1 Peter, 5th chapter and 8th verse, some of you that are spinning to that place, "Be sober," We'll write the King James, as it appears, "Be"━and if I make typos, you'll have to forgive me, "because your adversary." In fact, if I read from my notes, you can tell I either wasn't wearing my glasses or I was going real fast, because the "devil" and "as" are stuck together. I was thinking, "What is 'devilas?'" Yes, I'm a linguist I can't even read my own produced on a computer, mind you; "the devil," We'll write this out, "roaring lion, walketh about, seeking," and let me just kind of put "...". We'll fill in the blanks. When I finally decided this is where I'm going, I put four concepts into play: the Christian's great adversary, or enemy; the great adversary's goal, ultimate aim; the Christian's capacity, capacity, capacity against this force; and, lastly, if we were putting them in number and bullet points, encouragement for the saint of God, trying to follow these points. The reason why I don't use bullet points is most of the time I prepare, like today, I've probably got 20 pages of notes, and I may or may not stick to them, Now, I want you to see why I felt this is good equipping. Our "adversary," as the Scripture I just quoted, 1 Peter 5:8, is incessantly active, incredibly cruel and powerful. When most people speak of the personification of evil, they automatically negate the person. In other words, let me go back. I'm not going to try and debate whether or not the Scriptures are true. If you haven't crossed that rubicon, I'm afraid that today is not the venue for me to try and prove the veracity and the authenticity of Scripture. However, if one were to take the time, as Dr. Scott used to point out regarding the Resurrection; most folks don't spend a few hours in their lifetime studying the proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Most people do not take the time to study these subject matters. They just instantaneously become experts based on erroneous information that is usually transmitted to them by someone with a limited frame. And I'm saying that because there are times when I listen to things being preached and doctrine and I, I shudder inside, I think, "God, I'm sorry. If there is a possibility for You to just put some bolts down somewhere; thunderbolts that is." Because what that does is it permeates the minds of people who have not invested the time like a Berian, to comb through and search. So they take those superficial ideas, those caricatures, and those become doctrine for them. They base their whole Christianity on a few small points they've heard, which are usually texts out of context. So, if I may first, we're going to talk a little bit. I'm going to try go very slowly through this passage, because you can almost break it down into pieces, suggesting each section, beginning with "your adversary," who; Peter is telling us something very profound, appearing kind of out of nowhere. We have this admonition to watch, be aware, be vigilant; and we can go right by this. But I'm going to highlight three imperatives in this structure that are absolutely necessary for you and for me to fight this fight. I'm also going to highlight the reason behind his conveyance of this, why it was needful for him to warn the saints of this. This whole, almost five chapters' worth, talks about suffering and persecution and don't think it a strange thing, and we have this one string right here leading us back to another force, another opposing force. So, we'll tackle who this enemy is. He wears many guises in the Scripture, or disguises. I think the fact that Peter mentions him as "a roaring lion" is very interesting. If you, again, read by this real quickly, the devil is always painted as an imposter; an imposter. He's always a substitute of something, so right away, when I read this, I was thinking, of course, the real Lion; the Lion of the tribe of Judah; the real Lion who has conquered and will come again. But the roarings of this lion, which by the way, if you'll give ear to him, just shortly, just temporarily, can deafen your senses to actually hear the true Lion speaking to you through His word. These are the little subtleties. As I'm reading through this, I thought, you know, I always thought Ephesians 6 was the place where I'm going to put my feet; it still is, by the way, as my absolute artillery for fighting the devil, but this has a lot of good stuff in it, giving me an add-on, and additional; oh, I sure need all I can get it. I'm sure you do too. Now, before I go any further down this pathway, let me just say this. Part of the misconception that people have about the devil; this is interesting; the devil doesn't care about you. Would you like me to say that again? He doesn't care about you. He doesn't care about me. He cares about remaining the hostile enemy of God. And when we, we were previously children of disobedience, now children of God because Christ is formed in your heart by faith; it is Christ in you that he has enmity with, because before you came, before you listened, before you followed, before you were even interested, you were like, and I was, in the world, disinterested, unbothered. Oh, we may have been just doing the devil's bidding, but unaware and probably laughing if anybody said, "devil." You'd say, "Ha, ha, ha. Right, you're crazy; lunatic. The devil's for those nutty people over there. I rule." Right? When you're in the world, "I rule. There's no other rulers; there's just me. In a me-centered world anyway, it's just about me." So, one of the things that I need to keep highlighting as I speak on this subject is this created, fallen, angelic being