Devils. Demons. Evil spirits.
Is that it?
Are there other names that refer to the fallen ones in the spiritual realm?
Are they real? Do they exist? Do we have a real enemy?
Oh my, my Friends.
To answer the question do we have a real enemy I went to the Word, a familiar Word. 1 Peter 5:8. Do you know the verse?
Do you know it in context?
To gain context I backed up to verse 6 and discovered I needed to back up at least one more — you see verse 6 begins with, Therefore. And when you read a Therefore in Scripture, you need to know why the Therefore is there for.
Actually, I urge you to backup all the way to 1 Peter 4:17 but for this session let us read 1 Peter 5:5-8.
5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time,
7 having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you.
8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
First, do you see verse 8?
There is our answer, do we have a real enemy?
We do.
But allow me to chase a rabbit that popped up as I read.
Did you notice verse 7 stuck right there in the middle?
It’s familiar, isn’t it?
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Did you notice that verse 6 and verse 7 are one sentence?
Could it be? Could it be when we have anxieties it is because our humility has slipped?
I’m just asking.
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time,
7 having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you.
Let me finish chasing this rabbit with verse 5.
We know GOD resists the proud but He gives grace to the humble, don’t we? The WORD states it.
All this being read, let us be alert, on guard, and not become prey to our enemy.
How?
Here’s what I think.
When we feel the anxieties rising, we will (again) humble ourselves and (again) seek The LORD and we will obey Him – we will TRUST Him (again) to be with us and protect us through our troubles, our cares, our fears. And as we do this (again and again) our enemy will see and he will know he lost another battle.
I like that. I like it a lot. Do you?
Do devils, evil spirits, and demons exist?
Here’s a link, there you will find Bible references to get you started in your search for Truth. Click
Oh, one by the way before I leave today — you do know there is a WHOLE LOT MORE in those verses than we looked at today? Yeah!
