We know that Simon Peter experienced the fact that surrounding the Lord's Supper, the activity of Satan was quite evident. And that was true on the one hand in the case of Judas. because we know that it was Simon Peter who gestured to that disciple who was reclining upon the bosom of our Lord Jesus. And this disciple then asked who it would be that would betray Jesus. And so then our Lord dipped the sop and he gave it to Judas Iscariot. And after the sop, Satan entered into Judas. and thereafter he went out and it was night. And so Simon Peter experienced that at a communion that Satan did everything in his power to retain and hold those who were his. And Simon Peter also experienced at a communion that Satan would do all that was in his power to harass, attack, sift and overthrow those who are Christ's. And you know, the warning that our Savior spoke to Simon Peter, who did not go out like Judas did, but he remained long enough to hear that warning. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan have desire to have you that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And so we know what the danger was, which was Satan's desire, his incessant hunger to devour, if possible, even those that are Christ's. We know where the victory lay, which was in the strength of the Savior, praying for Simon. We know what grace it was that Peter needed to exercise, which particularly was faith. And we know the charge. that the Savior gave to him when this conflict was over and he was restored, that he was to strengthen the brethren. And the text that's before us this evening is no small part of Peter's fulfillment of his master's commission to strengthen the brethren. We have in our text in verses 8 and 9, Just to briefly show you something of the context, just prior, Peter has insisted that we should humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. And then he comes to say that we should resist the devil. It's the same connection that James makes. That first, he says, submit to God. Then he says, resist the devil. And so the two, there's a kinship. between them. And it was true in the case of our Savior there in that night in which our Savior was betrayed that there in Gethsemane, he submitted himself to God. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done. And it was our head and captain who submitted himself to God who got the great victory over the devil. And so we under him, likewise, on the one hand, are to submit ourselves to God. On the other hand, to resist the devil, that's our subject this evening. And so to understand it, we'll see three things. The first is to gird up for the battle. The second is to know your adversary. And the third is to resist your adversary. And so first of all, gird up for the battle. And Peter expresses it in the words where he says, be sober, be vigilant. A sober man is one who's in control of all his faculties, whose faculties are not deranged and disordered. A vigilant man is one who not only has possession of his faculties, but he's awake and he's actively using his faculties. And so Peter says, first of all, be sober. Now this we could interpret in terms of just to speak very simply, sobriety in terms of your natural food and also sobriety in terms of your spiritual food. And so there is a kind of sobriety as to your natural food. Our larger catechism tells us when it comes to the sixth commandment, that it requires a sober use of meat, drink, physics, sleep, labor, and recreations. On the one hand, a sober use means embracing what the Lord has given in such a way as to fit us for his service. And we sing of it in Psalm 104, wine to gladden the heart, oil to make the face shine, bread to strengthen the heart. And then on the other hand, a sober use of these things means not overusing them so as to make us sluggish and unfit us for the service of God. Perhaps you think, well, could it come down to such a thing as that where we could be subject to Satan's attacks through an unsober use of meat, drink, physic, and sleep, and so on. Well, this is what the Word of God is telling us, and there's a connection, isn't there? Because an unbridled indulgence, even of a lawful appetite, paves the way for what? To give the reins to a sinful appetite. So there's a sobriety, a kind of middle way, a sparing use of the things of this life which we're commanded by the Word of God as girding up our loins for spiritual warfare. There's also a kind of sobriety about spiritual food. And you've been in the lows, you've been in the highs, you've been intentionally humbling yourself before the Lord in your approach to the table and the Lord's lifted you up and he's feasted you, he's put you on the high places and bringing you to the supper of the Lord. In coming away, there should be a kind of sobriety of mind that holds both of those things together. So that you come away lowly, and you think, there's yet sin within, there's yet an enemy to conflict with. I'm not in heaven yet, a long way to go, a narrow road. And then you think, yet there's something of heaven in me. The Lord's lifted me up, he's given