Power to Change:
Resist Him!
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 5:6-11
Key Verse: 1 Peter 5:9
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
Today’s passage of scripture certainly leaves any reader with the clear thought: We can be victorious. The Apostle Peter is teaching that believers can change from the old to the new and learn to follow Christ. He speaks of our “trump card”: God’s almighty Hand! This week’s theme has been “The power to change.” We are not chained to the past; we can be new creations in Christ. This change does not come about without the cooperative effort of both God and us.
Peter tells us to “be self-controlled and alert.” The enemy of our souls never gives up in his efforts to de-rail our walk with God. My job is to control myself—my fleshly desires. God gives me a spirit of self-control, which greatly aids me in this effort (2 Timothy 1:7). It will seem hard to walk away from the desires of our human nature, but we can do it if we choose to! Being alert means we are at attention, ready to fight those temptations that the devil throws our way.
Our printed key verse for today describes the key to our victory: Resist him, standing firm in the faith. With our deep desire and determination to win over the evil one, combined with God’s mighty hand, we win! Of course it is a battle. We are in the battle of our lives for our soul’s destiny. Be controlled; be alert, and resist the powers of evil!
Father, I’m ready to go to war with the devil. I will stand strong with your power working in me! I will deny self to glorify you! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.