Suffering and Belief (1 Peter 5)
1 Peter 5:6-11 Resist the Devil
Suffering reminds us that the world is not right and we don’t have control.
In the arena of suffering, the real battle isn’t your circumstances, but what you believe about God in the midst of them.
In the arena of suffering…
1) The battle is over what you believe about God.
Humility is recognizing what is already true: we are under God’s mighty hand.
Charles Spurgeon “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.”
God’s hand is mighty, and He cares for me.
Casting my anxiety on Him is humility in action. (Anxiety = Divided within)
2) The enemy targets what you believe about God.
We are watchful when we recognize we’re in a battle
The devil’s roar sounds like, “Did God really say…?”
3) Victory is ours by standing firm in what is true about God.
Flee from temptation, but resist the temptation to believe lies.
Look around; we are not alone in suffering as believers. The enemy seeks to isolate.
Look beyond the suffering. God will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us after a little while.
Suffering is real, but not the whole story. We get to share in Jesus’s victory.
How we fight:
1) The Reality: What am I experiencing?
2) The Roar: What lie am I tempted to believe?
3) The Reminder: What is actually true?
