Ephesians 6:11: SPIRITUAL WARFARE - 2 Ephesians 6:14: SPIRITUAL WARFARE - 3 Ephesians 6:15-16 SPIRITUAL WARFARE - 4 Ephesians 6:17: SPIRITUAL WARFARE - 5 Ephesians 6:12-13 SPIRITUAL WARFARE - 6 Ephesians 6:18: SPIRITUAL WARFARE - 7 Name of God - Jehovah Nissi - Role in Battling the Amalekites Katapino is used 36 times in the Septuagint (LXX). One the early uses in Exodus depicts the confrontation of Pharaoh's magicians with Moses and Aaron, Moses recording that each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up (LXX = katapino) their staffs. (Ex 7:12) One of God's prophets in the OT was literally gulped down for the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow (LXX = katapino) Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17) So katapino can refer to an animal swallowing its victim. What a picture of what the adversary continually seeks to do to saints (figuratively speaking of course). In one of the great prophetic promises of all of Scripture Isaiah records that God He will swallow up (LXX = katapino) death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken." (Is 25:8) In Psalm 124 dealing with Jehovah's deliverance of Israel from danger of extinction notice how similar David's description of the danger is to that by Peter in (1Peter 5:8). David records "Had it not been the LORD who was on our side," Let Israel now say, Had it not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us; then they would have swallowed (LXX = katapino) us alive. When their anger was kindled against us; then the waters would have engulfed us. The stream would have swept over our soul; then the raging waters would have swept over our soul." Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper. The snare is broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth." (Ps 124 - Spurgeon's notes) Is not Psalm 124 depicting Israel's physical battles, but a picture of a believer's spiritual battles engineered by our Adversary, the Devil? And is not the source of deliverance and ultimate victory the same in both the Old and New Testaments --"Jehovah Who made heaven and earth?" Beloved let this great truth comfort your heart in the midst of the fray, though it might look for the moment that the enemy is winning. C H Spurgeon commenting on Ps 124 writes that our enemies "were so eager for our destruction that they would have made only one morsel of us, and have swallowed us up alive and whole in a single instant... The cruel world would make a full end of the godly were it not that Jehovah bars the way. When the Lord appears, the consuming fire cannot destroy; it is only because the Lord liveth that his people are alive... Rising irresistibly, like the Nile, the flood of opposition would soon have rolled over our heads. We should have looked in vain for escape. The rushing torrent would have drowned our soul, our hope, our life. In the great water-floods of persecution and affliction who can help but Jehovah? We have experienced seasons in which the combined forces of earth and hell must have made an end of us had not omnipotent grace interfered for our rescue... Had not God been with us our disdainful enemies would have made nothing of us, and dashed over us as a mountain torrent sweeps down the side of a hill, driving everything before it. Not only would our goods and possessions have been carried off, but our soul, our courage, our hope would have been borne away by the impetuous assault, and buried beneath the insults of our antagonists. Let us pause here, and as we see what might have been, let us adore the guardian power which has kept us in the flood, and yet above the flood. In our hours of dire peril we must have perished had not our Preserver prevailed for our safe keeping. David compares the adversaries of Israel to wild beasts who desired to make the godly their prey. Their teeth are prepared to tear, and they regard the godly as their victims. The Lord is heartily praised for not permitting his servants to be devoured when they were between the jaws of the raging ones. It implies that none can harm us till the Lord permits: and that our loving Lord will never do....Fowlers have many methods of taking small birds, and Satan has many methods of entrapping souls. Some are decoyed by evil companions, other are enticed by the love of dainties; hunger drives many into the trap, and fright impels numbers to fly into the net. The birds see not the snare so as to avoid it, and they cannot break it so as to escape from it. Happy is the bird that hath a deliverer strong, and mighty, and ready in the moment of peril; happier still is the soul over which the Lord watches day and night to pluck its feet out of the net. What joy there is in this song, Our soul is escaped. Escaped from our natural slavery; escaped from the guilt, the degradation, the habit, the dominion of sin; escaped from the vain deceits and fascinations of Satan; escaped from all that can destroy. What a miraculous escape that we who are so easily misled should not have