"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8
Have you ever been in a situation where someone has deceived you? Perhaps it was something as simple as a sleight of hand, and someone convincing you that they were magic. Maybe it was something as serious as a person lying about who they were and eventually being discovered for who they really were.
Do you remember how it made you feel when the illusion crashed down? As a child believing in magic and finding out it was just a trick the whole time, it may have caused you to stop believing in magic. As an adult being tricked into believing that someone was one person and it turned out they were someone completely different, it probably caused you to distrust people in general. Either way, there was a loss of trust and a lack of belief in something after.
The bible tells us that the devil goes about "like a roaring lion". Why would he do this?
I used to think that he went about like a roaring lion so that he could scare us. A lion's roar can be heard from up to 5 miles away, so there is a TON of sound coming out of this animal. I've never been in the presence of a lion in the wild, but, I'm sure that if I were to hear one roar I would be terrified and probably need a change of pants. It made sense that he was going around roaring and trying to pick off the weak people that get separated.
I don't think that's the case any more. A lion roars for a few different reasons, none of them being for hunting purposes. In the animal kingdom it makes no sense for a lion to roar at a herd of buffalo or antelope. It would scare them off into running away, or turning and trying to defend. They hunt as quietly as possible, so that they can make a kill with as little energy as possible.
The purpose of the roar is to show their location to other lions, to show their stature, and to show lions from other prides to back off because they are getting too close for comfort.
Now, why would satan go about like a roaring lion? Who is he trying to communicate with? And what is he trying to communicate?
The Bible speaks of another lion and His power and prowess. He is referenced as "The Lion of the tribe of Judah." This is directly referencing Jesus Christ. It was no accident that C.S. Lewis chose Aslan to be a lion. The lion is known as the "King of the Jungle", and Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He never seeks to devour, rather, He seeks to give life and life abundantly.
The enemy goes about like a roaring lion because he wants to deceive us into thinking that he is the real thing. The enemy can counterfeit and fabricate things well, but he isn't the real thing. He is looking for those of us who stop being sober-minded and drop our guard. He's looking for the ones who aren't being watchful, who only pay attention occasionally. Once he has you in his grasp he will only try to kill, steal, and destroy.
"And no wonder, for even satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds." 2 Corinthians 11:14-15
Most people believe that the Hollywood depiction of satan is the way he actually looks. You know the look. Horns, pitchfork, red beard, terrifying. That's not at all what the scripture describes him as. He was and is incredibly cunning. He is always going to try to make himself look as attractive as possible to us so that he can lead us astray.
His whole game has always been to deceive so that we will walk away from the glory that God has in store for us. He did it and succeeded with Adam and Eve in the garden. He tried it and failed with Jesus in the desert.
He will try it everyday with you and I. Some days I am able to withstand the schemes of the devil, other times he will convince me to walk and behave in a manner unworthy of the calling that I've been called to. You know what the beautiful thing is about God and His grace, though? No matter how many times I fall for the tactics of the enemy, and walk outside of my character as a son of God, He is always there with open arms waiting to bring me back in and remind me that I'm still His.
So, be encouraged today. If you are maintaining your focus and staying sober-minded and watchful, then keep it up! Others of us need to see that there are those who are truly walking this out. If you have fallen by the wayside, or feel like you have walked away from Jesus and don't know how to get back to Him, just start by putting your thoughts and affections back on Him. Allow Him to walk with you through the mud and the muck, and let Him show you what the true Lion of Judah looks like. As always, with Jesus, the best is yet to come.
Be incredibly blessed!
