A Lesson of Survival.
We watch a lot of hunting videos in my house. It doesn’t really matter what is being hunted, from big game in exotic places to backyard squirls we can’t resist watching a good hunt. By “we” I of course mean mostly me and the boys, but even Michelle will sit down with us and watch a good hunting video. Admittedly she doesn’t enjoy watching the shooting, gutting, and skinning parts, but squeamishness aside it is hard not to get caught up in the thrill of the hunt. To see a skilled hunter at work is mesmerizing. Before they even begin the hunt, they study their prey and the environment in which they live so that they are better able to predict patterns of behavior. Once the hunt begins, they are master of disguise and stealth. Visibly they blend in with the background and they move through the forest without making a sound, all the while checking the wind to make sure they aren’t betrayed by their own scent. Once their prey is in sight the best of them need but one shot, and the hunt is over. All that is left to do is feast and hang the trophy on the wall.
We Lewis men like to imagine ourselves as skilled hunters, but I’m not sure anyone would want to watch a video of one of our hunts. 100% of our hunting is done on unfamiliar land with little to know insight into the patterns of our prey’s behavior. We are too cheap to buy expensive camouflage and convince ourselves as long as it’s not neon it will do. And we don’t stalk our prey. We prefer the warmth and comfort of a shooting shack and hope the prey will find us. Which would be easy for prey to do because all they have to do is follow the sounds of a father and his sons giggling like little schoolgirls. Try as we might to be silent and still, someone always says something like “pull my finger” and we end up laughing so hard tears blur our vision so badly we can hardly see the cross hairs on our weapon. If the Lewis men ever make a hunting video it will be more comedy than drama. That being said, we still have meat in the freezer and a few trophies on our wall.
They say man is the ultimate predator, but whoever said that has clearly never hunted with the Lewis men. Besides, there is someone whose skill as a hunter far surpasses not only the Lewis men, but all men. Peter identifies the hunter I am referring to in verse 8 of our epistle lesson for this morning. There we read, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The devil is a hunter of unsurpassed skill. Saint Peter tells us as a hunter the predator the Devil most closely resembles is the lion.
The lion, now that’s a hunter. The lion is an apex predator, meaning it sits at the top of the food chain with no natural predators of its own. The skill with which a lion hunts is remarkable. The lion watches its prey. Hour after hour, day after day it watches and learns patterns of behavior. The lion is patient; it waits for its prey to make a mistake; either wander from the herd or in some other way make itself vulnerable. Once a weakness is spotted, the lion conceals itself in the tall grass and unseen crawls within striking distance from its prey. The prey is often oblivious to the lion’s presence and continues to wander farther and farther from the herd completely ignorant to the danger surrounding it. I say surrounding it because the lion rarely hunts alone. It has been observed that a pride of lions hunt with the skill and coordination of a pro football team with each lion playing the same position time and time again in the hunt. The lion roars to coordinate the attack. The roar alerts the prey of the lion’s presence but by then it is too late. The pride of lions flanks the prey on either side and drive it farther and farther from the herd. They repeatedly feign attack to weary their prey. Then when the prey is weak from the effort of defending itself, the male lion, the leader of the pride and the most ferocious of them all, jumps from behind, sinks its teeth into the back, crushes the spine and kills the prey. All that is left to do is feast and hang the trophy on the wall.
A lion on the hunt is mesmerizing to watch, mesmerizing to everyone but the prey. You, my friends, are the prey. The devil is watching you; hour after hour, day after day, year after year he watches and learns your patterns of behavior. Patiently the devil waits for you to make a mistake like wandering from the body of believers or making a poor life choice that leaves you exposed and vulnerable to temptation. Rarely is the devil or a demon spotted. Occasionally you will hear about paranormal activities or demon possession, but mostly the devil prefers to remain hidden in the tall grasses of rationalism and skepticism. The devil doesn’t want you to know he is there, he would prefer if you think of him as a fairy tale monster invented to scare children. The devil would prefer you to be oblivious to his presence and simply go about your life ignorant of the dangers that surround you. You see, the devil doesn’t work alone. He coordinates his attack with the worries and concern of this world that flank you on either side and drive you farther and farther away from shepherd and flock. It is when you are at your weakest and most vulnerable that the devil pounces. Using guilt like claws he seeks to tear at your spirit. Using despair like fangs he seeks to devour your soul. As I said, a lion on the hunt is mesmerizing to watch, mesmerizing to everyone but the prey.
Peter knew what it was like to be hunted by an apex predator. Jesus once warned Peter, “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.”[1] Sadly, Peter did not take the warning seriously and, three rooster crows later, Peter was under attack. By the grace of God Peter survived that attack and in so doing learned a very valuable lesson, a lesson of survival that he shares with you and me today.
