A Roaring Lion

Recently, there has been a post going around among my Facebook friends; check it out: Can anyone tell me why it is so hard to pray, but easy to swear? Why clubs are growing and churches are shrinking? Why it is so hard to re-post a Christian status, but easy to post gossip? Why we can worship a celebrity, but not Jesus?

I would like to answer. . .we have an enemy. I have to admit it bothers me when pastors/teachers shoot guilt aimed questions like "why is it that you can sit through a four hour football game, but not through a one hour worship service?" into the congregation. There is a part of me that always wants to answer back, "let me bring hot dogs and funnel cakes and yell every now and then and I'll happily stay four hours." Obviously the two scenarios cannot be compared, but the larger truth is, we have an enemy. Not a mystical, fantasy enemy an actual, biblical one. The devil does not care if we read every volume of the encyclopedia or stay on Facebook twelve hours a day, but try reading God's Word and suddenly we have the attention span of a three year old. The devil knows in whom our success rests and he will do anything to keep us from Him.

We are not accustomed (I hope) to factoring enemies into our day. The closest thing I can think of is that years ago I had a coworker who worked as hard at sabotaging my job as she did at accomplishing her own, maybe more. She was delighted to see me fail, but she did not want to kill me. We have an enemy who certainly delights to see us stumble but is dedicated to "steal, kill, and destroy". We tend to regard the devil like an older brother who stands in a dark hallway to jump out and startle us. However, he is not interested in merely startling us for a laugh, but in destroying our very lives. He is evil and loathesome. He hates our God and us by extension.

We need to remember this truth, keep it on our minds, and teach it to our children. Why? First of all, because the reality of Satan is part of our biblical theology. Second, because only in awareness can we respond accordingly. "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (I Peter 5:8). As believers in Jesus Christ we do not have to fear this enemy, but we should be reminded that even though the victory is secure the battlefield is a dangerous place to live.

"Know in all these things we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).