to be here and to see some of you I haven't seen for quite a while. So it's always a happy, feels like a bit of a reunion or something. and meeting you guys that I had in my class and haven't seen recently, and also new guys. So nice to see the new people as well. Nice to be here. So I would like to read this morning from 1 Peter 5, verse 7 to 11. It's a very well-known passage that we revisit this thing about the devil, our adversary. So let's read about him in 1 Peter 5. from verse 7 to 11, well-known passage. And there's so much here that I probably can't talk about everything. But let's see what Peter is saying here. Ultimately, God, through his word, let's read together. Be sober-minded. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion. seeking someone to devour, resisting firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. So the theme for this morning's sermon is the call for each one of us to be an adversary of our adversaries. be an adversary of our adversary. So I think you would agree that a sermon should be about good news. Any of you who have had some course in sermon preparation and how to make a sermon will know that it should be about the good news, right? And if you, for those who are safe, to revisit so that we can live out of that reality more and more. And if, maybe, in a congregational setup, and even today, there's anyone that's not saved, to be challenged to accept Christ as Lord and Savior in their life, to repent from sin, and to put their trust, their faith in Christ. So that's what the sermon should do, right? We all agree on that. However, however, this morning, unfortunately, I have to start with bad news. I have some bad news. That's that we have an adversary. We have an adversary. And this adversary is not like a little guy. Our adversary is formidable, powerful, dangerous, seeking, prowling, devouring. And in the light of that, to urge all of us to be sober-minded, watchful, resistant, and knowing, though, in spite of all of this, that all dominion belongs to Him who has called us in Christ Jesus. So the call then this morning is, be an adversary to our adversary. So let's look at this passage this morning. Clearly, Peter wants us to know, want those congregations he was writing to, but therefore also us to know that we have an adversary, right? It should be known, it should be made aware of that, that there's danger. that we're part of a spiritual battle, a spiritual war. He says at the first verse, the following, he says, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. You hear what he calls them, elect exiles, elect exiles. What they were, why they were called that, what they were enduring was persecution because of their faith. Exactly what it was, was probably at that stage being humiliated, being pushed aside, not yet maybe physical harm being done to them, although it might be that it was written in the time of Nero when we know Christians were indeed killed in Rome and persecuted because of their faith, because of this very crazy Nero. You and I are still elect exiles if we believe in Christ. Because we live in a world that's not neutral towards us. We live in a world where values and concerns is against God's values and concerns in this world. Because there's a roaring lion. There's a lion who's actually got some teeth and he is hungry. for souls. So why do I tell this? Why do I emphasize this this morning? Why don't we just turn the pages and we don't read this hard passage? Is it just to scare you this morning? Is it maybe? You know, I don't know if you have watched a scary movie and afterwards you're like scared of the dark. You don't want to look out of the window just after that. You're scared of what's under your bed. And when you open the cupboard, you're a bit, you know, you don't just, someone wants to take out your pajamas. You're a bit scared. Is that why I tell you that? A little bit, yes. That is why. That is part of why, because we need, if there's danger, It's much better to be scared of that danger than to be ignorant. It's much better. And so, we need appropriate fear. We need appropriate fear. Think of our fear for crime in South Africa. Right? Think of this place. There's an alarm system here, there's an alarm system, there's cameras, there's beams, there's electric fence. Why? Are we scared? Yes, a little bit, yeah. Because we had some people coming in here, taking things. So it's right. It's good. We're watchful. We are sober-minded about the danger that is there. And so it's important that we hear what Peter is saying. And God, through His Word, is saying this morning that, yes, there's a devouring, seeking, prowling lion. So the lion is not just there in USA or in Iran or in Israel and Palestine. He's here in South Africa. He's here in Bukanyo. He's coming here because he's prowling. He's not just there, he's here. He's here. So we have to be aware. Interesting, I've read something about people describing a bit of his strategy and how he uses promises and threats. to get us into a corner. So, somebody said it like this. Satan promises the best but pays with the worst. He promises honor and pays with disgrace. He promises pleasure and pays with pain. He promises profit and pays with loss. He promises life and pays with death. Cyprian. 