Look Out Behind You!

Look Out Behind You!

1 Peter 5:7 – 9

One of the first things someone going into combat or hunting game needs to learn is to watch his back. The natural behaviour of modern humans in civilized society is to only look forward. In fact, since “smartphones” have become so popular, many don’t even do that! In battle situations, in the wild, or even walking down a city street, this can have very serious consequences. There are many stories of unwary soldiers dying their first time in combat, novice hunters becoming the prey or people being robbed in broad daylight on some city sidewalk.

1 Peter 5:8,9

Three very strong words are used in this passage to describe the condition Christians must be in at all times: Humble, sober and vigilant. People with combat experience and experienced hunters really understand what this means. When you’re out in the field (the world is our field, saints!), you must be humble, not cocky, sober and vigilant, or something very bad will happen to you.

I Be Humble

  1. Being humble is not being weak! To be humble is to recognize that you are not the highest power. It is recognizing that there are powers and principalities greater and stronger than you that can harm you. You are not invincible!

  2. Being humble is being willing to submit to authority. A soldier knows this. Christian, you are a soldier of the cross, in a mighty and epic spiritual battle against an unseen, incredibly powerful enemy. But the authority we answer to is almighty God, who is infinitely more powerful than our enemy!

    1. We must be humble enough to recognize our utter inability to stand on our own, and submit to God. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

II Be Sober

  1. The word here translated sober is nepho in the Greek. It means to be watchful and temperate. In this context it is in the Aorist, Active, and Imperative tense. Aorist is a tense in the Greek that we don’t have in the English. It is an ongoing tense. Therefore this is a command for us to be doing something continuously. “Keep on keeping on.” Be sober. Be that way and stay that way, all the time. That is the sense here.

  2. To be watchful is to be alert, always paying attention and never letting your guard down. That fits with the other part of the meaning, to be temperate. Alcohol, drugs and anxiety affect your ability to be watchful. They take away your edge, your sharpness. That’s why so many people have a glass of wine or a drink as soon as they come in the door from work. It is a light tranquilizer that helps them to relax. It makes them less alert and less watchful.

    1. This ongoing, active command is contrary to the practices of the world. We are to be completely sober, all the time. We are to be at night just as we are at work during the day, alert and watchful. You would not have a glass of wine before going to work. The Bible is telling us to be the same at home and all the time. Be sober.

  3. Do not be overcome, or intoxicated by the cares of this world. It is said that care, or anxiety, intoxicates the soul. Be sober, self-restrained toward the cares of this world. Be humble. Cast all your cares upon God, because he cares for you.

III Be Vigilant

  1. The Greek word used here is γρηγορεύω gregoreuo gray-gor-yoo’-o . It is translated watch everywhere else in scripture. It means to be specially circumspect, as you would be if you were in danger, paying attention to everything around you and being on guard. Again, this uses the Aorist, Active, and Imperative tense. In other words, it is a state of being watchful all the time, just as the command to be sober is.

  2. Be sober, casting all your care upon God; at the same time be vigilant, not careless in your walk before the Lord in this corrupt and fallen world. It’s not okay; it’s an affront to God to sin after you’ve been saved!

IV Be Advised

      1. Know and recognize that you have a very dangerous enemy who is out to get you. Your adversary, the one who wants to harm you is the devil. He is actively sneaking and seeking to destroy you.

      2. This word translated adversary also refers to someone who is your opponent in a court of law. This well describes the devil, who is called the “accuser of our brethren,” in Revelation 12:10, who accuses us before God day and night. He is a slanderer: Jesus Christ has satisfied justice on our behalf, paying the full penalty for all our sins with his own blood. We therefore have been pronounced not guilty. The full price for all our sins has been paid by Jesus Christ!

      3. Christian, be careful. The Bible teaches that as long as we are in the corrupt flesh of this world, we still sin, yet that is not the end of it! The devil wants to convince us that it is and we are doomed.

      4. The Bible says that the devil is the enemy (Matthew 13:39).

      5. The Bible says that the devil is a murderer and a liar (John 8:44).

      6. The devil is compared to a roaring lion, a lion whose hunger is so great he roars continually. It is a fearsome picture, and we are his prey.

V Be Stalwart

      1. Resist the devil by faith. To resist means to set yourself against, to withstand. Once again, it has the ongoing tense in the Greek. It means to constantly resist the devil. Don’t let your guard down. Be stalwart. Just as a tree with deep roots continuously resists the wind, resist the devil.

        1. You are never called upon to resist the devil in your own strength! The Bible says “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7… and it continues: “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.” verses 8 – 10

        2. Resisting the devil is all about having a proper relationship with God.

VI Be Steadfast

  1. Continue to resist the devil by faith. Don’t let your guard down. The devil is walking about as a roaring lion, seeking to devour anyone who lets his guard down. How many prominent and faithful Christian pastors, well-used of God in large churches have let their guard down and been overcome! Be steadfast. Don’t let your guard down, ever. Continue, day by day, to submit to God and resist the devil.

VII Be Aware

  1. Know that the company you are in, Christian! You’re just one of of all the saints in this world right now, who are also going through this same struggle with the devil. Have you ever wondered why some who you are certain are real, born again children of God sometimes commit terrible, very public sins? Have you ever wondered why some Christians seem to be so miserable? Or why some seem to give up?

    1. Be aware that your brethren, your brothers and sisters in Christ, are going through the same afflictions as you are. Jesus told us that we would have trouble in this world! He said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

    2. Christian, never feel like you’re worse off than everybody else! That is the lie of the devil and it means you’re in danger of being entangled in all your cares. Christians, we are not supposed to allow ourselves to be entangled in our care, but we are to be “Casting all your care upon him [God]; for he careth for you.”

Conclusion

  1. Look out behind you! Be humble. Be sober. Be vigilant. Your adversary – your enemy – the devil, like a roaring lion is walking about, seeking whom he can devour. Don’t let him get you. Those who have not put their faith in Jesus Christ are already the devil’s children, just as you once were. Jesus said to those who reject him, “Ye are of your father, the devil…” John 8:44 Yet when you put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you are born again as a child of God, and the devil has no power over you. Don’t let him drag you down! He won’t give up. Be steadfast. Continuously submit to God and continuously resist the devil. Never let your guard down. Continue to trust God, believing and trusting his word. Don’t let the devil convince you that you’re too bad or that God has abandoned you. That is the devil’s own lie. Be humble. Be sober. Be vigilant. Look out behind you! Submit first to God and then resist the devil. God will take care of you.