Lion Alert!

Listen your enemy cannot be.

Nor did you Cloister yourself up in a church is what he wanted it up and just want to think about the devil.

Some people think too much about a grant which you have to engage him.

Devil is never too busy to rock the cradle of a sleeping St. it is like you. My Christians the you must be engaged.

The apostle Paul instructed the church put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Connect with Skip today to learn how you can engage the tax and bring the victory right now want to tell you about a resource that inspires you to live with unyielding confidence in God comes to mind when you think of right godly women probably Jesus's mother, Mary, maybe Ruth, the unlikely ancestor of Christ. What about you here's a New York Times best-selling author Eric the taxes clearly God created us male and female in his image.

It's leaning into who we are as women for women that is going to show God's greatness. Discover how the lives of some of the latest women in history can show you the path to true greatness in your own life as a woman made in God's image you'll find in this month's inspiring resource by Eric metathesis everyone a seven women. I think you see a different side of femininity seven women is our thank you for your gift of $35 or more today to help connect more people to God's word and right now will also send you a special bonus resource pastor skips next message CD collection on women from Scripture connectwithskip.com/offer to get online securely or call 800-922-1888 first Peter chapter 5 as we get into the message with Skip Hite is considering this week. This text about Peter and his use of this metaphor say like a lion and the I thought what you know Peter didn't have a suit that he could go to what we do today. Sort of a modern development, so Peter would not like the locals and peanuts going to cool watching this line in the enclosure, so perhaps the imagery came to Peter. I can't be certain, but perhaps because of his contact with Roman believers he had actually seen people said to the Lions which was part of Roman entertainment. I saw the vicious attacks these animals could have on humans. What what whatever is source the picture of Peter as profound a lion walking about studying its prey looking for the right time to pounce that the idea of what he writes take your mind back to a familiar passage in the book of Job return there, but recall it with me in Job chapter 1 God asked the devil who appears before him. Satan appears before God and God says, have you considered my servant Job that's a rhetorical question would be better translated. You have been considering my servant Joe, have you not consider me and set your heart on study you by studying Job, haven't you, you been looking at them very, very carefully, haven't you been eyeing him consider was a military term of a general who would survey a town before he would lay siege to so Satan had been studying Job and thinking how can I undermine this blameless perfect man looking for weak points looking for a time to attack. This leads me to a couple conclusions number one.

Satan is actively studying. You does it make you feel a little unnerved helps makes me feel a little creeped out in a restaurant when you realize that person across a restaurant is been looking at you started you the whole time.

That's just weird. You have an enemy who studies you all of us have weaknesses. There are areas of our life and we are prone to falling easily tempted for some it could be anger.

For others it could be lost in pornography.

For others it could be a bad habit.

For others it might be insecurity and lying.

Try to project an image is always on people to accept me and like me, whatever that is. And you know what those areas are, you have an enemy who also knows what those areas are in the point being, whatever temptation he sends your way is custom made just for your personality you been considering my servant Joe, that's the idea prowling around but the second conclusion that I find is that Satan operates within parameters, he can only act by permission of God and in line with God's purposes. Much like the demons who inhabited a man at Dara and before Jesus cast them out, they said permit us to go into that herd of swine. They operate only by permission that brings comfort to me that I know I have an enemy who said the man attacking the Bible. The Lord is over him, permitting him certain freedoms and curtailing and restricting other freedoms so you can only go so far so that that is what it means to me when I'm in the fire of the trial. I'm in the fire of the temptation. I know that God has his eye on me and his finger on the thermostat he knows where I can take all said he won't allow you to be tempted above what you're able to endure, so that's his identity and that's a strategy. Consider now with me his territory with verse nine resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. Consider that phrase who's your brotherhood fellow believers in the world was that while it could mean scattered outside the church. The worldly system, but it just means everywhere on earth where there are believers. Satan is attacking solicitor this Satan has access to the entire world geographically, but his focus of attack is unbelievers specifically your brotherhood in the world did you know that three times Jesus Christ referred to Satan as the ruler of this world. I'm never like that I like to say this is my father's world and it is his will by creation and this is world by sovereign purpose controlling everything but he allows this devil. This saving certain liberties and freedoms to move and to do and though he is on a lease.