5th century Christian leader, church leader, said the following, also about promises but also threats. He promises earthly honors that he might take away heavenly ones. He manifests false values that he might steal away the true. And when he's not able to deceive secretly, he threatens clearly and openly. This is what was happening to the congregation here, the two congregations to which Peter was writing. bringing forward the fear of violent persecution in order to overcome the servants of God, always restless, always hostile, cunning in peace, violent in persecution. Cunning, violent. Also today, prowling around from those days till today. So what to do? What to do? We are called to be adversaries of our adversary. Be adversaries of our adversaries. And four things about us being adversaries. First, be a sober-minded adversary. Second, watchful. Third, resistant. Fourth, a knowing adversary. So first, let us be sober-minded adversaries. So let's say you're walking in the bush. Imagine that. And everything is going well. It's a few kilometers to your destination, and you are walking in the bush. And, and you stay on the road, the path, and it's quite easy. And then suddenly, your mind clouds up, you start to feel dizzy, and you can't think straight. And then you remember, I took some medication, I wasn't sure how it would work, what effect it will have on me. And I can't think and you start to trail off the road. And suddenly you're not sure where your destination is. And then, while you're in this situation, your mind can't think. You hear the roar of a lion. Imagine that! What will your desire in your heart be in such a situation? Just to have a clear mind. Just to be sober-minded. That's how it is with us and our adversary. Unfortunately, many times our minds get clouded because of Satan, because of the world, and sad to say, because of our own sinful desires, flesh, passions, our own sin. Our minds get clouded, but Peter says, in effect, in effect, he says, hear the roar of the lion. So how can we have sober thinking? Of course, God's Word, God's Word. So we have to read God's Word, study God's Word, hear God's Word, know God's Word, seek out places like this morning, like Sunday, like Bible studies. so that our mind can be set right. But, but also must be God's Word interpreted rightly. Think of Jesus when he was tempted by the Satan. Satan used what? God's Word. That's a big problem in our day as well. Many times Satan comes to people by God's Word, but God's Word twisted. And so, very important, the studying we are doing here, so that we can help people, so that we ourselves can interpret God's Word rightly. Jesus says over and over, it is written, it is written, and then He interprets the Word rightly. That's the only way. Out of ourselves, our minds are not sober. Our minds are not sober on its own, not by itself. Our minds cannot think up sober thoughts by itself. God's words rightly interpreted by the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit is the only way for our minds to be sober. And let me tell you, there's a lion in the bush. The biggest desire that you have is sober-mindedness. So let us be sober-minded because there is a lion indeed in the bush. Secondly, to be a watchful adversary. So be a sober-minded adversary, but second, a watchful adversary. So it's interesting, outside of the Bible, they looked at how this word for watchfulness is being used. And so they found one specific case where it was used was that somebody had to cross a river and do that on slippery rocks. So imagine now, imagine there's a river and there's no bridge, and it's a strong river, and not far from there, there's a big waterfall, and you have to cross this river, and the only way to cross this river is on slippery rocks. So imagine you have to cross this river. on slippery rocks. What staple will your mind be? You will be watchful, right? You will be watchful. However, many times we're on this river and we're on holiday, we're on a cruise ship, we're at the hotel, we're in Mauritius, or we're laid back in a hammock. We are crossing the river, life is that. And it's not, it's if you are young, if you are midlife, if you are old, you can fall in the water and go over the waterfall anytime. Our whole lives, every day, morning, afternoon, evening, we must be watchful. During the semester, the time we have classes, during study breaks. Always watchful, because you can fall into the water. You can fall into the water. We have to be watchful. And one thing I would like to point out of how we can be watchful is we need each other. Peter makes it clear, and I will refer to it again, but verse 9, it makes it clear. The same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. We are not alone. We have each other. We need each other. I don't know if you've, you've driven your car before on a long road, right? And you get tired. It feels like, like you're in a sermon or something, right? So you're driving, you're driving in the car and you, it's like, you can't stay awake. What can you do? So normally what I do is I tell Annika, listen, I'm not feeling good, and she gives me some coffee and she starts talking nonsense. And so that helps, right? That gets me awake again. I need someone to wake me up. I need somebody outside of me to wake me up, to get me going again. And the same spiritually. We need each other. We need the church. We need to go to church. We need to have friends. We need to have brothers and sisters to help us be watchful. So be a watchful adversary. 30, be a resisting adversary. So this one is actually what the core of the sermon is about, to be a resisting adversary, not to stand back, not to run away, but to confront, to stand up against the influences of our adversaries. So to be an adversary for our adversary. The problem is, many times we become co-workers. Many times we work together with our enemy. 1 Peter 2 verse 11, we read the following. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. So your passions of your flesh, that's our own sinful desires, right? Sinful flesh, wage war against our soul. They work together with this lion, and that's the problem. And we are called to resist, to stand up. I don't know if you've seen this YouTube video, it's had about 35 million views, and it's about Maasai people, maybe you've seen Maasai people, and they, like three guys, standing about 50 metres, I think it was about 50 metres away, from a pride of lions that just killed something, right? They're eating, and they're growling, and even between each other, they're aggressive, the lions. And this three Maasai guys is just standing there, and I think they have bows and so on, and they have some pangas, machetes, and then they start walking, the three. They start walking towards this pride of lions, eating. And at first, the lions start looking up, and their eyes are really like, Wide open, and the lions, you can see. They can't believe what's happening. And then the surprising thing is they run away. The lions run away. And then the Messiah man comes. They take off the meat and happily walk away. And the lions start to come back after they have left. That reminded me of James 4 verse 7. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Imagine one of these Maasai guys was walking to the lions. And then the one guy, realities come through and say, there's about 10 lions here. Let me turn and run. The lions would take courage, right? And they will go for the poor two and maybe catch the other guy as well. We cannot turn and run. We have to resist. We have to resist. We cannot walk, work with the devil, our adversary. We have to resist. We have to stand up again. And so ask yourself, where am I maybe not standing up against, but because of myself, my own sinful desires, working with? Let us be like this Messiah man. And then the fourth thing, a knowing adversary. Let us be knowing adversaries. Peter points out a few things that we should know. So first, he says that we should know that this is suffering that everybody experienced, other people as well. It's normal. He says, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. So it is to be expected, but also again, You're not alone. Like these three guys, they had each other. They had each other. We have each other to fight the fight. We are not alone. And remember, also, we are called to help each other as well. We are called to stand with each other. Like these three guys walking up to the lion, let's make sure we have people with us that can walk up. to the lion, knowing you are not alone. You are not alone. We are all together against this lion. We are not alone. Secondly, to know it's a short while. Peter points out your sufferings is a short while. It might feel very, very long. It might feel that the fight, the spiritual battle that you are in, it doesn't end. But remember, it will stop. Peter compares it with what? Eternal glory. Eternal glory that's awaiting us. So this struggle compared to eternal glory, take courage. It's a short time. It's a short time. And third, all dominion belongs to God. So that's the other thing that we should know as adversaries. At the beginning, I said, I have bad news for you. I said, there's a seeking, prowling, hungry, powerful adversary. But Peter ends this passage with this. He says to him, that's God, be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. And that is our hope. That is our faith and our confidence in which we resist our adversary. because we know the minion belongs not to the lion, but to the lamb. And it's true. If we look at the world It seems that dominion belongs to this lion, doesn't it? Look at the destruction that this lion is making and doing all over the world. Look at all the pain and the suffering and even maybe your own life you can look at and see the destruction that this lion has done in your life. But think of this, when you see this, when you see this destruction and you think, but actually this lion is in control of this world, his dominion belongs to this lion, think of this. That Friday, when Jesus was crucified, when the Son of God was nailed to a cross, it looked like this lion has won. It looked as if this lion had devoured the Son of God. It seemed to the Jews that day, our plans worked out quite nicely. It seemed to the Romans, hey, at least we rid of this troublemaker. And for the disciples, it seemed that all was over. All their hopes, all their dreams of their rabbi being the Messiah. But that was Friday. And then remember what happened on Sunday, that they came to the grave and the tomb was open. There was no one there. And later on, they met this risen Christ personally, saw him, but he was alive and victorious. Yes, there is a lion. and He's devouring, and He's prowling, and He's hungry, and He's dangerous, but He's defeated. He's defeated. And we believe in Him because of the grace of our God through faith and victory in Him. So therefore, yes, there is danger. And we have to be watchful. We have to be sober-minded. We have to be resisting in this life, but also to remember about dominion and power. does not belong to that lion, but it belongs to the lamb. And so therefore, in His power and in His strength, we become adversaries that sober-minded, watchful, resisting, knowing. And hold on to the promise that this God is making to us, that He will restore us, confirm us, strengthen, and establish us. So we fight this fight in His strength. May it be said of every one of us that you were a formidable adversary for our adversary. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word this morning. We thank you that we can be reminded again that indeed we have an adversary. And we pray that you will make us formidable adversaries for our adversary and his destructive work. Help us to be adversaries indeed and not co-workers and accomplices. So we pray, give us a sober mind. Give us a sober mind that our thinking will be in line and according to your word and your Holy Spirit. We pray that we will keep watchful and that we will help each other to be watchful. We pray that we will be resisting, that we will be strong in our resistance against this lion. And Father, even though we know that this lion is dangerous and he's roaring, thank you that we can know that all dominion and all power does not belong to him, but to you. And so, therefore, we pray. We pray that you, through your strength, will restore, confirm, strengthen, and keep on establishing us so that we will be formidable adversaries of our adversary. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.