me communion with Jesus Christ at his table. And so, as it's been expressed, The great thing is to repent without despair and to rejoice without levity. And so may we come away with a spiritual sobriety. Peter says, in girding up your loins for the battle, first he says to be sober. He also says, be vigilant. Actively use your faculties to watch against danger. This has a close connection to prayer. This word for vigilance. It's a word that Peter heard in the garden. In this spiritual conflict and sifting by Satan that we were speaking of, he was told to watch and pray the same word is being used there by our Lord so that prayerlessness would be unheedfulness. And we would recognize readily if we're driving a car that there's a need to be vigilant. But just so the same, if we're not praying, in fact, it should be alarming to you if you're able to go an entire day without praying. And indeed, there needs to be praying in view of the fact that you have an active, busy, ravenous spiritual enemy who would love to devour you. So we need to be up and seeking the Lord. And notice that this is a command that comes to each one. And certainly, the elders have a duty. And we heard of that as we read the scripture. That the elders have a duty to take the oversight of the flock. The elders have a duty to be watching for you. And yet, not all the duty of watching lies with them. And you need to be the first line of defense. You're the first that could notice the encroachment of a temptation. the growing of lukewarmness in the heart, you are, by the Lord, required to notice it in vigilance and to bring it to him in prayer and to be active in your own spiritual watch. Well, that's enough to gird us up for the battle if, by grace, we do these things, if we're sober and vigilant. But a second thing is that you need to know your adversary. And here, Peter speaks of your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walking, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. And we can notice in those words, the devil's name, the devil's hunger, and the devil's busyness. The devil's name is called devil. or accuser, but also he's called adversary. This word adversary, it's one that we meet elsewhere in Matthew 5, where the Savior tells us, agree with thine adversary quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him. And this is said in the context of an officer, a judge, a magistrate in prison. And so in this case, adversary means an opponent at law. Likewise, in the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18, where she comes and she cries to the judge saying, avenge me of mine adversary. Once again, in the context of a courtroom and a judge. And so this adversary against whom she seeks the vindication of the judge is an opponent at law. And so Peter is telling us that the devil is your opponent at law. And so here's a strategy, that he seeks to get the law on his side against you. And there are, there can be two ways that he would seek to do this. The first is by getting the law of man against you. Now it's careful, we need to be careful that insofar as the laws of man are righteous, that we stay on the right side of them. And Peter takes care with this in chapter 4 and verse 15. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief, et cetera. And so if, in fact, we do that which is sinful, and we commit those sorts of sins that even perhaps a pagan magistrate recognizes as crimes, we're actually giving a great opportunity to the devil to accuse and to defame the faith. But there's another side of this as well. Even if you're truly blameless, your adversary may still try to get the law of man against you. How would he do this? Well, we have a clear example of it, for instance, in Daniel chapter six, where no blame could be found in regard to Daniel, except it should be in regard to the law of his God. And so lo and behold, there seemed to be a suggestion planted in the minds of the satraps and princes. Where would such an evil suggestion come from, we wonder? Well, by the suggestion of Satan, they produced a law that would make it illegal for Daniel to pray. And so likewise, we can recognize quite readily the handiwork of this adversary of ours who operates by getting the law on his side. And so as cunning as he is, he actually overreaches. So that where we see him instigating, for instance, laws that make it illegal to gather for worship, we can recognize, ah, he's operating as our adversary at law. And the Lord has told us what to do in such a case. That is that we need to be ready by being sober and being vigilant. And we need to hold the things of this life loosely, and we need to be ready to resist such an adversary who frames the laws of man against us. Our brethren in the world are experiencing it, as Peter says. The other thing that this adversary at law, opponent at law, will seek to do is to get the law of God against you. And so we know that the devil is the tempter. But why? Why does Satan tempt you to sin? Number one, it's because he hates God. And sin is that which goes as far as can be gone to dishonor God. That