has had one purpose after the fall, from the time of his falling; Lucifer, that is, falling, being cast out with a third of heaven with him; lifted up in pride. Remember, we've read that Scripture many times where he thought, "If I could. If I may," it's all about him. That's why I said it's a self-centered world out there. And know where the first self-centered start came from. Boy, I'm just; I'm just on the cusp there. And you begin to follow this power, fallen, completely at enmity, absolute hatred for God. So when we speak of spiritual warfare, when we speak of the devil, when we speak of attacks, satanic attacks, know that the attack is not on you, as apart from Christ. In fact, to prove my point, and I've seen it with my own eyes; I don't preach experience. I do not believe in ever preaching experience. This is the experience given to us: God's word, His testimony to us, not ours, contrary to popular ideology. But let me just say this to you. While we say this enemy of ours, very crafty, very able to persuade people; oh, I'm thinking that from what I've seen over the years, it doesn't take much by the way, a little door to open, a little listening to his whisperings. Now, a fallen being, lifted up in pride, if you will, hating the things of God; his sole drive is to get you to disconnect from faithing. Once you've disconnected, you've severed the communion with Christ; and once you've severed the communion with Christ, he's accomplished his purpose. He doesn't need you anymore. Oh, he may use you for a while. But this is the thing that cannot be said enough. That over the years I have seen people, by the way, in their call of duty in the church; that's what's so disturbing about these instructions. You see, people think in order to be tempted by Satan, you must be somewhere in a worldly way, where you've opened yourself up. But the reality is, if you'll comb the Scriptures, you'll find that most of the temptation that has come upon the saints has come upon the line of duty where they were called to go and do something. "Jonah, go to Nineveh and preach." The devil will always provide a ship going the other way. Just conveniently, there's a ship Tarshish-bound, friend. It just happens to be there, going the other way. God called him to go preach; convenient transportation in the other direction. The temptation in the line of duty: "Peter," Jesus says, "Watch and pray, while I go off." They all fell asleep in the line of duty. You may say, "Well, I've never put it in that perspective before," but is usually when you are going to be the most useful. I started off by saying a couple years now of experience of having people come to the ministry. They're so excited for hearing the word of God, and then all of a sudden they say, "You'll never believe." It's by message or by mail, "You'll never believe what's happened to me. I, my company was so; we were doing so well, we were fat, we were wealthy, we were everything and now I can't believe it. I'm losing my home." Do you know how many of those letters I get? Now, to any person listening, they'd say, "Well, gosh, stay away from that ministry, would you." Because common, common logic says, "Be in a place where everything's going to bubble up and be fine and fancy and all good things." Well, let me tell you something. I believe ultimately, because of the years of experience of seeing this; and I said, I don't preach experience, but I can tell you this. It is in that moment, after having heard the word, the attraction irresistible of the truth that begins to draw you; the parable of the sower, that here comes the enemy. And when trouble comes; and when trouble comes and it will come, "Oh my God! I've got to get away from this thing. I just, you know, just, I started tithing, and now everything is falling on my head." All I have to say to you is why are you surprised? Welcome. Welcome to the battle for your soul. Now, to some the topic of the devil and Satan and his minions is just a bunch of silly poetry, archaic, having no bearing, no relevancy for today. And if that's your take, I don't have anything to say to you. When I read the Scriptures, I cannot read about the existence of God, the Creator, I cannot read and study everything that God has laid out through 66 books, and not see and realize that just as there are beings, embodied beings, that are fallen and depraved, there are un-embodied, that is not possessing a body, fallen, depraved spirits, as well. You can't just pick and choose and say, "Well, I choose to worship the good Savior that I love so much, but please don't talk to me about those other forces that nebulously," and mistakenly as some think, "ubiquitously exists not like God." Satan is not omnipresent, he is not omniscient and he is not omnipotent. The Scripture says, "I, the Lord search the hearts, I try the reins," not Satan. So I can make a clear picture, before I really begin of how Satan does his work. He watches. He is the greatest observer of all times. He watches. This is very real to me, because I've had such close touching in the Scripture and in my life that it is so real to me, you'd be hard-pressed to convince me otherwise. This is how he does his bidding. He watches you; he pays attention. He does not know your thoughts, you must utter them, you must, "I'm going to, I'm going to become a King's House, I'm going to tithe, I'm going to; I'm going to step out and be a good soldier for Jesus Christ. I love Him," boom! You just open your mouth. How many of you go on the Internet and Google? Do you Google? Anybody Google? So, let me, because this is something you'll make the connection with. You go online and you start