Roaring Lion

Beloved: Clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for: God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble. So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.

Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen.

I write you this briefly through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Remain firm in it. The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting as does Mark, my son. Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. (1 Peter 5:5-14)

So, God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble. Therefore, most of us are opposed by God because very few of us are not proud in some way.  Humility is not our strongest suite.  We tend to be haughty.  Many of us are high and mighty by word and action.  We are human and far from divine.

However, God does not oppose us even if we are proud.  God is merciful.  The one who opposes us and is tickled pick (red) when we are proud is the devil.  As Peter said: “Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  Now that’s a formidable opponent waiting for us to drop our guard or tempting us to do evil.

A prescription against evil infection is to “greet one another with a loving kiss and to grant peace to all who are in Christ.”  To do otherwise is to become the roaring lion’s meal.

Deacon David Pierce