it clouds his manifested glory, though of course it cannot touch his essential glory. He hates God, but he also hates you. And so here the Word of God unmasks his strategy. He's your opponent at law. He tempts you to sin so that when you sin, if you yield to temptation, you'll be on the wrong side of the law of God. And you will have God against you because you're walking contrary to him. And now he succeeded in his scheme because he can stand and plead the law of God rightly against you. Notice that it doesn't say that Satan is the judge. It doesn't say so much as that Satan has some personal and proper power or authority, it doesn't say that he's the judge, but he is the adversary. And how ready he will be to plead the law of God against you once you've sinned as an accuser. So we need to be ready with remedies against this, don't we? One remedy is what was described there in the case of Job. That's why Job was ready for the satanic assault because he feared God and he eschewed evil. And so what can Satan do to a man who fears God? Because he can't get him to sin and therefore he can't find anything to plead against such a man in the court of heaven or in his conscience. Fear God. Notice, of course, the context of our passage. We're speaking this evening of the devil. The devil is described quite vividly, but you can also notice that the devil is actually hemmed in upon the page of your Bible. So if you look at verse 6, you'll read there about a God whose hand is mighty. And if you look at verse 10, you'll read there about the God of all grace and how he will perfect grace and glory. God hems Satan in, behind and before. So God is preeminent. And you express that when you thwart the devil by fearing God. All the glory goes to God. The fear of God. But also, you need to enlist the advocate. When you sin, you need to remember these words of John, that if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the propitiation. for our sins. Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? Christ Jesus is the one that died. Yea, rather, that is risen again, that is at the right hand of God. Who is also interceding for us? There is an advocate. Enlist him over against your adversary. Whenever you sin, go and call the advocate. Satan will come against you. He'll say, God's law condemns you for sin. There's only one plea you can make. Only one way you can escape. You can say, Like a woman would say, the creditor comes to the woman and he says, you owe the debt. And she says, I'm a married woman. Go tell my husband. And so the adversary comes against you. And he says, your debts, your debts, your sins. And you say, ah, I'm married to Jesus Christ by faith. Go speak to my husband about that debt. You need to be married to Jesus Christ by faith. You need to believe upon Him, because that's the only answer that can be given in against the evil one. Satan operates by getting the law of man or the law of God on his side against you. That's why he is called your adversary. And this is his name. But Peter also speaks about the devil's hunger. Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, and lions roar when they're hungry. We sing of that in Psalm 104. As a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. In fact, perhaps it would be better to speak about the devil's thirst, because his word for devouring is more directly related to drinking something down than to eating something. He, the devil, is bloodthirsty. He wants to drink your blood. He wants your soul's blood. What a contrast to our Lord Jesus Christ. Weary as he was, sitting down by Jacob's well. And the sinful woman came there and met him. He was weary when that whole thing started, but afterwards he was talking like a man who'd been refreshed by a meal. He had meat to eat that ye know not of. Christ's mysterious meat is saving souls. It energized him, it refreshed him. To save that woman. How opposite to that is the devil? What motivates him? What drives him? What does he want? He thirsts after souls. He is. The most grievous perversion. Of anything that we see in our Lord Jesus Christ. He thirsts for souls destruction. He is relentless. He walks about seeking whom he may devour. How many thousands has he slain? Children, the lion will have a den and the bones of the lion's victim will be inside the den, perhaps at the back. You can see how many that lion has slain. He's perhaps grown fat upon his victims. This lion, the devil, however many souls he has devoured, it has not glutted his hunger. He is active. He is prowling. He will not give up until that moment when he is thrown into the lake of fire. He tried to wear down our Lord Jesus Christ. because they're in the temptation of our Lord. He did all that he could. He brought his three temptations and we're told that he left him for a season. He came back again. Oh, surely He came back in those hours of darkness when the Savior hung upon the cross, if He sought to wear down the rock of ages. Look at Him, coming, attacking, attacking, attacking. He would not give up against our Lord. He won't give up against you. This is