going to different sites. You know, Google is recording everywhere you go, watching your every move, right? Seeing where you've been, your patterns, what places you like to camp out on, how long you've been there. A record is being kept of where you've been. That's how Satan does his bidding. He watches you. Just like that computer example, he watches where you're going, what you do, and then he makes his move. Now his move may be in the weakest place and also may be in the place of strength. In the place of strength, like a fortified city, in one of those mythical places where they built up the wall so high they said, "No enemy could penetrate that great wall," because it was so high and so great, they left it unattended. That's what most of us don't understand is that Satan likes to attack those walls, the ones we never watch for, because "I'm so strong here, he can't have that." Oh yeah? The minute you put that out there, you wait and see how that wall will be scaled, and you'll be like a pancake on your back thinking, "How'd that happen?" Flattened by his attack. There'll be some people tell you, "The weakness, oh, that's where he always get you: the weakness." Well, that may be true, but as I'm looking at this and I'm thinking about who this person, this great adversary is, I'm thinking, a) he doesn't care about the container, Melissa Scott. He only has one concern, that if I can't be dissuaded for my persecution and the people that are so mean and evil that would try to have me; let's put it and modernize it; that would try to have me quit this ministry. Do you know how many; I tell you this many times; how many people said to me, "Leave the church. What are you, crazy? Why are you going to waste your time there?" That's the voice of Satan speaking to me right there, because this work that I know is not my work is His church. He said He'll build His church and the gates of hell; mentioning those gates tells me that if there's a mention of the gates of hell, there's also those who would tread through those gates; or try to, at least. We have enemies, but one in particular. And for your Person inside, that is the Person of Christ, there's the focus meter. The closer you walk with God, the more tightly you hold His hand, the more you lean on Him and depend on Him to guide you as you sometimes stumble and can barely make it, the tighter you grip, there'll be an even tighter tug not wanting to let you go. Some of you, some of you, and maybe all of us, were in prison. We were bondage like the children of Israel, and partook of that first Passover. And we saw and heard the deliverance and began our walk like the children of Israel and we forget Pharaoh came after the children of Israel to attack them, to take them back. Satan's great task right now is to get some of you back in prison. I've been working with some of the people in this church who have had serious problems of addiction; in an out of this church, but mostly in this church. And I'll tell you the same thing every time. Whoever you are and whatever you're suffering, whatever form of addiction, the minute you decide that you are going to flee; flee, breaking out of the chains, Satan and his minions are coming after you. You're an escapee out of his camp, and he wants you back. And the lure will be that whatever it is that you deign to say, "No more" will be made abundantly and plentiful at your disposition. The minute you get that in your head━now, like Pharaoh, I love the fact that God knocked the wheels of the chariot and let him drown, and if you'll keep marching on in faith, that's what God will help you to overcome and have a victory against these forces; but in the meantime, not a caricature. Now, I put the Greek down on my tablet, I wish to show you what this passage looks like. Now, I'll get to these three words that I've put a blue, but these three words represent three imperatives on how we are to get victory, and how it is possible. Before I discuss those three imperatives, I want to talk about who we're dealing with, so first I want to look at this one word. The Greek translation, if you will, or the original that our English comes up with "adversary" is this word antidikos, and I find it very interesting, "adversary," antidikos that, if you break this word down, you have anti, which is "against" sometimes meaning "against" or "substitute" and dikos. And at the root of this dikos, if you would just slice this right here, you'd get from the word dike. That is "right, righteous," or, "justice" depending on which dictionary you are looking at. In the Greek mythological realm, Dike was the goddess daughter of Zeus and Themis, goddess of justice, meted out justice, and later on because of the Tragedians, their writing caricatured her as angry, meting out justice in an unjust way. But the concept is, if you'll go the root of dike, our adversary is also anti, against rightness or righteousness. He is against. Not just an adversary. And by the way, this word in classical times was used in the courtroom of the accuser in a lawsuit. So words are very important, and especially when we understand that most the words and names describing this enemy of ours, well, I don't think there's a one that has a good connotation to it. Most of them are not very nice, although, the one that I seem to see the most of nowadays is the "angel of light." You know the angel of light that is capable of taking a truth and twisting it, so it looks plausible, but it isn't, under the guise of being something good? Which deceives the masses. Okay that's a story for another day. But we have then our adversary; who is he? I'd like you to look, "the adversary