Thwart!!
by Chris Cumming
The closer we get to end times and the Great Tribulation and/or the natural end
of our lives, certain Salvation Process-related scriptures come to mind. They
become very important. They are admonitions, that if followed will insure our
making it to the Kingdom of God with eternal life. We will discuss one of
those scriptures today. For the introduction, I am going to let Paul Harvey set
the tone for what we will discuss today.
Paul Harvey: "If I Were the Devil."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rysHrMClDE
Let us read about this devil Mr. Harvey speaks of. Our key verse for today is in
1 Peter 5.
1 Peter 5:8-9
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are
accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
My purpose today is to encourage all of us to be stedfast in the faith. Thwart
the enemy.
Thwart the enemy.
These two verses in 1 Peter 5 are going to lead us to more scriptures and
virtually all of them are full of admonitions that support verses 8 and 9 and,
if followed, will get us to the Kingdom of God.
For 1 Peter 5:8
Be sober:
1 Peter 1:13
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the
grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Meanings:
Gird up the loins of your mind:
Apply truth to your mind.
Be sober:
Do not be intoxicated with the cares of this world, with errors or false
doctrines.
Hope to the end:
be ye perfectly awake. Do not be weary in trials. Cherish the gospel hope to the
end of life.
1 Peter 4:7
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto
prayer.
Meanings:
Notice this verse is prefaced with the concept that we are in the end time. If
you are older than, say, 60, you are at the end of all things in any case; not
just prophetically.
Be sober:
Serious; thoughtful; considerate. Let a fact of so much importance make a solemn
impression on your mind.
Watch unto prayer:
Be looking out for the end of all things in such a manner as to lead you to
embrace all proper opportunities for prayer and every element of the Salvation
Process.
Matthew 24:48
...set of scriptures speaking to firstfruits in the end time
But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his
coming.
Meaning:
One of the meanings is one believing it will not happen in his lifetime and for
others, ever.
Luke 21:34
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with
surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon
you unawares.
Meanings:
Surfeiting:
excessive eating and drinking to the point of oppressing the body.
"intoxication" not indicated here.
Drunkenness:
intemperance in drinking; getting drunk often. Drunkenness that often brings in
folly, disease, poverty and death.
Cares of this life:
Worry and/or being inebriated with the world.
Luke 21:36
...just two verses down from verse 34
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape
all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Meanings:
Watch:
Watch against every sin, snare, and temptation; particularly, against the above
things, surfeiting, drunkenness, and worldly cares;
Pray:
pray continually, for fresh supplies of grace. This means the power you need in
the Salvation Process as well as, the knowledge, understanding and wisdom in all
these concepts.
Romans 13:11-13
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep:
for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the
works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in
chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
Meanings:
It is high time:
It is crunch time folks. [see
sermon with this title]
Do not sleep:
Inactivity; insensibility to the doctrines and duties of religion.
Now is our salvation:
We are working our one time in the process.
Salvation near:
You are one day closer each day to the return of Christ or your death. My
attitude? Christ is coming tomorrow. That thought is not my realistic conclusion
but my spiritual urgency.
Cast off; put on:
Bring in the good and the bad/darkness is displaced.
Walk honestly:
Let our deportment be decent, orderly, and grave.
Not in chambering:
not in whoredoms and prostitution of every kind. No fornication, adultery or
defilements of the bed.
Not in wantonness:
no lasciviousness, unnatural lusts, such as sodomy or using anything against
design.
Titus 1:8
But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
Meanings:
Sober:
in body, using moderation in diet and dress; and in mind, being prudent, modest,
and humble, and thinking soberly of himself, and others, as he ought.
Just:
righteous in his dealings with men, giving to everyone their due; upright and
sincere in his conversation with the saints; and faithful in his counsel,
admonitions, and reproofs.
Holy:
devout towards God, constant in all religious exercises in the closet, family,
and church; and living soberly, righteously, and godly in the world.
Temperate:
in eating and drinking; continent [characterized
by restraint]
from the lusts of the flesh; and even abstaining from those things which might
be lawfully used, though inexpedient, for the sake of the weak, the peace of the
church, and the glory of God.
Titus 2:12
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Meanings:
Righteously:
This refers to the proper performance of our duties.
Godly:
Piously; that is, in the faithful performance of our duties to God.
All of this for 1 Peter 5:8 -
Be sober:
Now for the 1 Peter 5:8 phrase, "your
adversary."
What is an adversary? This from the dictionary.
--enemy.
--a person, being, group or force that opposes or attacks you.
--an enemy who fights determinedly, continuously and relentlessly.
--being in a particular contest or struggle with some force.
