Don't Sleep on the Enemy

I am a lover of wild animals in their habitat. I don’t want to be too close but I can’t help but admire them from far away. I often watch Animal Planet because I love the documentaries they produce of animals in the wild surviving and thriving. On many occasions I have watched a lion pride hunt wildebeest and the story usually ends badly for at least one of them. The typically story is this- The wildebeest is typically drinking water, eating or doing something that causes it to be distracted. Meanwhile, the lioness is walking around looking for that one unsuspecting wildebeest to become their next meal.  Typically, the lioness will crawl for a period of time to get close enough to the animal. The crawling is in an effort to be lower to the ground or to blend into the tall grass so as not to be recognized by the prey. When they are spotted by the animal or they are close enough to it, they break into a full out run and usually by that point it is often too late for the animal to escape.

1 Peter 5:8 reads “Be self-controlled, and alert, your enemy the devil prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour.” I’m sure if wildebeest could read they would have appreciated this very literal warning that the bible gives about the lion. We however, will apply it metaphorically to our lives.  The bible calls us to be self- controlled. God wants us to manage our actions, feelings and emotions. It’s easy to be led by how you feel about things and to react out of those feelings instead of the word of God. The Bible also calls us to be alert. The definition of alert is quick to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous or difficult circumstances. If the Wildebeest had been more alert in any of those situations where it was being hunted, it might possibly still be alive. It is the same in our life. When we let our guard down and think for one moment that the devil is not after us that is the beginning of our demise. The lion in this case is obviously the devil. His only job is to destroy everything that God has made.

We must always pray to be aware of the devil and his tricks and schemes. Don't sleep on the enemy. Sometimes he uses other people and we must be discerning in those situations. The devil appears in many forms, it may be in the form of an argument with our spouse or significant other or a disagreement with a parent. Oftentimes when the argument is over we realize that we only had half the facts anyway. We only see things from our perspective and that is just what the devil wants.

He is counting on you to believe the negative things that he has said. He is depending on you becoming so distracted that you don’t see your relationships falling apart. The Devil by the bible’s definition is a liar (John 8:44) so whenever something happens that doesn’t reflect God’s character, know that the devil is behind it. Be aware and alert so that you can be successful against the enemy.