I Peter 5:8
“Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeing whom he may devour.”
Amos 3:4
“Will the lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?”
My brain works weird.
When I read the passage from First Peter, what struck to me wasn’t anything spiritual, so I thought, but my focus turned toward why Peter used the term “roaring” to describe the lion. There had to be a reason why he used that word, right? I mean, he could have just said lion…
Naturally, I wanted to learn why and when a lion roars. Turns out there are many reasons for a lion’s roar-to mark territory, to warn others to stay away from his territory, etc.-but there are a couple of aspects that, relative to these scriptures, caught my attention.
Most lions roar at night. Air is thinner at night so sound waves travel further. Research has shown that an adult lion’s roar can be heard up to five miles away. I don’t know about you but I find that when I’m alone, particularly at night, I tend to think…a lot!
If I’m not in tune with God, if I’ve not spent time in the Word, if I’ve neglected to pray like I should, the devil has a heyday with my thoughts: old tapes from my life before Christ play over and over in my head, my past sins come smacking me in the face, just a whole lot of shoulda’, coulda’, woulda’. Satan wants me to think I’m not truly forgiven. Thinking this way keeps me from believing in God’s mercy and grace. Makes me ripe for his attack.
Unforgiven. Just the way the enemy likes it.
Another thing a lion typically does in the dark is hunt. A lion will stalk its prey for about 30-40 yards away, then quietly creeps up on his target. Then when close enough, the lion will let out a mighty roar. That powerful roar confuses the animal and strikes fear into the lion’s prey. The prey cannot think correctly, is paralyzed with fear, and ends up trapped and caught by the lion.
That’s exactly what the enemy does, y’all, just like Peter describes. He prowls his territory (I John 5:19) seeking the lonely and weakest, quietly sneaks up on his prey-his victim-instills fear, causes confusion, then attacks.
How many times have I given into that fear, acted out of that fear and then caused chaos in my life and the lives of those around me? Even worse, how often have I let fear rule, taken my eyes off of God, then said and did things that were actually damaging to God’s work in others?
Fear, confusion. Just the way the enemy likes it.
Coronavirus, nuclear war, relationships that don’t look like they will ever be healed-there is a lot for me to be fearful of these days. It’s so easy for me to listen to that lion’s roar, become paralyzed, and not stay in the Word, not fellowship with God, not pray. If I’m out of relationship with God, not doing anything for Him, I pose no danger to the enemy.
No threat. Just the way the enemy likes it.
But it is in God’s word, in fellowship with Him, that I find the weapons He has given me to be victorious. God’s weapons are far more powerful than any lion’s roar! But I have to do a couple of things to ensure those weapons are available to me.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
“…but mighty in God…” I have to be in God’s word. I have to be in fellowship with Him.
“…but being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” I have to be obedient in order to use His weapons to punish all disobedience. I can’t get my marching orders from God, I can’t hear what He wants me to do so that I can be obedient, if I’m not constantly in fellowship with Him.
So, in my opinion, it all boils down to constant fellowship with the Creator. Constant fellowship will bring His supernatural power so that I might be triumphant against anything the enemy tries to fire at me. What is constant fellowship? To me it is praying without ceasing; devoting myself to the study of scripture; renewing of my mind; cultivating and living in an atmosphere of praise.
Constant fellowship. Just the way HE likes it.
Grace in the Garden 