Resist the Roaring Lion
By Susan Klein
“Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.”
1 Peter 5:8
Set in 1898, Tsavo, Kenya, the movie The Ghost and the Darkness was based on a true story about two lions that killed over 130 people during a nine-month period. Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson was commissioned by the British East African Railway to complete the Uganda Mombasa Bridge, allowing the railway to pass over the Tsavo River. During the night, two lions would slip into the camp, swiftly take out their victims, and leave unnoticed. Because of their sneakiness, many locals didn’t believe they actually existed at first, thus dubbing them “The Ghost” and “The Darkness.” As more and more men died, many workers fled for their lives on trains that passed through the area.By Susan Klein
“Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.”
1 Peter 5:8
While we do not live in Africa, nor do we have to fear lions sneaking into our homes at night, we do have an enemy who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking to devour. That enemy is Satan. Scripture calls him an accuser, an adversary, a tempter, a deceiver and a murderer. He is invisible like a ghost, and he is sneaky. He knows just when and how to attack us when we are most vulnerable. Many men and women have fallen victim to his schemes and have died a spiritual death as a result.
So, how are we to defend ourselves from this roaring lion? There are a few things we must do. First, the Apostle Paul tells us several times in Scripture to “be alert.” We must be on the offensive, always watching for his tempting ways. Secondly, we must “resist.” Unlike the Massai people, who could not resist the lions, we can resist the evil one and he will flee from us. If we come near to God, He will come near to us. And thirdly, we must put on our spiritual armor, for our battle is not against the fleshly lions, but against the spiritual forces of evil and the powers of this dark world. We must stand firm in our faith, believing in the Word of God, and utilizing the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within us.
Unlike the many men who fell prey to the ghosts in the darkness, we do not have to be our enemy’s next victim!
GOING DEEPER:
1. How are you staying “alert” to the prowling and scheming evil one? Are you resisting his attacks and temptations when they come knocking at your door? Call upon the power of the Holy Spirit to help you when you see him coming.
FURTHER READING:
1 Peter 5: 8-11; Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, 13; James 4:7
Susan is a wife and mother of two. She leads a small group and teaches for Tuesday a.m. Bible Study.
