Have you ever met a mountain lion?
Probably not. They tend to avoid people. But if they do go on the offensive, you’re in trouble. There’s little a human can do to resist the claws and teeth of a full-grown lion.
A mountain lion can inflict one kind of death. But there’s someone who can inflict a death that’s far worse: Satan. What’s he like?
Satan “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8). The devil is constantly on the hunt for souls that he can snatch from the Lord.
No wonder Jesus makes this a part of our daily prayer: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Jesus knows what the evil one is like, for in the wilderness He fought Satan and resisted his lies for forty days. Now Jesus teaches us to pray for divine strength in our own daily fight against Satan.
We need this strength, for Satan is an experienced predator. He knows our weaknesses. He sees the parts of our lives that we leave unprotected. And he has many allies in this world. No human by himself can resist Satan’s claws and teeth.
When confronted with Satan’s power, we must immediately pray for help.
When Jesus teaches us this prayer, He also calls us to be wise. Don’t listen to Satan’s deceptions, but hold onto the truth of God’s Word. Don’t even let Satan near you through what you watch, or what you dwell on in your thoughts, or where you visit on a weekend night. Don’t even let Satan near you, because then he’ll lunge.
And keep that promise on your heart, “God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” (1 Cor 10:13).
Christ is with you, and He will fight for you.
***
Scripture: 1 Peter 5:6-11
Prayer: Faithful Father, help me to stand firm against all the attacks of the evil one. By myself, I am so weak, but in your power alone I can resist. Amen.
Comentários