Frankly sometimes I wish the lease were a little shorter. He has access world is as oyster as platform of attack like a lion, who is considered to be king of the beast because he can rob just about anywhere he wants. So this enemy roams wherever he wants. He roams he he searches he looks for prayer go back in your mind a Job chapter 1 the story that I began with a little bit ago. It says there came a day when God called for an account and among those he called for an account from was Satan so Satan appears before God to give an account and a Job chapter 1, I think it's verse seven God's is where you been, Satan what he been doing, and Sadie says, from going to and fro on the earth and walking back and forth on it so he appears before God for some personal accounting but is been cruising the earth. Did you know that Satan has access to heaven and earth stay with me here. Here are some access to heaven. He had some ability to appear before God to give an account but he was cruising there to give you something else that to some people is a soccer Satan is not in hell he has never been in hell he will one day be in hell he's going there when he gets there he will not be in charge shall be in chains will be the chief victim. Until then, he has freedom and he wanders and he works the devil commands the demonic realm, but the theater of operations of that demonic realm is in the human world so this is what we were dealing with. We have an invisible army in the visible world is pretty tough me think about it like a massive cloaking device for Klingons like their everywhere but you can't see him. He's active all over the world exacted to deceive. As you know the devil has four principal targets and you're not number one on the list. Sometimes you think you are, we flatter ourselves think is all against me is elegant. You're not even in the top three. His first target is not you. It's Jesus Christ, and the only reason he would ever get to you is because he hates him Jesus Christ as his first principle target because back in Genesis chapter 3 in the very beginning God said there's coming someone who's in a crush your head, Satan, and that's good be my promised Messiah seed of the woman ever since that promise. He's been looking for a way to get rid of Jesus whom God said would bring salvation and destroy him. We see in the book of Revelation chapter 12 John said I saw Dragon was ready to pounce on the male child Christ. As soon as he was born. He's always against the gospel is always against Jesus.

I found it interesting when I listen to people in. I try to listen carefully and I listen to people what they say.

Even when they swear it is. It's an interesting thing that one of the swearwords a lot of people like to use is the name of Jesus Christ I take personal offense to that often I let them know what I find is that people who claim to be atheists or agnostics. I've even heard Muslims use the term Jesus Christ to swear, no one says and I just think why is it that of all the religious names in the world since all religions are rated equal something went up a lot of different name, but I can see even that behind-the-scenes the spiritual warfare that is going on. So Jesus is number one target second target of the devil.

Still not you holy angels.

These are the one-on-one combatants in the battle.

If you have evil angels. The equal opposite of that would be holy angels and we find in passages like Daniel. Chapter 10 the heavenly host doing battle Revelation again.

Chapter 12 John so I saw war in heaven. Michael and his angels will ring with the Dragon and his armies third on the list of attack.

Still not you. Jesus holy angels number three the nation of Israel. Why the nation of Israel. You see it all throughout the Scripture because the nation of Israel.

God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, about them and their land and the plan of salvation. So Israel is the object of God's plan.

So he's incessantly attacking the nation of Israel in the tribulation. It will be no holds barred attack will be fiercer than ever and then number four where you come in on his attack list is believers. That's why Peter says he is your adversary the devil certainly attach price and angels certainly goes after Israel but is also your adversary the devil why yours.

Why does he attack you because you're the object of God's favor grace and love. That's why he attacked Peter and Paul and John and every follower of Jesus Christ from the beginning. How does he do it will order his tactics why I don't have time to give them all to you in this message. But let me just share a couple number one. The very name devil means to member slanderer slanderer in Revelation chapter 12 is called the accuser of the brethren we came to God he was accusing Job of motive.

So one of the ways he tries to attack us is by accusation.

He accuses you before God. He accuses God to you. He accuses your brother and sisters to you and you dear brother and sister always try to divide is the accuser of the brother. I bet you've even heard some of those accusations in your own mind spillover things like you call yourself a Christian, Burda, who you think you are you doing here you think I can answer that term yours. We've heard all of those accusations from our accuser of the brother a second tactic toward believers is what's mentioned in the text persecution. That's the thrust of verse nine. Please see it the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. He persecutes believers is a habit that was 2000 years ago. Certainly not today. Did you know that in the last 100 years. Last century, more Christians have been martyred for their faith, then the combination of martyrdoms from the time of Jesus often tell the last hundred years. All of those centuries combined the last century is seen more persecution, more martyrdom. That's his identity. A strategy in his territory. I've saved the best for last. That is his frailty. He can be and must be engaged and he can be defeated.

That's found in these words be sober. Verse eight. Be vigilant. Also, verse eight verse nine resist him, steadfast in the faith, listen your enemy cannot be ignored. You can't cloister yourself up in a church is what he want you to just want to think about the devil. Some people think too much about them ground, which you have to engage him. The devil is never too busy to rock the cradle of a sleeping St. he does like you in the jungle them. My 80 John the Christian sleeves to know he must be engaged begins here right here in the mind where you think this is your biblical heart inside and then it has an outworking into your life so notice the three things be sober. He says he sober some of you may be thinking or not drunk, that's good, but it doesn't doesn't mean don't be intoxicated. It's here used metaphorically for the mentally, spiritually sober, be sober minded. Some translations say it means.

Be self-controlled, be disciplined to think clearly when we translated, and now I think the intention is don't allow yourself to be intoxicated by the amusements of this world be sober minded battle always begins in the mind folks always begins in the mind as a man thinks in his heart so is he.

