Stand Firm And Fear Not The Lion's Roar
Years ago, when my husband and I were in South Africa, we toured Kruger National Park. This park covers an area of over 7,000 square miles. It was an incredible trip and I learned a lesson that influenced my life – unending.
When you wake up in the middle of the night and hear the lion's roar, it takes you a moment to determine where you are. Then you realize you are in a protected place. That lion’s roar may be miles away. It is only a roar.
Just As The Lion's Roar In The Wilderness...
1 Peter 5:8 tells us that your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking who he may devour.
Just as a lion in the wilderness, our enemy wants us to recognize who he is and that he is not far away. He is walking about, SEEKING whom he may devour. He is seeking because he knows that if we understand our authority in Christ, he can’t tempt us with those thoughts.
One of the most important things we will learn in our Christian walk is to understand our authority in Christ. The only way the enemy can gain any territory in our thoughts is through our doubt and lack of understanding of who we are because of Christ living in us.
When we understand that and when we use the Word of God to defeat the enemy at every turn, the devil will soon realize that we are someone he CANNOT devour.
What The Enemy Is Trying To Do
The Greek word for devour in this reference is katapiein which means to ‘swallow’ or ‘drown.’ He tries to drown out the truth. He tries to put fear on us. Peter has made it exquisitely clear that our place in Christ is secure. The devil cannot take that from us but he may try.
He wants to bring fear and shake our faith. He is the father of lies and will use any deception he needs to accomplish his task. He is fully aware that he cannot touch our spirit and his only territory to bring doubt or fear is in our mind.
In the next verse, Peter tells us how to fight that enemy. He says to resist the devil by being steadfast in your faith.
One of the manipulations Satan uses is a trap to trip us up. He loves recognition. When we acknowledge him in our lives, it is a form of praise to him. We need to recognize who CHRIST is in our lives and change our focus from what the devil has done or trying to do to what God has done and will do in our lives.Do This Instead Of Fearing The Lion's Roar
I cringe when I hear Christians say, “Well the devil sure tried to hurt me this week.” Or, “Please pray for me that the devil can’t bother me anymore.”
Take your focus off of the enemy and put it on God. 2 Timothy 1:7 says "that He has not given you the spirit of fear but one of power, love, and sound mind."
You have been given all authority over the enemy. When you understand that you are UNDEVOURABLE and that he has no authority over you, your focus will change. You will no longer be looking at what the enemy is trying to do to you but you will be praising God for what He has already done. What He promises He will do.
It is the Word of God IN YOU that gives you the strength to stand against the enemy – no matter how loud his roar is.His tactic is to create fear to give him control. We have the right to do the same thing.
The Lion of Judah LIVES in you. His roar is many times louder than the roar of the enemy. His roar is louder than any fear. His roar is louder than any terror. His roar is louder than any pending attack.
News Flash!
Satan is fully aware of who he cannot devour. He knows he has zero authority over us when we understand that we are UNDEVOURABLE!
When we realize that he has no power over us and we have all power and authority over him – he’ll move on.
Hebrews 2:14 says the enemy has been rendered powerless. He was stripped of any power he had when Christ died on the cross. Jesus said, “It is finished.” The work was complete.
I John 4:4 says that greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. The Lion of Judah is in you. He has given you rights, privileges, authority, and power.
When you grasp that, the enemy will know that you have fully seized that truth. When he looks at you, he will see Jesus’ blood over you. You are redeemed and protected because of His blood.
You will be labeled UNDEVOURABLE.
His days of intimidation, of putting guilt on you, of using the power of suggestion to create doubt in you are over. Those thoughts are from the pit and do not line up with the Word of God.
Whenever You Hear The Lion's Roar...
If you hear teaching that makes you feel guilty, you have heard the lion roar. Your counter-attack is the Word of God. Romans 8:1 tells us that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Period.
Satan may try to tell you that you are not deserving, or not righteous enough, or good enough, or holy enough, or sin-free enough. That is his roar and it is a lie.
Just as Jesus used the Word of God to defeat the enemy, we have that same right.