--The Adversary: Satan.
The following is from the Bible.
--an opponent or foe-Luke 13:17
--one that speaks against another. -Matthew 5:25
--an enemy. - Luke 18:3
--and specially the devil. - 1 Peter 5:8
Quoted verses:
Luke 13:17...where
some were upset with Jesus for healing on the Sabbath
And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the
people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
Matthew 5:25
...dealing with angry brothers
Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at
any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to
the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Luke 18:3
...parable of the unjust judge
And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of
mine adversary.
We see in the Word of God that we have adversaries, Satan being the chief of
these.
Esther 7:6
...Esther had an adversary
And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was
afraid before the king and the queen.
1 Thessalonians 2:18
Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan
hindered us.
Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places.
Now to the word in our key verse of 1 Peter 5:8, "the devil" as in "your
adversary the devil."
Ephesians 4:27-32
27 Neither give place to the devil.
...and how does one not give place to the devil? Read on:
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his
hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is
good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of
redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be
put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as
God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Now I could have you turn to Ephesians 6:11 which says to put on the whole
armour of God to be able to withstand in the evil day, but turn now to James 4:7
James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Homework:
Read James 4:8-17 to see just how to resist the devil.
Now let us go to the second verse of our key scripture:
1 Peter 5:9
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are
accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
The first phrase of this verse is, "Whom resist stedfast in the faith." Let us
consult the commentaries here.
Whom resist
- See James 4:7, [a
verse we just covered--"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."]
You are in no instance to yield to him, but are in all forms to stand up and
oppose him [we
will see this explained].
Feeble in yourselves, you are to confide in the arm of God. No matter in what
form of terror he approaches, you are to fight manfully the fight of faith.
Compare with Ephesians 6:10-17.
~Barnes Notes
Quoted verse:
Ephesians 6:10-17
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil. [I
did get this verse in didn't I?]
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God:
Whom resist
- Stand against him. Though invulnerable, he is not unconquerable: the weakest
follower of God can confound and overpower him, if he continue steadfast in the
faith - believing on the Son of God [by
obeying Him and being like Him],
and walking uprightly before him. To a soul thus engaged he can do no damage.
~Adam Clark
Whom resist
- By no means give way to him, by indulging any sin, or yielding to any
temptation, but oppose him, and stand against his wiles, his cunning and his
power:
~John Gill
Steadfast in the faith
- Confiding in God. You are to rely on him alone, and the means of successful
resistance are to be found in the resources of faith.
~Barnes Notes
A moment ago, I mentioned that I would explain what it means to "stand up and
oppose him [the
devil].
Here it is:
Steadfast in the faith
- both in the doctrine of faith, which Satan endeavours to remove from, or cause
to stagger in; and in the grace of faith, exercising it on the promises of God,
and his perfections, particularly his power and faithfulness concerned in them,
and in the blood, righteousness, sacrifice, and person of Christ, which faith is
capable of making use of, as a shield, to good purpose, against all the fiery
darts of Satan; as also in a profession of faith, which, as it should be held
fast without wavering, and which the devil is very busy to keep persons from
making, or to cause them to drop it when they have made it, by violent
suggestions, strong temptations, and a flood of reproaches and persecutions; all
which should be disregarded:
~John Gill
Notice some verses linked to this phrase, "Steadfast in the faith."
Luke 22:31-32
...Jesus speaking to Peter
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that
he may sift you as wheat:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art
converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Ephesians 6:16
...part of the armor of God
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked.
1 Timothy 6:12
[See
Lesson]
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also
called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
2 Timothy 4:7
[See
Lesson]
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Hebrews 11:33
...speaking of Gideon, Samson, David, Samuel, Barak and Jephthah.
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises,
stopped the mouths of lions.
Notice a bit of commentary on this phrase, "stopped the mouths of lions."
Have you “ stopped the mouths of lions”? The devil is “the roaring lion, going
about seeking whom he may devour,” and when we stand before God to be judged [this,
of course, happening now],
the devil will be there to accuse us, and to bring against us the charge of
every sin we have committed at his instigation.
Go back to James 4:7
James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Point: If Satan has fled from you, how can he possibly accuse you?
I want to go back to our heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:32-33 we just discussed.
I found something in the Biblical Illustrator:
The heroes of faith:
Mark the characteristics of that faith, in virtue of which the writer brings
together these honoured names, and by the power of which they were enabled to be
God’s instruments and deputies in carrying forward on the earth His great
purposes of salvation. There are certain marks common to their faith, which will
be found also to characterize those who have succeeded them in New Testament
times.