of us," diabolos. And this is kind of interesting, if you were to look up the devil, diabolos in the Latin, and break down the words, it is through "throwing." He is the; he throws accusations at us. So I like the fact that these two words fit together. I'd also have you note, just in passing, for the grammarians that there is no article. So if you're interested at all in my little history blurbs periodically, the article "the," proper noun, was added in Papyri-72, at later time. The original does not possess an article, and in fact, some scholars think it's even an adjective describing, not necessarily a proper name in this case. The diabolos, a roaring lion; roaring lion, lion, and you have this wonderful word, who is walking about, roaming. And here's the one I want to look at first, zaton, which your King James is translating, "seeking." And I want to talk about that, because our adversary, our antidikos, our enemy, the Christian's enemy, that one word "seeking" is present and active. It means he is constantly looking and actively seeking. Some people say, "Oh, the devil's somewhere else doing something else." No, no, no, no; not when the name of Jesus, and not when the work and the calling and the duty, not when someone is saying, "I will," and stepping forward, not when someone is acting in faith. Oh, no, no, no; very, very active indeed. Now, I'm not that type of person that attributes everything to Satan, I believe there are things that we, we do ourselves, but this one thing I must just, this is the warning. You might say, "Well, you're scaring me, Pastor." Well, good. Some of you need to be scared to wake up, because he despises the image of Godness in you so much, that he is actively seeking. As you become metamorphosed, day by day, and daily are being emptied and filled, the transition and the changes that occur; he's actively seeking. Now, there may be a few of you sitting here that are just absolutely bored out of your skull, thinking, "Well, the devil hasn't bothered me." Well, then I challenge you to step out and begin doing something, really doing something, a stretch in faith. And don't be so cocky afterwards. Watch what you say. I said he doesn't know what you're thinking, until you utter it. Now, I want to, I want to read something to you. I have an interesting parallel before I dissect any more of the text out of Bunyan's, John Bunyan's, Holy War. And there's an interesting; for those of you who've not read this, I think it's a great read for many reasons, but most importantly, it is a very good depiction, like Pilgrim's Progress, of the battle we face. I think if John Bunyan was alive today, he'd probably; I don't know what he'd do. He'd probably say, "Please, hang me or kill me now," with some of the modern preachments that go on, good grief! He'd say, "What, what, what faith are you practicing?" I'm sorry. But in this book, and I'll, I actually put together a kind of a synopsis of a conversation. The battle, by the way, is for the town of Mansoul, which of course is man. They're fighting to obtain the castle which is the heart of man, and there's a council being held by all these evil personas, and you'll recognize a few of them. Diablos, Satan, and his captains are wanting to retake the castle of Mansoul, the castle, the heart of man and Mansoul that is the town which had already been redeemed and liberated by Prince Emanuel. It came under attack and oppression by Diablos and his army, because of his friendship with Mr. Carnal Security. Here's the conversation. "I know we've tried it before," said Beelzebub patiently, "but this is the way it must be done, or it can't be done at all. Don't you agree?" "Oh, I must agree, Diablos. The only way to get the heart, the castle is to get the town to sin. But how? They're awake and that miserable Captain Faith looks very healthy. He gets healthier every day." "Oh, I agree with brother Beelzebub," said Legion, "and with brother Apollyon, except for his idea of an ambush. I say withdraw our forces and terrify them no more. No more threats, no more summons. Frights awaken them and make them stand on guard. I say leave Mansoul, lie in the field at a distance and pretend to ignore them." "And then what?" said Diablos, "I don't like such nebulous strategy. What exactly is supposed to happen then?" "Well, Mansoul is a market town that delights in commerce," said Beelzebub, "We can trade there, send some of our diabolians disguised as merchants, sell all of our goods at half off." I'll leave that one alone. "What does it matter? They're all listening now. Let the Mansoulians be taken up with much business, let them grow rich and full." "Do you think it will work?" Apollyon asked. "I'll give you my crown to pawn if it doesn't," said Legion, "When they began to grow full, they will forget their lack of heart communion with Prince Emanuel. And if, if we are careful not to frighten them, they may even fall asleep and neglect their own town watch, and even their castle. Do you see it?" "Oh, I'm way ahead of you," said Beelzebub, "Cumber them with abundance, stuff them with goods, they will be forces; they will be forced to make their castles, once garrisons, warehouses for their merchandise that they have acquired. Furthermore, my lord," said Legion, "you know it's not easy for people to be filled with our things and not have some of our diabolians in their homes and businesses. They will welcome Mr. Profuse, they will welcome Mr. Voluptuous, they will welcome Lord Opinionated," caricatures, yeah. "Yes, these can take the castle of Mansoul or blow it up, make it unfit for a garrison for Emanuel. I'll end where I began. My advice: we quietly