why you need to be vigilant. Did I say that you should be alarmed if you go a day without praying? This is why. He's active. He's on top of you. He's trailing you. You know, if we think about animals, oh, the Lord is, oh, He condescends to us to speak. in ways that we can understand and that even can grip our minds vividly and that even children can grasp. So the Bible is talking about the devil like an aggressive animal, and we can think of instances of aggressive animals, and perhaps it's painful to think of, but There are those instances where an animal, a voracious animal, attacks a person. There's damage done. And we think about the brutality of the animal. It doesn't care who it's attacking, so long as it can devour and rend and tear. And we know the law of God also speaks about this. It speaks to us about an ox that is want to push with his horn in time past. And well, then the law of God gives a kind of vengeance on the aggressive animal, but the responsibility doesn't stop there. The owner has a responsibility. If there's an aggressive animal and you can do something to stop its aggression, then you need to stop it. You need to use your authority and your place to restrain the ox that gores. And just so, here, this is why God is telling us of this. Because God will have his vengeance on the devil, but he is telling us that you need to take means to see that you're not harmed by this aggressive animal. And so we can apply that very practically. If there is something in which Satan has ensnared you and gotten advantage of you in time past. Don't go back there. Don't go into the pen of the ox it goers. And so perhaps we could think of it. We could apply it perhaps to your online activity. Have you been ensnared? into gossiping and tail-bearing and time-wasting? Have you been ensnared into racking up credit card debt? Have you been ensnared into gazing upon profitless vain things? Have you been ensnared in pornography? Then you need to take means. You need to restrict your online activity to what's necessary to do for you to fulfill your duties towards God. You need to have some accountability. The devil's a voracious, relentless animal. If he's gotten advantage of you one time, he'll come back again. The temptation will be stronger. You need to defend yourself and you need to keep from him, keep far away from his territory. Some ungodly companion Has there been an ungodly companion who ensnared you to sin? You need to keep far and protect yourself. So these things then tell us how to know our adversary. We see him described as adversary or opponent at law. We're told of his vigilance. His relentless thirst for souls. There's a third thing to see this evening. Not only must we gird up for the battle, not only must we know our adversary, but we must resist our adversary. And Peter, in doing this, tells us two things. He gives us a sovereign remedy. And then he gives us a helping, assisting thing to remember. First of all, the sovereign remedy when he says, of this adversary whom resist steadfast In the faith, notice the place that he gives to faith, just like Paul in Ephesians 6, 16, in this spiritual warfare, Paul says, above all, taking the shield of faith. He also uses this word of steadfast or strong. So he's saying resist the devil as steadfast ones. You need to be strong and firm. You need to have a kind of holy obstinacy in resisting the devil. You need to exercise your will so as to refuse his temptations, to say no and turn him back. You need to do it firmly and resolutely. How can you be strong? You need to be steadfast, he says, and you need to be steadfast in the faith. Just as Samson's secret of strength was in his unshorn head, so the Christian's secret of strength lies in his faith. It's hard to digest. Our legal bias makes us want to look somewhere within for strength, but he says, resist him steadfast in the faith. What should we look to in this conflict that is by faith? On the one hand, we need to recognize that there is a conflict already won in history, and our Lord Jesus has spoiled the principalities and powers and triumphed over them in the cross. And he has led captivity captive. He's ascended up on high. In history, it's accomplished. He's won. Yet, what does that victory in history mean to one who doesn't himself resist the devil? Resist the devil and he will flee from you. The man who does not himself resist the devil There's no promise of the devil fleeing from him. There is a victory in history won by Christ without you putting any hand to it. And yet there's also a victory over the devil that you must put your hand forth in or else you will not benefit and you will not be a victor. You must resist the devil and you must do it by faith. And so it is faith that engages and calls upon Christ, the Lord Ransomer. Suppose there's a field, there's a property, and the Ransomer has bought the field to himself, but there is a squatter that is upon the field, and you go to contend with the squatter, and you tell him you have no right to be here, and he insists, and he comes back with many arguments, and you call