RESIST THE DEVIL
1Peter 5:8-9 Be
self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring
lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith,
because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the
same kind of sufferings.
You
should keep your mind clear and be alert. Then your body will be prepared. But
the devil isn’t defeated through this alone. By keeping your mind clear and
alert, you merely give your body less reason to sin. Your true sword is
remaining strong and firm in the faith. If you grasp hold of God’s Word in your
heart and cling to it with faith, the devil cannot win. He has to flee. If you
can say, “My God has said this, and I stand upon it,” you will find that the
devil will quickly leave. Then apathy, evil desire, anger, greed, despair, and
doubt will soon go away. But the devil is crafty and doesn’t want to let you
get to that point. He tries to snatch the sword out of your hand. If he makes
you lazy so that your body becomes unfit and out of control, he can tear your
sword out of your hand. This is what he did to Eve. She had God’s word. If she
had clung to it, she would not have fallen. But when the devil saw that she
held the word loosely, he tore it from her heart. She let it go, and the devil
won (Genesis 3:4, 13; 2 Corinthians 11:3)
Peter has instructed us on how we should fight against
the devil. It doesn’t require a lot of running around or doing special kinds of
works. Rather, it calls for nothing more than clinging to the Word through
faith. If the devil wants to drive you to despair because of your sin, just
grab the Word of God. It promises forgiveness of sins. Rely on God’s Word, and
the devil will quickly leave you alone.
Faith Alone: A Daily Devotional, By Martin Luther.
January 27.