been permitted to die by the dread fowler’s hand. The Lord has heard the prayer which he taught us to pray, and he has delivered us from evil. The snare is broken, and we are escaped. The song is worth repeating. The snare may be false doctrine, pride, lust, or temptation or despair; what a high favor it is to have it broken before our eyes, so that it has no more power over us. We see not the mercy while we are in the snare; perhaps we are so foolish as to deplore the breaking of the Satanic charm; the gratitude comes when the escape is seen, and when we perceive what we have escaped from, and by what hand we have been set free. Then our Lord has a song from our mouths and hearts....The glorious Lord became our ally; he took our part, and entered into treaty with us. If Jehovah were not our protector where should we be? Nothing but his power and wisdom could have guarded us from the cunning and malice of our adversaries; therefore, let all his people say so, and openly give him the honor of his preserving goodness." Our help for the future, our ground of confidence in all trials present and to come. Is in the name of the Lord. Jehovah’s revealed character is our foundation of confidence; his person is our sure fountain of strength. Who made heaven and earth. Our Creator is our preserver. He is immensely great in his creating work; he has not fashioned a few little things alone, but all heaven and the whole round earth are the works of his hands. When we worship the Creator let us increase our trust in our Comforter. Did he create all that we see, and can he not preserve us from evils which we cannot see? He has rendered us help in the moment of jeopardy. He will to the end break every snare. He made heaven for us, and he will keep us for heaven; he made the earth, and he will succor us upon it until the hour comes for our departure. Every work of his hand preaches to us the duty Rod Mattoon - The Devil is like a roaring lion that prowls for people that he can devour. Lions roar for a variety of reasons. They roar when they are about to leap upon their victims. They roar to communicate with other lions, to identify a kill, or to declare their territory and warn off any other lions that might invade it. Satan desires to control you and claim your testimony, even though you are a Christian. If he cannot lay claim to your soul, he will try to claim your life. One of the reasons a tribe of lions on an African plain will prowl or walk along the herds of animals is to keep the herds moving. When the animals are grazing and still, it is difficult to see those animals that are weak or injured. When the herds are running, it is much easier to see the lame, the sick, the loners, or the young which are prime targets for attack. Satan and his forces roam this world to see which Christians are weak and prime targets for temptation and destruction. He targets those believers that are independent of God and have isolated themselves from other Christians. As in Job's life, he may stir up circumstances in our lives with trials, trouble, or suffering to see how strong we are in our faith. Satan tries to stir us up to rob us of our peace, calm, and rest. This is usually when we are at our weakest. Realize beloved, if you are a weak, backslidden Christian, you are a target for the Devil. If you remain in that condition, you are going to fail. Peter stated that the Devil desires to devour you. This word "devour" is from the word katapino {kat-ap-ee'-no} which means "to swallow or devour." There are several thoughts I want to offer here about the word "devour." Discernment from Devouring 1. When something is devoured or swallowed, it disappears Satan wants your light for Christ to disappear. He does not want you to let your light shine for the Lord. He does not want you to be effective for Him. He wants you out of sight. Not only that, he wants you out of commission, out of God's will, out of fellowship with God, and out of church! 2. When something is devoured it is chewed, torn, or broken into pieces Satan desires to tear your life to pieces, too. If he can get you to yield to temptation, you will make sinful choices that will shred your testimony. Sinful living will damage your life, leaving you with ruin, regret, and remorse. 3. When something is devoured, it becomes a part of the person who has swallowed it When Satan devours a believer's testimony, the believer takes on the traits of Satan just as food becomes a part of the body that has swallowed it. Christians cannot be demon-possessed, but they surely can act like the Devil. Unfortunately, some of the meanest people I have ever met in my entire life are people that CLAIMED to be Christians. 