withdraw ourselves, no further forcible attempts on the castle. At least until we've tried this." They all applauded. "Surfeit Mansoul's hearts with the goods and the good things of this world, full, full, full to the brim that the town may choke on it." Now, I took that out of this, Holy War, John Bunyan, to prove a point, because he so encapsulated the idea not only of how we are naïve. We are so ready to succumb to the trappings. Now, Peter is talking about a roaring lion, but even if we take a natural concept, a lion will stock its prey, but the lion is only seeking to devour for carnage, to eat. This lion is seeking to devour body and soul. If we're mindful about what Peter is trying to say, and I'm superimposing it on what Bunyan's concept is, it's not as though he's going to make it obvious. That's the great error. You say, "Well, but he's a roaring lion." Well, understand what the roaringness is. Sometimes the roaringness is to speak in your ear falsities about who you are in Christ. You see, I meet this every week and I should address it more often, but I don't. People who will say the same thing, "I know. I know I'm forgiven, but..." the falsities that he is able to extract from you from your past, from yesterday, from today. And some of you right now as I'm speaking, your mind's racing going, "Yeah, you know that one thing that I was thinking." Your mind starts spinning out of control, and by the way, before you know it, you are so taken up with the anxieties and the cares. This is why in the verse before we are to throw all of those things, casting them upon Him, our Lord and Savior, that we not be cumbered with those thoughts that distract us from the real battle. Now, Mansoul may be just a caricature, if you will, of what I believe is actually a true reality in what we deal with. Nevertheless, why Peter puts this in right here is very staggering. Read the Scripture again, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking," that is actively, that he, "whom he may devour." I want you to put another note on there about the devouring. I'll show it to you in the Greek right here, katapiein, and that is another active word, but it's infinitive. It means there is no number, there is no limitation, but "devour" is a good enough word. The Greek carries with it "to swallow up with one gulp," gulp and gone. Now, we've, I've given you images out of Psalm 91, where there's a trap set. If you'll remember, I said sometimes we get into these Scriptures and we forget, "Oh yeah, we studied that back there," the fowler, the trap, the ensnaring of the fowler. Here we have a different device. It's called the mouth; and it's not yours either. It's his. See, if you'll come close enough to listen, you can either think this is good caricature and good folly, or you can say, "Yeah, I know, because I've been there." If you'll get close enough to listen, you think of a roaring and you think of a lion who opens his mouth, get close enough to listen, some of you curiosity seekers get close enough to say, "I wonder what's in there?" Whoosh! "Oh, I never saw that coming." Hello. So, why this force, this enemy, this adversary, if you will? His goal, as I said, is to get you to disconnect. Once you're disconnected in faith, once you are no more looking to Christ, once you are no more completely humbled and having to rely completely on Christ; some of us have had to be there at some point where every possibility has been exhausted, there's nothing else for you, nothing; no flesh can help you out. I know, I was there with Dr. Scott. No flesh could help me out. As much as I could do and as much as I could do, but I was completely dependent, "Lord, You've got to do this." Where you are brought; and it is, it is a humbling experience, where your hands, no matter how much they may do will not render anything, and you have to sit and say, "What time I'm afraid, I will trust." Until you begin to trust, until you begin to convince yourself that doubt must be eradicated, even if it is for a moment. Because this very act; the first act in the garden, by the way, people think, "Oh, that's an archaic story. Please don't tell me about it again." And that is the joke. That is the shame, because what worked in the garden to bring doubt to God's word still is the most effective tool today. I know it in my; I'm ashamed to tell you. I know in my heart to be the truest thing. No matter what anybody says about Melissa Scott, the worst thing I can tell you about me is that there have been times in my life as a Christian, where I have doubted. I'm speaking of the times where you know, especially I'm speaking in terms of when people have been sick, and you say, "I know what God's word says, but," there's the doubt. That's Adam and Eve all over again. We, we just caricature, we can put; we can put it so far away from our minds to not have to deal with it, because it's right there at the beginning of the Bible, and it's not us, but there's a mirror image for each one of us as they doubted and listened to Satan, we do it more often than we care to confess to. So, why is this important, then? Right here, the Christian's capacity against what we are looking at. Three imperative, three Greek imperatives, which are so important, I made sure to highlight them in blue. I'm going to start from the bottom up. This word antistate, I want you to see I put imperative; a verb. It means an action word, imperatives. It means it's not a choice; you do it. And it's active. You'll find this word sitting in verse 9, where it says, "Whom resist steadfast in the faith." That word, we'll put here, "resist," but I want to make clear what it means and