1 Peter 5:8 KJV.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”.
☆☆☆ This is one bible verse that is often misquoted, misunderstood and most times, being quoted out of context.
☆☆☆ First, we need to know that the bible never said that the devil is a lion, No, never.
☆☆☆ What the bible is saying, in the above verse, is that the devil has three characteristics similar to that of the lion:
☆☆☆ The first characteristics of the devil:
- The devil roars.
☆☆☆ The roaring of the devil can be likened to when one is passing through some challenges of life:
☆☆☆ When trials and temptemptations abound.
☆☆☆ When you feel like giving up.
☆☆☆ When you are almost asking God, “where are you”.
☆☆☆ Just note that these are just mere signs that the devil wants you to give up and deny your faith in Jesus.
In Matthew and Luke the fourth chapter, the devil roared against our Lord Jesus:
☆☆☆ Jesus was tempted with hunger.
“Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered” – Luke 4:5.
☆☆☆ The devil also roared against Jesus, tempting him with the wealth of this world.
“And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time”.
[6] “And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it” – Luke 4:5-6.
☆☆☆ Can you also imagine the devil roaring against Jesus thinking he could coerce the Lord to tempt God!
“And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence”:
[10] “For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee” Luke 4:9-10.
☆☆☆ Beloved, in all these things, Jesus never gave up.
☆☆☆ When you read the account of Job in Job 1:13-21, you will gain a proper understanding of what the roaring of the devil actually means.
☆☆☆ Job was struck with a strange sickness.
☆☆☆ He lost all his children and wealth in one day.
☆☆☆ In all this, the bible says concerning Job:
“In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” – Job 1:22.
☆☆☆ At the end of it all, the bible says:
“So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses” – Job 42:12.
☆☆☆ The second characteristics of the devil:
- The devil roams (walks) about.
☆☆☆ Against the understanding of many, it should be noted that the devil cannot be in two places at the same time.
☆☆☆ The devil cannot be everywhere at the same time as thought by many.
☆☆☆ The devil moves from one place to the other.
☆☆☆ The devil himself confirms this:
“And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it” – Job 1:7.
☆☆☆ Beloved, our God is everywhere at the same time but the devil is not.
☆☆☆ The third characteristics of the devil:
- The devil looks for a prey.
☆☆☆ This is the main message and the real issue for today.
☆☆☆ It is quite unfortunate that many belivers today have opened the door for the devil to come in.
☆☆☆ Many still think the devil is searching when in real fact, the devil has established a hold in their lives.
☆☆☆ If your child is wayward, close monitoring, mentoring and serious prayers will be better solutions than sending him or her to the boarding house.
☆☆☆ Your daughter sleeps around with men. Comes home with various “gifts”, uses IPhone 7.
☆☆☆ Some even ride cars in school bought for them by their “sugar daddies”.
☆☆☆ As parents, you are now boasting that your daughter “sponsors” herself in school.
☆☆☆ Mommy and daddy, the devil is no longer searching. He has found a prey in your daughter, ready to devour her.
☆☆☆ Your spouse is misbehaving or he/she makes a mistake, reporting to the parents cannot solve the problem. Cry to God in prayers for divine intervention.
☆☆☆ The devil has actually come in. If such issue is not resolved through prayers, beloved, the devil will devour.
☆☆☆ My point is this beloved, the devil has more than enough “wilful captives” today than to be busy “seeking whom he may devour”.
☆☆☆ Many belivers are actually helping the devil to be successful in his three fold ministry:
☆☆☆ To kill, to steal and to destroy.
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” – John 10:10.
☆☆☆ Today, when a christian brother falls, instead of other belivers to sustain him in prayers; they gather to mock him.
☆☆☆ It is common among belivers today to set traps for one another.
☆☆☆ If brother “A” loses his position, “B” is already warming up to take his place.
☆☆☆ Don’t surrender yourself as a tool in the hands of the devil to destroy others.
☆☆☆ When the devil roars against you, remember that he is not a lion but you are the son of the Lion of the tribe of Judah; ROAR back at him in prayers.
☆☆☆ The devil will surely flee and victory shall be yours in Jesus name.
PRAYERS:
☆☆☆ Devil, my life is not your habitation, I kick you out now in Jesus name.
☆☆☆ Over my life, children, family and business; devil, you have failed.
☆☆☆ Oh God my father, I refuse to surrender myself as a tool in the hands of the devil to destroy others.
☆☆☆ Oh God my creator, please don’t give the devil that permission he is seeking for to afflict me like he did to Job.
☆☆☆ In the challenges of life, devil I roar back at you and I dare to say; you are a coward satan.
☆☆☆ I set ablaze every instrument of the devil in my possession, giving satan the ground to afflict me.
☆☆☆ I shall not become a wilful captive to the devil in Jesus mighty name.
PROPHETIC DECLARATIONS:
☆☆☆ I pray for somebody today and I decree, you will not ignorantly position yourself to fund the ministry of the devil in Jesus name.
☆☆☆ I decree and declare, you will not unconsciously be a tool in the hands of the devil against your fellow Christian brother/sister in Jesus name.
☆☆☆ In any home where the devil is having a free day, I decree, the God of heaven will step in.
☆☆☆ The devil will not gain access into your marriage, home and business in Jesus mighty name.
☆☆☆ In anyway the devil is roaring in your life now, I prophesy, victory is yours in Jesus name.
☆☆☆ You will not give up in the battle of life in Jesus name.
☆☆☆ Over Nigeria, I decree, the devil has lost the battle.
☆☆☆ This pandemic roaring against the whole world now has lost the devil.
☆☆☆ I prophesy, every roaring of the devil against you and yours shall turn to testimonies in Jesus mighty name.
☆☆☆ You are blessed.
☆☆☆ Pastor Olutimehin Isaac is a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
☆☆☆ For prayers and counselling, please call or watts app 08033916074.
☆☆☆ email: pastorisaacolutimehin@gmail.com
☆☆☆ You can also connect me on facebook @ Isaac Olutimehin.
God bless you.