In verse 8 Peter tells us to “be alert and of sober mind.” If you have ever watched a national geographic episode, you know the animals that survive are the animals that are alert to the dangers around them. Their eyes dart back and forth as the scan their surroundings for suspicious behavior, their ears are constantly twitching as they listen for something that doesn’t sound right. We are to do the same if we wish to survive. In our world the devil likes to conceal himself not in the tall grasses but behind the podium of a preacher who prattles on about alternative lifestyles, conditional morality, personal truth, and the like. Peter warns us to be alert; watch for behavior that is inconsistent with confession and listen for something that doesn’t sound right; doesn’t sound like the prophets and apostles who speak to you from the pages of scripture. Be alert! It’s not just wolves who dress up in sheep’s clothing[2], sometimes it’s a lion.
Once your eyes and ears have alerted you to the danger that surrounds you be sober enough to keep your distance. Drunk people always overestimate their abilities. Drunkenness makes people believe they are invincible. Which is why drunk people often go looking for a fight. Occasional a drunk person picks a fight with the wrong person and ends up getting curb stomped. Well, the devil is the wrong kind of person with which to pick a fight. As a fallen angel he has powers and abilities that surpass your own. Don’t mess with the devil. Don’t play board games that seek to contact him, listen to music that glorifies him, or dress up like a witch or wizard that works for him. If you wish to avoid getting curb stomped by the devil than be sober enough to stay away from him.
Being alert and sober to the danger that surrounds you is the first step to surviving an attack from the devil. But simply knowing the devil is dangerous will not stop him from attacking you. Which is why in verse 9 Peter tells us to “9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” When a person comes face to face with a predator, the fight or flight instinct is triggered. There is a strong desire to flee, but almost always it is better to stand and fight. Better to stand your ground and kick, punch, gouge, bite, throw a stone, pick up a stick, use whatever is at your disposal to fend off the attack. It is not all that different when the devil attacks. The good news is you have something better than sticks and stones to hurl at the devil, you have something that is a proven devil repellent, and that something is the faith that comes from hearing the message. That is the weapon Jesus used to fend off the devil’s attack. Though Jesus has 10,000 times 10,000 heavenly host at his command, Jesus chose to stand firm in the faith and use the Word of God to fend off the devil’s attack. As long as you are standing in the faith; standing on the promises of God and declaring those promises clear and true, you have what you need to fend off the devil’s attack.
But it never hurts to have a little backup. There is, as they say, strength in numbers. I believe that is one of the reasons Peter mentions the “brothers throughout the world”. Like a lion, the devil seeks to separate and isolate. You are more vulnerable that way. But when you are surrounded by brothers and sisters in the faith it’s not so easy for the devil to attack. When you surround yourself with people who love you enough to correct you when you are wrong, rebuke you when you are in error, and encourage you not to wander away from the flock, you are less vulnerable and less susceptible to attack. When you are being stalked by a predator like the devil it is safer to be surrounded by the faithful.
Standing in the faith and being surrounded by the faithful drastically increase your chance of survival. But when the devil attacks, you have someone who does more than increase your chance of survival, you have someone who guarentees your survival. In verse 10 Peter tells us you have “the God of all grace”. Verse 8, where the devil is described as lion hunting his prey, has the potential of being a very scary section of scripture, especially when we are most often described in scripture as sheep. But sandwiched on either side of that potentially scary verse is “the God of all grace”. In verse 6 Peter draws attention to God’s mighty hand and then in verse 7 tells you to “7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” The God of all grace cares for you. You are not some waif wandering alone in the wilderness. You are a dearly loved, blood bought, baptized child of God. As such you enjoy the providence and protection that comes from the heavenly Father. Your heavenly father has commanded His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. More than that Jesus Himself has promised to protect you like a shepherd protects his sheep. Do not be anxious, your survival has been guaranteed by the God of all grace.
On one side of a potentially scary verse is the God of all grace who cares for you. On the other side of that same verse is the God of all grace who called you. In verse 10 Peter tells you “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.” The God of all grace has called you to His eternal glory. This side of heaven we are prey. But we won’t always be this side of heaven. When the devil led a rebellion against heaven, Jesus cast him into hell. When the devil sunk his iron fangs into the hands and feet of Jesus, Jesus rose from the dead and crushed the devil’s head. And when the time comes for you to stand before the judgment seat and the devil is prosecuting you for the crimes you have committed, Jesus will announce your crimes have been atoned for, your sins have been forgiven, and you will be welcomed into heaven. And there on that side of heaven you will not be prey. Rather, there, you will be a prince or princess of eternal glory. It is not only your survival, but also your salvation that has been guaranteed by the God of all grace.
The Lewis men are not what you might call skilled hunters. Yet we still have trophies on the wall. How many trophies do you think a hunter like the devil has hanging on his wall? It is unnerving to think of, but I suspect the number is in the millions if not more. You would think the devil has enough trophies by now, but as any hunter will tell you, there is always room for one more. Therefore, I urge you to heed saint Peter’s warning; learn this lesson of survival. Be alert and sober to the dangers around you. Resist the devil by standing firm in the faith and among the faithful. And most importantly, trust in the God of all grace who guarantees both your survival and salvation. “11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
[1] Luke 22:31
[2] Matthew 7:15