Every behavioral scientist in the last several decades have said that most people are governed by subconscious thought. So we begin in what we set our minds what we think about with the think clearly, be sober, never to be vigilant means, be alert to be watchful in the lookout don't fall asleep on the job. I think of Peter and James and John, the garden of Gethsemane that was probably still resonating in Peter's head when he wrote this in Jesus came to him and said, watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. So watch out, watch out for what watch out for attacks in weak areas. You know what they are. Watch out for that. Watch out that you don't get in a compromising position or situation where you would be more apt to yield and to resist, watch out so be sober, be vigilant. Third be resolute be resolute. Verse nine resist him, resist him, he can be resisted. James chapter 4. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Resist him, steadfast, notice what it says please read it with me steadfast in the faith to see the definite article the support he does not say resistance, steadfast in faith some talking about your faith.

Our faith it's the fate which is this it's the truth embodied in the Scripture. That's the faith Jew chapter 1 is only one chapter verse three he said contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. He was speaking about the body of truth that has been passed down by the Holy Spirit in the written word of God what is Jesus doing the devil assaulted him use Scripture.

It is written, he said it is written, it is written, can I just say you gotta know what is ready before you can say it is written that that's why Christians need to know their Bibles otherwise attacked when the going okay is that bursae God helps those who help themselves often even in the Bible. A good turn goes and no it is written, the faith is how you resist the devil, I just want to add 1/4. You wouldn't read it, but it is implied and I'll explain it so he sober, be vigilant, be resolute as a 4B together when he writes these little imperatives. These commands, be sober, be vigilant. Those are commands imperatives there written in the second person plural. In other words, he's writing to a group of people all y'all's are writing to an individual, but to a group.

There's a principal and that be together. Did you know that lions in Africa when they hunt when there's a herd of animals they want to isolate an animal from the herd. Once they isolate that animal they pounce on you are safer with the herd. If you think I can live a Christian all by myself to live the Christian life, you're dead meat you need the herd. I need the herd, but on the close of this because otherwise you say I heard a great term. I got an enemy wants to kill me will feel so good. Listen as vicious a lion as brutal a lion as the enemy is. He's only a second rate lion. He was a lot so so inseminated is the second rate lion Jesus Christ is called in Scripture, the lion of the tribe of Judah and John sees in the book of Revelation is that I looked and saw the lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed CS Lewis for a whole series of books, Chronicles of Narnia, and he wrote about the Christ figure and that is Aslan the lion.

That's what he was referring to in Amos chapter 1 the prophet predicted the Lord will serve from Zion and he did when Jesus was on the cross, dying in Zion, our lion King, the true lion King roared from Zion. These words, he cried out with a loud voice.

It is finished.

He made that proclamation.

There was a guy who lost his job is looking for a job and couldn't find when he went to the zoo and the guys that we don't have jobs, except got an idea. Just the other day are gorilla died and I was just wondering. I'm a pretty big felon.

I got this gorilla suit.

Would you be willing for a pretty good paycheck to dress up and play the part of the gorilla to get a new one. I loved I could do that to begin the gorilla suit he went in the cage and he started to beat his chest bang on the bars and swing around and people loved it. He was so amusing. In fact, they said he was the most intelligent girl they'd ever seen, while the second or third day of this, he kinda got carried away and he was moving in swing and he swung a little too far to ended up in the other enclosure which next to him was the lion enclosure and came face-to-face with a lion he started walking look like he was prowling, studying him, ready to pounce and the guy just freaking out, his heart pounding is moving back his movement back and try to get over back into the his enclosure, but there's no holds on the side like the were on the other side and so he just yells out and just then the lion in a quiet whisper says shut up stupid or you get both of us fired now.

Why do I close without one.

I just was looking for a way to fit the joke in this moment. But here's there's give my application one day Satan the lion is going to get fired not mean let go from a job. I mean Byard hell fired he's going to be fired eternal life. John in Revelation sees him tormented day and night for ever.

One of the best verses in the Bible are you kidding, he's going to get his eternally this malevolent being who is been out to attack God attack holy angels kill Jesus Christ destroy Israel and neutralize believers and bring people with them to help. He will be the chief victim. Until then, he runs around, but until then you can be resolute, sober minded alert, clear thinking disciplined in your thought watchful and engaging greater is he that is in you, the line of the tribe of Judah. Then he is in the world that wraps up Skip powerful message for his walks on right now want to share about an exciting opportunity to take your knowledge of God's word even deeper personal or small group Bible study is great. We learn God's word want to learn more. Canterbury College offers classes studies classes like the fundamentals of difficult counseling take classes on campus or online transfer credits to Calvary Chapel University or Veritas for an accredited degree will impact your spiritual life your life Calvary ABQ College.

There are many benefits to knowing God's word. Your soul is refreshed and God brings great delight to your heart. You can help others experience this thing life-changing benefit when you write going out to encourage others that God's word right now just call 892, 819 to orifice to connect/donate.com/donate come back again tomorrow is six years to help you continue running the race presentation of connection through ever-changing time