bu Desiree Bustamante

Standing firm with Christ against our greatest enemy.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
1 Peter 5:8-9 New Living Translation

Lions possess unique traits to be successful at hunting prey. They are very opportunistic hunters, killing anything within a reasonable distance. They often adapt to hunting specific animal species, as they get better with practice. They have power to kill very large prey, patience to wait for the right timing to attack, stealth to sneak up on an unsuspecting animal and an amazing sense of smell and sight. They often appear to lie around not seeming to be a threat, when they really are keeping watch and sniffing out a future meal.

Forty percent of those who say they believe in God do not believe in Satan as a real being. Yet this verse tells us that he is real. He is our greatest enemy and adversary. Satan has practiced many years of lying in wait for someone to devour. His agenda is to deceive us, damage our faith and drag us away from life in Christ. He knows our vulnerabilities and looks for opportunities to prey on them.

Mercifully, we aren’t left to fight Satan in our own strength. God has given us the Holy Spirit, His word and the claim of Christ’s victory through His sacrificial blood on the cross.  We counter Satan’s attacks with the Truth in the power of the Holy Spirit. With Christ’s resurrection, Satan has been defeated and cannot touch our souls. Our place with Christ in eternity is secure. Yet we must stay alert and vigilant, never trusting our own wisdom, but resisting temptation from the devil by focusing on our Lord, His love and His promises to us.

We are Christ’s children and are not to live in fear. When we pray in the Lord’s prayer—”Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”—we are asking that when we are tempted God will deliver us from Satan’s deadly attacks. Satan is a relentless determined foe, but Christ is the ultimate victor. Evil loses. Love wins!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado