Scripture
6So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
8Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers[1] all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.
10In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11All power to him forever! Amen.
Translation notes (1)
- 5:9 Greek your brotherhood.
7Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
One of the lies that Satan most tricks us with is that God doesn't care about us. He often gets us to doubt the very goodness of God, and we feel forgotten. This was the same lie that he told Eve in the Garden of Eden. He was saying that God was holding out on her, and if she ate the fruit, she would have better knowledge and understanding. He made her feel like God was holding out on her so that she would make a compromise.
It is the oldest trick in the book, but it is one that Satan knows how to use with us as well. We think to ourselves,
"Did God really say that living together before getting married is wrong? Everyone I know is doing it, and God wants me to be happy, right?"
"Did God really say that I need to be in church or community? Can't I just worship God wherever I am at instead of in a building with other people?"
"Did God really say that I have to put Him first in everything? Isn't self-care and doing my own thing more important?"
Satan gets us to doubt God's goodness, His Word, and His plan for our lives because he knows this doubt leads to a fall. We have to see through the lies of our enemy and buckle up the belt of truth. We have to trust in God and the promises of His Word, instead of doubting His goodness.
We have to see through the evil one's lies when we are tempted to believe them. We have to cast all of our worries, anxieties, and fears on Him. Interesting that after Peter makes the statement, "Give all your worries and cares to God," he makes the point that we have an adversary that walks around like a roaring lion seeking who he may devour. Satan knows that when we start to believe his lies that we are an easy lunch. We have to hold onto the truth of God's word. We have to surround ourselves with people who will point out when we are getting sucked into our enemy's lies. Give all your cares and worries to God and trust that He has a plan for your life.
Moving Toward Action
Think back to a time in your life where you doubted the very goodness of God. It could have been a time where you felt like God was holding from you something that you felt would make you happy. Write out in your journal about that situation and how you were able to make it through the attack. If you were eaten for lunch and bought Satan's lies, write about how it felt to fall victim to his evil strategies. When you are done, take some time to pray that God will continue to help you to stand firm in His truth.
Going Deeper
Read 1 Peter 5:6-11 (NLT)
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