Predators

I've found a trend in my writing.

Every time I begin writing an article, I start with: 'Everyone knows that...'

I've decided to break that cycle and bring in a new idea.

It all started when I read 1 Peter 5. (Gosh, now I'm writing this like a standard 1800's fantasy novel. Let me rephrase that.)

I've recently started studying my Bible every day. And after I finished John, I decided to check out 1 Peter. I didn't just flip to this book randomly, but I found a really inspirational verse in it before and so I chose to read through it next.

So I'm casually reading through the 1st chapter. Then the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and I come to the 5th.

1 Peter 5:8 'Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.'

I often see God represented as a lion.

He's Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia.

He's the Lion and the Lamb.

But never have I seen the devil referred to as a roaring lion.

You might be wondering why this caught me so off guard. But it's really simple.

The Lion is the king of the jungle. They have coats that show off their power. Everything about them is honor and strength.

But why the devil? Why not call him a mouse compared to God?

There's a few reasons:

1. We're not comparing the devil to God here. We're comparing him to us, which is why we're the mice and not the lions.

2. The devil is powerful. He can confuse us and make us feel powerless, even in our faith. I know we so often think that he has no strength over us because of God. But it's just like the disciples when the storm came when Jesus was on the fishing boat with them. They thought they were immune to the power of the devil because they had Jesus on their side. Except the devil will still be able to act until Jesus stops him. I really hope that makes sense.

It's all about perception. How we interpret the Bible.

I could have written this as if the devil was equal to God because of this one passage, which calls him the same thing as we've heard them call God.

But so many people worship the devil, just as Christians worship the gospel. But that does NOT make the devil equal to God.

You must pray over your perception of the Bible, because the devil can still touch you when you have your head buried in God's word.

Even the man that denies Jesus three times knew this. But Peter does not end the chapter like this. He goes on to say:

'Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.'

So. Yes. The devil is a lion.

He is roaring and searching for weak souls to devour.

But the devil will always be a mouse compared to God.

So,

Stay Faithful.

Stay Humble.

Stay Strong.

-Claudia