The warning, “be sober, be vigilant”, is given to the Church of God and people of God in view of an enemy that they have to face who, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” This adversary is the same as Eve had to face in the Garden of Eden when he appeared in the form of a serpent to entice and ensnare her. His enmity to our first parents was then seen in all its hatefulness to what was good and upright. The adversary of that early time remains still the unplacable foe of all in whom the grace of God is evident so that the people and church of God have still to be warned of the danger to them from this source.
In writing to the strangers scattered throughout the different provinces of Asia Minor, the apostle Peter speaks to them of this adversary whom he calls, “your adversary, the devil”. The devil or Satan is the one of whom he warns them. They are required to be alert to the fact that they have such a foe who is ready to conflict with them at every turn. In our day men have to a large degree lost sight of the reality and power of Satan, the enemy of souls, who is ever active is seeking the soul’s destruction and who, where he cannot achieve that, seeks in every way possible to mar the witness of the children of God by ensnaring them into evil of every kind. To lose sight of the fact that there is such an adversary exposes one all the more to his deceits. Indeed, it is one indication of his power of deception that he is able to make men think that he does not exist. What surer way can he have than this of opening his way to men’s hearts and minds. How needful then is the exhortation, be sober, be vigilant.
The children of God have good reason to fear this enemy. They were long held in captivity by him when they lived in this world in their unconverted state. It was the god of this world, Satan, who blinded their minds then and held them in bondage to sin. They were bond-slaves of the devil and it required a greater than he to deliver them out of that bondage. A stronger than the strong man armed must come if they were to be delivered, and this is what took place in their experience when Christ by His Almighty power delivered them out of the hand of the enemy. They could never have delivered themselves. Therefore they owe their salvation entirely to the One who came in God’s great Name to save. He delivered them out of the miry clay of a lost state by nature and set their feet upon the Rock. He laid the foundation for this in His death when He spoiled principalities and powers and bruised Satan’s head, triumphing over him in His death. This was the way Christ took, the way that infinite wisdom divided, for setting the prisoners free. Through Christ, then, the children of God may be assured that they will ultimately overcome this great adversary, the devil, for Christ has overcome him by the blood of His Cross.
The children of God, as long as they are in this world, are in a place where Satan may assault them. Yet Satan does not have free rein but is only allowed to assault them as God permits, as we see from the case of Job. They are just now in a waste howling wilderness — for that is what this world is to the people of God — and in that wilderness there are serpents and scorpions by which they may be bitten. They must not, therefore, relax and lose sight of the dangers in the way but be sober and vigilant, ever on the lookout for the enemy. He may be lurking in places they would never suspect, therefore they must never give way to vain confidence. They are to be on the watchtower, alert for the approach of the enemy when he comes as a roaring lion ready to devour. Neither are they to lose sight of the fact that the one who comes as the Prince of darkness can also come as an angel of light to deceive.
When the enemy comes the children of God are to resist him steadfast in the faith. It is not in reliance upon their own strength that they are to overcome him but in reliance upon the Lord’s strength. “The Lord rebuke thee”, was the archangels answer to the devil. The Lord Himself has left with His people an example of how they are to overcome this adversary. On every occasion that Satan tempted Him the Saviour’s answer was the same — “the Scripture saith”. The Word of God gives the lie to all Satan’s lying insinuations. Let the people of God rely upon the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, to overcome this enemy and let them rely on the strength of divine grace to wield it. They will overcome him by the blood of the Lamb.
What encouragement there is for the people of God in the thought that this conflict which is so hot now is to have an end. Satan may and does attack the Lord’s people in this world but the time is coming when they shall be beyond his reach for ever. They will then be singing “Hosannas” to Him who delivered them out of the enemy’s hand and made them kings and priests unto God and His Father. When death carries them to brighter realms they will then see the enemy they feared so much here in the world as now a foe slain on the field of battle and the victory shall be theirs in Christ.