Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,  casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:6-11

Peter sums up his letter in these few verses, so let’s join in his summation…

We need to humble ourselves in His service, casting off our anxieties, and firm in our hope and faith in His love. Don’t be too concerned about earthly challenges and problems; keep your focus on your relationship with Him. He cares for you… can you imagine?  He has a whole universe to run, and yet He cares for you. Just let that sink in…. Amazing.

Humble in spirit, and secure in Jesus Christ, we also need to be clear in our minds, alert in our lives, for we are on the front lines in a conflict that rages all around us, a conflict that we can’t exactly see in the usual sense, a spiritual contest.  Our foe is on the prowl, looking to pick us off one by one: Scary. Be ready to resist.

It might not strike you at first that Peter’s admonition to resist the devil is good news, but actually, it is.  Once again, I find myself pointing out here that something which can be commanded is something that we can do, therefore, in spite of the strength and cunning of our Adversary, he can be resisted.  Come to think of it, why should this be a surprise?  Jesus has already overcome this world, He has already defeated the devil and His Spirit lives within us, therefore, in Him is our victory!  Better let that one sink in too…

We are not alone.  Not only can we access the presence of Christ any time, we are also one with our brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world. Oh yes, there are tough times ahead, but we can and will endure them, and in the end our destination in Christ is safe and assured… and glorious!

Love one another!