1 Peter 5:8
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
What does it mean to be sober in spirit? When one is drunk, there is little awareness. It’s blissful ignorance. It would include to avoid drunkenness, but I believe it more directly is telling us to be aware. Not just a casual awareness, but to have a certain level of concentration on being aware. Almost as if we are expecting “an attack”. An army scout has the job of seeking out the enemy and battlefield advantages. A tracker can read signs and scents. To be of a sober spirit sharpens our awareness to situations and danger.
Today’s passage tells us to be careful for the devil is seeking someone to devour. It’s hard to imagine that there is a being out there who is our enemy. It’s more than a dislike, he wants to hurt us and more. The passage says devour.
Why does he hate us? It’s not personal. It’s hate by association. It’s because God loves us and it would hurt Him, if we were harmed.
How does the devil seek to attack us? He seeks to get us off the christian path. Galatians 5 speaks much about the descriptions of that path as well as the ungodly path. These ways are about attitudes, actions and investments. As we read the bible and attempt to follow The Lord, we are investing in Him. A godly life involves having love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and more.
How does the devil interfere? God allows trials and difficulties. We will encounter frustrations, mean people and temptations. We will be filled with all sorts of conflicting signals. We get off track if we allow hate and envy to take root. To stay on the godly path, we go about the normal ways to repair. We ask for His help. Sometimes the other person won’t comply. That makes our challenge to love even greater.
Lord, help us to be of sober spirit. Help us to be aware of the devil and His schemes. Help us to stay on Your path.