Another great Vikings win! The word for this week is "adversary". We'll be looking at only one verse, found in 1 Peter 5:8:
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: KJV
This is the Greek word "antidikos". Strong's Concordance says: an opponent, especially satan as an arch enemy. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: an opponent, an adversary, enemy. Louw and Nida Greek-English Lexicon adds this: one who is actively and continuously hostile toward someone. We KNOW who our adversary is from the verse above. The devil IS our opponent. He IS our enemy. He DOES walk about imitating a roaring lion because he is NOT one! JESUS is the Lion, while the devil is nothing more than a defeated foe! The reason that we have to be vigilant, though, is because he still really believes that he can get the victory over God! The only way that he can hurt us is by getting us to believe something contrary to the Word of God. The Amplified Bible is a little clearer, and verse 9 gives us our instruction in defeating his tactics:
8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. 9 Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset — rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world. AMP
James 4:7 tells us that if we submit ourselves to God and resist the devil and his lies, then the devil will flee from us. I especially like Rick Renner's translation from his original "Sparkling Gems from the Greek" on December 10th:
“Stand firmly against the devil! That’s right — be unbending and unyielding in the way you resist him so that he knows he is up against a serious contender. If you’ll take this kind of stand against him, he will tuck his tail and run like a criminal who knows the day of prosecution is upon him. Once you start resisting him, he’ll flee from you in terror!”
I LOVE that! WHen we choose to believe the TRUTH of the Word over the lies, accusations, innuendos, tricks, schemes and plots of the enemy, then we WILL see the promises in the Word manifest and many times in even better ways than we asked for! God is good, ALL the time! Here is Hillsong along with Alvin Slaughter with the song of that name!
Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!
