Be on the Lookout!

Daily Devotional – Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)

My closest encounter with a lion was when I spent a night at an eco-lodge inside a wildlife park. The lodge had no fence. Residents were required to stay indoors at night. The houses were secure, but we could hear animals roaming freely at night.

Suddenly, a powerful roar split the quiet night. The growl grew in intensity with each new occurrence. The lion must have been close-by because I could feel the ground under my feet shaking. My body also trembled in rhythm.

I feared for any prey that could have been outside at the time. The lion would have torn such prey into pieces.

This experience reminded me of Peter’s counsel, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). The fierce prowling devil is always hunting for prey.

A Christian who knows this side of Satan must be alert, always on the lookout. To the devil, we are just like animals of prey. Dragging us into sin and death is the most important objective of Satan.

God warns us to keep our passions and appetites in control lest the cunning devil lures us away from Christ. Like sheep out in the wild with their shepherd, we are only safe when we remain close to Jesus, our Shepherd.

Which areas of weakness are exposing you to the devil’s attacks? In which aspects of your life do you need to remain sober and vigilant?

Father, keep me from straying away from you into their clutches of the fearsome roaring devil.