what it doesn't mean. Anti-, prefix, "with, against," in this case "with standing: resisting." This word is used just like in Ephesians 6, it is not used against flesh and blood. I need to make that clear, because we have people that get this confused. There are places where Jesus even spoke of certain things, which we would wrongly label resisting, but this particular word is used in spiritual warfare against the enemy who is not flesh and blood. Ephesians 6, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers." So this word right here is an imperative, and I'm going to tell you it must be attached to what follows in the text. So, not just to resist, because to resist alone would maybe be a great imperative, but how: resist steadily, or steadfast in faith. And I want you to; I want you to put that as number one. I'm doing them in reverse; this is the order, number one: resist in the faith, in faith. The problem with not knowing the Scripture enough and not being well versed enough is how do you resist in faith, when faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word God and you must be saturated to be able to understand what it means to put on the whole panoply of God? There are people that will say, "Well, yeah, we're in a spiritual warfare," and then try, "I'm going to go out and kill a dragon in the flesh." Well, maybe the only thing that might be able to do that is your breath, but you ain't going to have any spiritual victories going out in the flesh. In fact, you're going to come back, if you do, doubting many things. So, the first thing, resist, and that is standing steadfast in faith. No matter what is happening around you, there is one thing you cannot let go of. And that is what God, we used to say this as a child's terms, what God showed you in the light don't doubt the dark; "don't doubt in the dark what God showed you the light." It means no matter what the attack is, you are to withstand. It's like planting your feet and saying, not, "I shall not be moved." Planting my feet and saying, "This is an anchor. I am attached to Christ." Now, if the blows come; and they will; my resistance is not in the flesh. My resistance is going to come from my faithing activity in Him. The next one, number two, which begins the text: "Be sober." Now I've heard this be translated many ways. I'm going to tell you it's another imperative; I said there are three, naphate. And will people at some point get enough savvy to understand that words have reportive meanings. If Peter was trying to tell people to don't drink hooch, he'd say, "Don't drink hooch." Paul knew how to say, "Be not drunk with wine," right, or "We'll take a little wine for the stomach's sake." Right here; and I'm going to say this with a twofold meaning attached to it, so first, I want you to get the first meaning, which it means: "be sober of mind." That means to not be overtaken or intoxicated with anything that will affect your ability to function, which is not limited to alcohol. You might say, "Well, how could you say that?" Because there are people who will not read the text in context; you can be so taken with your anxieties and your cares that you're not able to function and see straight, because you're so overtaken. You're intoxicated with your problems. You are intoxicated with whatever; no clarity, no ability to use and have discernment towards the things of God. So foremost, imperative: be sober. I'm going to say it like this, because I've come close many times. Oh, I've had many accidents and many really close; you know, they're like "Wow, I should've died" moments. And then, after that moment, there's the sober, like you're awake now. That is what is being conveyed. I want you to catch the essence of it. Some people will camp out on this and say, "This is an admonition not to drink." Well, I'm tell you if you're fighting a battle with alcohol today, which this text is not about, you're also fighting a battle foremost above your alcoholism, you're fighting it with Satan, just for your soul. If he can keep you depressed enough, if he can keep you down enough, if your only comfort can come from the bottle and not from God, he's got a good victory. Understand that's applicable to anything that comes in the way of your communion with Christ; anything. It could be a good woman, could be a good book; anything. "Well, are you saying I should stop enjoying life?" No, I'm just telling you that if Christ has preeminence in your life and the focus is aright, you won't be intoxicated with anything. I'm going to leave that one alone. I think it's abundantly clear. I've had those sobering moments in my life, where, after the fact, I uttered this, "Whew, that was; that was close." You remember the time I almost lost my fingers? I almost lost my fingers. I came to you, and I was with Dr. Scott. By a rope I almost lost; my fingers almost came off. I watched the; all of the blood go out of my fingers and they got blue and then they turned white, and then I watched as the blood was coming, a rope was cutting my fingers, and I'm screaming and could do nothing about it. And I've said this before, it was only an act of God, because Dr. Scott was in such a weakened state, he was actually pulling a rope back. A rope snapped with the wind, caught my fingers in a cleat. And my fingers were about to be severed, and I was screaming and he was laying on his back trying to pull the rope, and as he pulled the rope, the rope came back again on my fingers, and it severed a little bit more and then all the sudden, it was like one of those moments where you go, "only God could have done this," because he had no strength. He pulled the rope