"Take a decisive stand.." 1 Peter 5:8-9 TPT

Being “well balanced and always alert” is standing in the awareness of our position in Christ in spite of the circumstances.  How do you do that?  Backtracking a bit starting in verse 6, Peter is giving us a clue:

“If you bow low in God’s awesome presence, he will eventually exalt you as you leave the timing in his hands.” 1 Peter 5:6 TPT

This can be defined even further by recognizing that if your submission is “under His mighty hands” you are secure. Peter is telling us to make a choice to “come and stand under” God’s mighty presence.  

The analogy could be like a hen that is covering (protecting) her chicks with her wings so that the chicks are fully under the protection of the hen.  So much more so when we come under the protection of our Heavenly Father.

Peter goes on to say that God will not only protect you, but He will put you in a prominent position of power because you recognize that it is He who is your protection and defends you.  

God always sees us for who we were meant to be, not as how we see ourselves.  God’s desire for us is to give us a hope and a future with Him, not struggling or suffering from moment to moment, but resting in the timing and loving protection of our Father, He will promote us in due time.

“Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.”  1 Peter 5:7 TPT

Peter stresses in verse 7 that we “pour all of our worry and stress upon God and leave them there”, I have a picture in my mind us being invited to approach Jesus as He is seated on His Heavenly Throne, and as we stand there before Him, He looks at us tenderly with loving eyes which are compassionate and welcoming which bid us unload all of our burdens before Him.  

He does this so that we can experience and fully know the gravity of all that He has paid for in our lives so that we can be free from carrying any burden which weigh us down and detract our focus from the one who paid this great price to set us free.

King David also saw this:

“So here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Leave all your cares and anxieties at the feet of the Lord, and measureless grace will strengthen you.” 

Psalm 55:22 (TPT)

We have an enemy who is relentless in his pursuit of our demise.  There is a Greek word that defines his attack upon us “antidikos” which is a legal term used for one who presses a lawsuit that must be defended.  

Our enemy is constantly pressing against us with accusations that speak against us, he will use depression and discouragement in his attempt to devour us. Just as lions go after the feeble, the young, and the stragglers, so the enemy of our souls will always seek out those who are isolated, alone, or depressed to devour them.

“Take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith.” Taking a stand by not relinquishing your position of faith in Christ means if the “joy of the Lord is your strength” then decide that you will not let the enemy rob you of that position of power in your life.  If you see your position as “victorious and free in Jesus” then decide to stand in that position and not let anything the enemy says cause you to surrender that he may steal, kill, or destroy that decisive victory you stand-in.  Exercise your faith to counter the enemy with the truth wherein you stand.

Lastly, recognize that “that your believing brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing the same kinds of troubles you endure.”  You are never alone in your fight against the enemy no matter what you encounter, nothing is uncommon to the Christian believer whose faith is put to the test.  

Peter is stating here that suffering, in part, comes from the activity of the enemy. There are sufferings that must be resisted in faith as our part of responding to the frontal attack from our adversary as he attempts to rob us of the victory we have in Christ.  When we do resist, we are strengthened because we are under the protection of our Heavenly Father who is our shield and our hope. 

Are you under attack from the enemy of your soul? Is he coming at you like a roaring lion?  He comes in with a lot of bluster and noise to attempt to dissuade us and isolate us from our support which is our brothers and sisters in Christ who stand beside us and encourage us with the word of the Lord.  When we stand united in Christ we are exercising “vigorous faith”, and we are stronger together and can withstand anything the enemy throws at us because our hope and strength are in the Lord.

Be Blessed;

Stephen Barnett