1 Peter - Resist

Resist

Question of the day:  What is good? What is good in your life?  

READ: 1 Peter 5:8-14

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

12 With the help of Silas,[b] whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.

13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Today we finish the book of 1 Peter.  We finish this letter.  I wish we could study these letters all in one sitting.  I wish we didn't have weeks in between the passages because the whole work, the entire letter needs to be together.  Today as we finish this letter I hope that we will remember what we have learned before.  What Peter was saying leading up to this.  So let's take just a few moments to review...

1. We are His, born into His family, a new life, with all the inheritance afforded a child of the King. 

2. Called to live a Holy life. 

3. Crave Jesus

4. Because of the new life we must live in a new way.  He doesn't want us left where we were but LIVING, really LIVING as only afforded those who are children of the KING. 

5. Submit one to another

6. Let your life, your actions, your love for those around you, speak of who you!  Even when people are hateful and mean to you, persecuting you, demonstrate who God is, and who you are because of Him, by your actions. 

7. Suffering is part of this life, suffer for Christ because He suffered for you!  

8. Live for Christ, stop doing the things you were doing, and live a new way.  The end of all things is near so step it up!!!!

9. Elders, those with maturity of faith, you are called to be shepherds, so take care of those around you.  Use the gifts that God has blessed you with and serve with humility! 

So that is a very brief summary of what we have looked at so far.  Now here at the end of the letter Peter has a warning.  A warning about the deceiver who is trying to keep us from living the life God offers us. 

Why is it important that we resist the devil?

Do we teach enough about how to do this?

What are some ways we can "resist" the devil?

"STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH"  What does this mean?

"because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."  -  Why is this important?

I really believe that this helps us to keep it or to classify it correctly.  Let me explain.  If I know that the devil is doing the same thing around the world with the other believers, then, it isn't so much about me.  What I mean by that is, we often see this as a me problem, my weakness, my sin, instead of the devil waging war against me.  If we see the war, then we can start waging war and pick up the armor of God, and move forward.  Also to understand others are also being attacked, gives me the opportunity to reach out and learn from their strategy.   

 From Desire of Ages Ellen White writes, 

"The tempter can never compel us to do evil. He cannot control minds unless they are yielded to his control. The will must consent, faith must let go its hold upon Christ, before Satan can exercise his power upon us. But every sinful desire we cherish affords him a foothold. Every point in which we fail of meeting the divine standard is an open door by which he can enter to tempt and destroy us. And every failure or defeat on our part gives occasion for him to reproach Christ."

She also writes in Thoughts from the Mount of Olive

"Live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold you firmly by a hand that will never let go. Know and believe the love that God has to us, and you are secure; that love is a fortress impregnable to all the delusions and assaults of Satan. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”

Peter ends this letter reminding us of the power of God and that He will be the one who gets the glory and praise. 
This is so important that we remember.  Take the focus off of us and put it back on HIM!

Keep our eyes on Jesus! 
Keep our minds on His word!
Spend time (not just moments) but time in prayer.

Then there is a P.S. on this letter. 

Do you have any takeaways from the P.S.?

What about from this book in general?
Has anything in this letter impacted your life?