Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil
walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
1 Peter 5:8
Isn’t it interesting in the above passage that the devil
has to seek out those whom he may devour? This means that he can’t devour
everyone. Don’t surrender your authority to him and be found among those whom
he can devour! Also, did you notice that he roams about like, or as, “a roaring
lion”? I asked the Lord why the devil goes about as a roaring lion and not some
other creature. He led me to Proverbs 19:12, which says, “The king’s wrath is
like the roaring of a lion” (boldface mine). The devil is an imposter who goes
about as a roaring lion because he is imitating the King of kings, our Lord
Jesus, the real lion of Judah. He wants people to think that our King is full
of wrath, anger, and rage against us. He comes at us roaring with the voice of
condemnation, accusation, and shame.
Satan wants you to have the impression that you have failed God, and that He is
not only disappointed with you, but is also downright furious with you. Now, if
you believe that about God, would you be taking refuge under the shelter of His
wings? Would you be taking your rightful place of authority, power, and
strength? Of course not. In fact, you will flee from God!
Believers who are under a cloud of condemnation won’t pray Psalm 91, the prayer
of protection. They feel unworthy of God’s promises and, in fact, are expecting
punishment and judgment from God. That is exactly where the devil wants you to
be. When you run away from God, you are running straight into the devil’s
snare. You abdicate your place of authority when you abdicate your place of
intimacy with God.
Beloved, you need to know this: You are loved. God is not mad at you. In
Christ, you can have the confident assurance that you are forgiven, loved, and
righteous (see Eph. 1:7, Rom. 8:37, 2 Cor. 5:21). The Lord Jesus has taken all
your punishment at the cross so that today, you can enjoy His undeserved,
unearned, and unmerited favour. God sees you in Christ, who is completely
spotless and without blame.
Based on our own deeds, none of us qualifies for His protection. But because of
what our Lord Jesus has done for us on the cross, we can all come boldly to His
throne of grace (see Heb. 4:16). Because of what He has done, we qualify to
dwell in the secret place with the King of kings, where the phony “roaring
lion” has no power over us! (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph
Prince Ministries used with kind permission).
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