Steadfast in Faith, 1 Peter 5:8-9

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."

     It is no small wonder that those who are not active in their faith end up being oppressed by our adversary, the devil. When we do not stand firm in our faith, we will not stand at all (Isaiah7:9). Peter tells us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that we must be sober and vigilant because satan is actively pursuing he whom he may devour. We find this truth in the story of Job, where God calls His angels into account, asking Satan where he has been. He answers, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."
     But what does it mean to be sober and vigilant? Sober is defined as "marked by sedate or gravely or earnestly thoughtful character or demeanor; unhurried, calm; marked by temperance, moderation, or seriousness; subdued in tone or color; showing no excessive or extreme qualities of fancy, emotion, or prejudice". To be sober is to be intently thoughtful, but calm and unanxious, not prone to extremes of one sort or the other. To be spiritually sober is to focus one's mind upon the things of Christ, and not only in a passive way, but an active, purposeful way; it is to not swing to the far left or the far right on any one matter but seek the Lord's perfect will in the matter, being anxious for nothing but everything by prayer and petition making your requests known to God, so that the unsurpassable peace of God is guarding your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. We cast all our cares upon Him, for He cares for us.
     Vigilant is defined as "to keep watch, stay awake, from vigil awake: alertly watchful especially to avoid danger". Thus being sober and vigilant would mean not only keeping your mind on Christ and remaining in that place of God's perfect will (walking by faith, not by sight), but also being aware that there is an enemy seeking to devour us, and being aware of his seductive and subtle schemes that he launches against us to draw us away from fellowship with God. Knowing that there is one who is out to get us, our to hinder our relationship with God, out to ruin that which God has purposed and ordained for us-- knowing this can bring us great advantage. In being vigilant, we are less likely to succumb to his trickery, his persuasive lies, and thus obtain the victory through the power of Christ.

     What this can all mean for us practically is this: We are not left without hope when it comes to spiritual warfare. Firstly we must remember that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places. Our enemy is not the government, the people around us, a foreign country, or anything of that nature; it is Satan and his minions, those fallen angels who have pitted themselves against God and anything and everything God has created and loves.
     Because our enemy is not physical, our weapons are not physical. The weapons we have against spiritual warfare are truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, prayer, and the word of God, as listed in Ephesians 6:14-18. Peter solidifies this truth by telling us we are to resist our adversary by remaining steadfast in faith. We cannot waiver at the promises of God, thinking them to be of no value or no effect in our lives. Each promise He has given us applies equally to every believer, no matter what that person feels or thinks. It is the lies of the enemy that cause us to doubt God's goodness and God's love for us-- It is nothing of God.

     In my walk with the Lord I had been feeling trapped and lethargic spiritually. I felt as though none of the promises of God could possible apply to me, though I knew in my head that there was no basis in logic for this feeling. But I had been so caught up in, so taken over by the lies of the enemy (and by fault of my own) that I had believed those lies and become, at least I felt I had become, stuck and trapped.
     But praise be to God who is gracious and forgiving, who does not leave us in the place of torment and agony but delivers us unto new life, and life abundant. It was because of my own lack of faith, my own lack of prayer, my own slacking in the things that are spiritual that I became subject to such conditions. That adversary which seeks he whom he may devour found prey in a weak and unarmed Christian which had placed down her weapons of warfare, if even unknowingly, subtly, or momentarily. Sure I still prayed and read my Bible, but I was far from sober and vigilant, and thus was a perfect target for the enemy.
     But we are not alone in such trials; our brethren around the world undergo the same trials, the same hardships, the same persecutions, and the same difficulties. There is no temptation that has befallen you except that which is common to man, and it shall never be more than you can bear; God will provide a means of escape, a way out so that you may stand up under it. And the way out of this is to remain steadfast in faith, sober and vigilant, not spiritually lazy, not mooching off of another's relationship with God, but making the effort to have your own walk, your own relationship with God. If we do not stand firm in our faith (that faith apportioned to us by God Himself), we will not stand at all.