I. The first is, that THEIR FAITH IS IN A LIVING GOD—a true believing that He
is, and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. That is [not
the] distinguishing characteristic, you may think; most men believe in God. Most
men profess to believe in Him, but in how many does their conduct show that the
profession is worth much? They believe in forms of words, in current opinion, in
worldly maxims, in the conventions of society, in the fashions of the church;
but genuine faith in a living God, whose righteous laws ought to be obeyed,
whose promises are true and ought to be acted on, whose loving care guards and
guides their lives, so that they have only to do His will and fear no evil—that
is a Tare thing yet, and makes men more or less strange where it is seen. It was
found in all these heroes of faith, so that they had strength and courage to do
the will of God, when it seemed not only difficult, but utterly impossible.
II. A second characteristic of the faith of these heroes is that ITS GOAL IS IN
THE FUTURE, its eye is fixed on the invisible. They felt the evil of the present
state, its disorder, its degradation, its wrong, its misery; but they knew by
the vision of faith that this visible world is girt about with the invisible,
that there is a higher order of things, a kingdom of truth, of righteousness, of
peace, of purity above, and that its powers and laws shall yet penetrate and
rule this earth, and the kingdom of God be established among men. And though the
promises, whose fulfillment bounded the horizon of pre-Christian believers, have
now been accomplished, and faith has now that fulfillment to rest upon, it still
looks forward to the future, to promises yet to be fulfilled of a better day and
a better kingdom. But still it confidently lays hold of the invisible, and works
towards an end which seems a mere will-o’-the-wisp in the judgment of ordinary
men.
III. Again, the faith of these true heroes is marked by INSIGHT INTO PRESENT
NEEDS AND DUTIES. Faith has a prophetic glance. Discerning God and God’s holy
order, it has an understanding of the times and the seasons, knows when to cast
in the seed, and to put in the sickle, sees the fruit in the flower, and the
great tree in the little germ. Hence the wonderful variety, for instance, in the
work of these leaders of faith recorded in this chapter. They were not guided by
custom, nor ruled merely by traditions of the past, but holding and living by
the truth already given, they were led into fresh applications of it. The new
time brought its new duties, and they obeyed God’s call to face them; it
disclosed fresh light, and they dared to open their eyes to let it in.
~Biblical Illustrator
Thwart the enemy.
Recap or Admonitions to Thwart!
1] Be sober -1 Peter 5:8
2] Be vigilant -1 Peter 5:8
3] Gird up your loins with truth -1 Peter 1:13 and see Ephesians 6:14
4] Be sober, avoid errors and false doctrines. 1 Peter 1:13
5]. Hope to the end. Do not be weary in trials. Cherish the gospel hope
to the end of life. 1 Peter 1:13
6] Be serious, thoughtful and considerate. Let the end time make an
impression on your mind. -1 Peter 4:7
7] Watch for the end. Let that watching lead you to embrace all proper
opportunities to every element of the Salvation Process. -1 Peter 4:7
8] Never think that Jesus is delaying His coming. -Matthew 24:48
9] Refrain from excesses in eating, drinking, intoxication, worry. -
Luke 21:34
10] Watch against every sin, snare, and temptation. - Luke 21:36
11] Invoke urgency. - Romans 13:11
12] Do not fall asleep spiritually. -Romans 13:11
13] Bring in good, force out all works of darkness. -Romans 13:12
14] Let your conduct be decent, orderly and grave. -Romans 13:13
15] Avoid chambering and wantonness. -Romans 12:13
16] Be prudent, modest, humble and thinking rightly of self and others.
-Titus 1:8
17] Be faithful in counsel, admonitions and reproofs. -Titus 1:8
18] Be holy; devout towards God, constant in all religious action from
closet to world. -Titus 1:8
19] Be an example of restraint and doing things lawfully. Do all to the
glory of God. -Titus 1:8
20] Be righteous...proper performance of duties. -Titus 2:12
21] Be Godly...faithful performance of duties. -Titus 2:12
22] Understand that Satan is the enemy. -Ephesians 6:12
23] Give no place to the devil. -Ephesians 4:27
24] Do good. - Ephesians 4:28
25] Edify others. -Ephesians 4:29
26] Put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking.
-Ephesians 4:31
27] Be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. -Ephesians 4:32
28] Resist the devil. -James 4:7
29] Remain steadfast in the faith. -1 Peter 5:9
30] Stop the mouths of lions. -Hebrews 11:33 with James 4:7
31] Have faith in a Living God. -1 Hebrew 11:33
32] Make the future you goal. -1 Hebrew 11:33
33] See to your duty. -1 Hebrew 11:33
...and immerse yourself into the Word of God!!
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