back long enough for me to get my hands out, and I was looking at my fingers, they were bloody, they were white, they were blue, and I was thinking, "I was still have my fingers." There's the sobering moment right there. Lord, whatever You did, thank You, because that was like the wake-up call. You know, you treat things differently afterwards. That's the alertness I'm speaking about. And attached to that, is the next word: "be vigilant," another imperative. So we have "resist in faith, being sober of mind," and "be vigilant." This word has an interesting use, both in the Latin and in the Greek. In the Latin, this word from gregarious, which is used in the Latin, pertaining to the flock; not applicable in the Greek, but in the Latin. And in the Greek, once used in poetry to describe of a person crossing over a river, stepping precariously on stones to try and make their way across the river. They're slippery and if you don't watch your footing, you'll fall in. So, what Peter is saying, is calling for an alertness, an attentiveness that, I'm sorry, in the imperative form is not, "Would you please, or, "Are you possible; is it possible for you to," but: this do. This do as one, the apostle Peter who could speak of experience, because he understood when the Lord spoke to him and said, "Simon, Simon, Satan desires to have you, to sift you as wheat. He'd been sifted, he understood the process, by the way, probably better than most of us, having said, "Oh, no, not me," and then, sure enough, it happened. That declaration, and then it happened, betraying and denying his Lord. And I want you to, I want you see where I'm going with this. For a person who had been there, he's giving this shout, having heard the Lord say, "Satan desires to sift you as wheat, but I've prayed for you that your faith fail not; that your faith be not eclipsed," the Greek has it. An eclipse is where something comes between you and the Source; namingly, Satan. So while we all putter around, thinking, "Well, this is just fun and games, and we'll maybe have an interlude here with some entertainment," I really urge you to take this seriously, because as much as we have taught out of Ephesians 6, I'm looking at this instruction with these three imperatives out of first Peter 5, with an illuminating mind, thinking, "Oh my God, Paul talked about this tremendously." Well, so did Peter. This one verse actually stretches through three verses. If I may, if you were going to look at a bird's eye view from verses 7, 8, and 9, you'd see God's care, our conflict, and that there are certain things we are called to. At a bird's eye view, it's part of the trip. Oh, I, I'm learning. I said to you active. You think you're going to be an exception to the rule? Do you think I think I'm going to be an exception to the rule? I love the fact when you read the opening chapters of Job, it says that Satan came in from wandering to and fro the earth; up and down he was moving about. Remember I said to you not everywhere at all at once, but he has helpers. Now those helpers are not going to be dispatched; let's call this group A over here. Group A is over here. Nothing is going to be dispatched to them. See, they walk around with holy garb, they have those nice suits. They look, they look spiritual as angels of light, deceiving people with kind and soothing words that have nothing to do with the kingdom of heaven. Do you think Satan is going to send a dispatch to this group here? No. "Keep going, you're helping our cause," I'm speaking now like C. S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters. "Keep going. You're helping us. We never had it so good. Nobody believes in us anymore." If you haven't read Screwtape Letters, you ought to read it. We have group B over here. They're the people that are the labors in the field, going at it week in and week out and constantly being buffeted and harassed by, not just miniature forces, but mega forces. And group A over here, well, they're down below here, and they're looking up at this group over here, and they're saying, "They're always complaining about how much Satan is attacking them. And, you know, they make much to do about nothing, because we are over here. We're not being bothered at all." Right. The minute you step out for Christ, for Christ's sake, the minute you stand as a laborer in the field, the minute you stand and say, "I love Jesus," I don't care what else you might say, but the minute those words come out your mouth, look out. And don't say, "Well, nothing's happened yet." That's when he does his best work. Now, I believe this. Oh, there's a word that seems to be we used nowadays a lot, people say, "Seasons of things." Satan picks seasons, if you will. I think he likes all seasons of the year. He doesn't care about the temperature. But, he pours it on for a little while and then he draws back; long enough for you to relax, drop your guard, and think, "I'm done with that, all right." So I'm giving you the equipping. And I'm not making light of it, because what I have really come to know is many of us will read the passages out of Ephesians 6 and say, "Okay, I've received the helmet of salvation, Lord. I'm taking these instructions. I've put on the breastplate. I've put on the shoes, my feet are shod with the gospel of peace, and here I go." Well, you know there's days when you don't quite put on all the equipping. I'm telling you as a congregation: you keep that helmet of salvation on your head. You keep the connection of faith, and you may be buffeted, because it's one more word of encouragement here. You may be buffeted big-time. But listen to what Peter says; because this is the