4. When something is devoured, it tends to strengthen the one who has done the devouring Beloved, when Satan devours or ruins a Christian, the cause of Christ is hurt and the cause of Satan is strengthened. May we not allow this to happen in our lives. May we remember the sad words of Paul, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world" (2 Timothy 4:10). (Mattoon's Treasures from Luke) Twinkle, Tinkle, Tattle - A man was repeatedly robbed by burglars who entered his house through a window while he was asleep. He finally solved his problem by using three things. He called them a twinkler, a tinkler, and a tattler. The twinkler was a candle that he kept burning in the window all night. The tinkler was a bell attached to the window. And the tattler was a small, noisy dog. Because of these, the burglars were kept away. Every Christian lives in a house that Satan seeks to burglarize. We too need a twinkler, a tinkler, and a tattler. The twinkler is the candle of God's Word. Its truths provide light that exposes Satan's lies. Daily attention to the Word keeps the lamp bright. The tinkler is the bell of our testimony. Keep it ringing as you tell others of the Savior, and Satan will be frustrated. The tattler is the life of prayer. When the enemy comes, send up the warning that you are telling Jesus about it all. Yes, twinkle your light, tinkle your testimony, and bark the enemy away by prayer. A godly woman, when asked the secret of her victory, replied, "Whenever the devil raps at my door, I just say, 'Jesus, You go to the door and take care of him.'" The only way to overcome Temptations that we face Is to be focused on the Lord, Who strengthens by His grace. —Sper If you would master temptation, let Christ master you. Climbing Higher -- Pastor Dale Kurtz laughed so hard that his sides ached. He was watching a frustrated squirrel trying to climb the metal pole supporting a bird feeder. The squirrel repeatedly got part way up, then slowly slid down the pole in a heap. In an describing this incident, Kurtz wrote, "What the squirrel didn't know was that I had greased the pole!" Kurtz then pointed out that "greasing the pole" is one of Satan's tactics to hinder Christians in their spiritual climb. The "grease" he often uses is our own pride, complacency, and self-sufficiency. How he must laugh! In today's Bible reading (1Peter 5:5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11), Peter listed four things that will help us continue in our spiritual climb and not slide back: 1. Submitting to one another (1 Pet. 5:5). 2. Humbling ourselves before Almighty God (1Pe 5:6). 3. Casting all our care on our caring Lord (1Pe 5:7). 4. Disciplining ourselves and being watchful (1Pe 5:8). Onward and upward your course plan today, Seeking new heights as you walk Jesus' way; Heed not past failures, but strive for the prize, Aiming for goals fit for His holy eyes. --Brandt To avoid sin's tragedy, learn Satan's strategy. (click for related study of Satan's schemes = methodeia) Slapton Sands - On the southern shores of England is Slapton Sands. This beautiful beach area carries a tragic memory from its past. On April 28, 1944, during World War II, Allied soldiers were engaged in Operation Tiger, a training exercise in amphibious beach landings in preparation for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Suddenly, enemy gunboats appeared and killed over 700 American servicemen in a surprise attack. Today, a monument stands on Slapton Sands to commemorate the sacrifice of those young men who died while training for battle but were never able to enter the conflict. This tragedy is a metaphor that warns the believer in Christ. We too are involved in combat with an enemy who is powerful and deceptive. That is why the apostle Peter warned: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1Peter 5:8). The devil’s tactic is surprise To stop you in your tracks, So keep on guard and trust God’s Word; Resist his strong attacks. —Branon Satan’s ploys are no match for the Savior’s power. Wake Up Call - A few months after our family had moved to a rural area of central Texas, I thought all the snakes must have packed up and gone away. People living nearby said they hadn't seen a snake in a long time, and that was just fine with me. One afternoon, though, I opened the door of the toolshed and saw a poisonous copperhead coiled in the corner. I called my wife and daughter to point out our need for alertness, then I killed the snake with a hoe. That toolshed encounter with a copperhead served as a valuable wake-up call. I had become careless, mistakenly believing that an age-old threat had disappeared. The Bible tells us to be alert to the presence of our spiritual enemy, the devil. "Be sober, be vigilant," 1 Peter 5:8 reminds us, "because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." As we move through each day, we must neither pretend that Satan doesn't exist, nor should we become paralyzed by fear of his presence. Knowing his destructive potential, we must depend on God's power to "resist him, steadfast in the faith" (v.9). The devil is subtle, deceptive, and sly; He's clever and tricks us to swallow his lie. But his cunning methods we're sure to discern If we make God's warnings our daily concern. --DJD God's truth is the best protection against Satan's lies.