missing comfort, as I said, encouragement is the last one. He says, "Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." Not a very good translation, but I'll say it to you like this, "knowing" is the most important one. "Knowing that the same afflictions," not meaning, "Oh, well, somebody over here had the identical attack as I did," but the same purpose is accomplished in the brotherhood that's in the world. Why? Because they're in Christ. The same root source is accomplished in your, in the brothers in the family of Christ that's in the world. There's the encouragement. Don't feel alone, don't feel like you're alienated, don't even listen for a minute while those roarings are going on that somehow this is only happening to you. He says, "Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world," but let me remind you, I want to go back to one thing. The same afflictions, not exactly the same thing, but the same root, the same driving force, trying to get you to take off the helmet of salvation. Friends, I'm going to say it like this. If you'll keep the helmet of salvation on, if you'll keep the breastplate on, of faith, if you'll stay equipped, the Lord said He was going away. Mansions are the lot of the children of God as they enter into the kingdom. He said, "I go away to prepare a place for you. In my Father's house are many mansions." So, we know one thing, Satan will not be present there in those many mansions. And we know another thing, that is, if you will keep the helmet of salvation on, that helmet of salvation will be exchanged one day for a crown of glory that fadeth not away, that in the eternities while you, while you will fight the good fight here, you will not be fighting the eternal fight. That's being fought down here for your soul. As I take these instructions and these three imperatives out of Peter's instruction, I think to myself, remaining, resisting, staying connected, being sober and not letting my mind be overtaken. Whether that be, by the way, by mere gossip, by silliness, by idle, idle thoughts that have no relevance, or whether I just put myself in a place where I'm just, I'm just open season. Remain vigilant, keep fighting, keep resisting, keep being alert and this wonderful concept knowing that you're not alone in the suffering. Well, I'd sum it up and just say this. In 2 Timothy, Paul says no man who is essentially enlisted in the army, in God's army entangleth himself in the affairs of this world. If you have been called to the kingdom of God, which I believe you wouldn't be sitting here listening to me if you weren't; if you've been called to the kingdom of God, and you've taken all of this instruction, then stay steadfast. Remain where you are, fighting the fight as these attacks will come. Or maybe, you'll get lazy and say, "I can't. I'm not going to put on anything today. Nothing's happened. No equipment today, I'm just going to go out and be carefree," and open yourself up. There's always the possibility you can come back again. This is what I love about God's word. You can come back again, you can start over. Peter is the embodiment of having succumbed. That's why I love the fact that it's recorded for us. His greatest failure-s, plural, recorded to show that this, this same writer giving the instructions to us of what to watch for in the imperative tells me I'm going to pay attention. The eminent danger, by the way, of the sheep and the lambs out there, we say, "Well, wolves in sheep's clothing; look out," while I hear, as a Pastor, bleating of the lambs and sheep's being consumed by people who haven't a prayer of an idea of the foe, of the adversary we face. So I can say as your Pastor, knowing the cruel enemy, knowing his activity, we have some weaponry here. I pray you will use it, put it on, take those imperatives and say, "This is my command. I am enlisted in His army. These are my commands from the Chief." Not some sub, inferior person here, saying, "Hmm, hmm, humph!" These are my commands. Now, if you'll hear His voice, be obedient to those commands and take hold of them; I tell you, the spiritual warfare that has gone on in this ministry and through the years seems to only get more intense. Some get tired of the fight and it's easy for you to quit. Oh, the devil rejoices. He loves when you act as a coward and say, "I can't go on anymore," because that's easy pickings. It's the ones that say, "I'm going to do exactly this: I am going to resist, I am going to be sober, and I'm going to watch." Now, there are many things the devil may watch me, but I'm well aware of his wiles, of his methods, and I'm going to stand firm and fight the fight of faith, and along with Peter and all the brethren, and all the church here today. I ask you to take those imperatives, just take them and know that these are not only imperatives, they're promises to us. If we'll take hold of God's word, there isn't a, there isn't a chance that God will let something happen if you will not hold on in faith. In fact, you'll be able turn around and say, at some point, "That's behind me." There's much ahead, and the, by the way, the warfare, it doesn't end. It keeps going on. So, I'm hoping that some of you will grab hold of this today. There's nothing more to say except: resist, be sober, be vigilant: we have the victory. That's my message. You have been watching me, Pastor Melissa Scott, live from Glendale, California at Faith Center. If you would like to attend the service with us, Sunday morning at 11am, simply call 1-800-338-3030 to receive your pass. If you'd like more teaching and you would like to go straight to our website, the address is www.PastorMelissaScott.com