in the Lord Ransomer, who owns the field, and he comes, and with his strength, you expel the squatter. This is something of resisting the devil steadfast in the faith. Perhaps it happens this way. You may recognize the kind of internal dialogue that happens in spiritual warfare. There are suggestions of Satan. How do they come? How are they planted? It's hard to say. It's mysterious and spiritual, but somehow they're insinuated, even into the mind of a Christian. This is what we're speaking of. We're speaking of just like Peter, those who are Christ's, yet the devil attacks them. And so perhaps You think to yourself, well, we've been at a communion, and we want to be holy and only the Lord's. And indeed, if you've been at the Lord's table, you've taken a covenant vow to be holy and only the Lord's and to live unto him in view of his mercies to you. And so perhaps you say, well, there's something to be reformed by the strength of the Lord and by the power of his that he purchased for me by the Holy Spirit, and you say, well, I'm going to reform the use of my tongue. Or perhaps you say, I'm going to get to bed earlier on Saturday night so I can be well-rested for God's worship. Or perhaps you say, I'm going to soften my sharp temper with more of an unction of kindness, and you form a godly or holy resolution. And then, How can you do that? You've been so long in that pattern and you probably can never reform. And look, you've already failed again. So then you recognize that's your adversary that you need to resist who's saying that. So then you answer back and you say, I will go to my father in heaven and he will help me. How can you go to God? You? How could you show your face before the throne of grace? You just admitted that there's something to be reformed, that there's been a stronghold in your life, and there's guiltiness. How can you come? You dare not come to God. You dare not show your face in his holy presence. But he has made promises. He made promises. And he sealed his promises. I remember what he said. This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins. Oh, but the promises aren't for you. The promises. They're only for the man who fears God, because the secret of the Lord with them that fear him is. How can you say you fear God? There's so much compromise. Yes. But he has said, come children, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord and all that I desire to fear God and God. He looks greatly to desires. And because of that super abundant, overflowing merit of my Lord's purchase, God in Christ will accept even those good works that are stained with my sins, which I, which grieve me and I hate. Now is the acceptable time. I will go to my God. You can't hinder me from going to my God. But if you go to God, you'll stammer. You won't be able to pray. But he has said that when we do not know what to pray for, as we ought, the spirit will help our infirmities. If the Holy Spirit is truly in you, How is it that I've got so much liberty like I do to harass you, the Holy Spirit in you? Look, your mind is so filled with my suggestions. Well, then you say, Christian, you resist your adversary. And you say to him, you see, this is only the way that my God has to keep me close to himself. Get thee behind me, Satan. So you go to God, Christian, you go to God steadfast in the faith. You hold, you hold the promise like a dog. If the Canaanite woman could allow herself to be called a dog, then we can too. And so we'll be Tenacious dog holding the bone that contains the marrow of the promise and we won't let it go No matter what hand tries to take it from us. This is something This is how the Christian becomes strong how he resists the adversary steadfast in the faith He steadfastly believes and then in believing he gains Strength to exercise his will against the devil and he lives for God Perhaps the conflict comes a different way. Perhaps it's Satan opposing you in your duty through fear of persecution. Perhaps, he says, if you refuse to work on the Sabbath, if you use biblical language, for instance, you say that sodomy is sin, then, well, you'll surely be blacklisted. You'll lose your job. Maybe you'll die. But again, the resisting is to be how by faith. If I lose my job. I'm still in the service of my father and he rewards his servants. If I die, the angels will carry me into Abraham's bosom. So we need to resist him steadfast in the faith and faith is secret in the heart, but also we remember Hebrews 1023. Let us. Hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. Faith is to be professed. It is to have outward visible fruits whereby we identify with the Lord and his way. Resist your adversary. This is the third thing that we're considering this evening. And in order to resist your adversary, there's a there's a master remedy, a sovereign remedy, resisting him steadfast in the faith. And then there is this which helps us, this remembrance that we're often prone to forget. Peter brings it in by way of a help, he says, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren. In the world, and so once again Satan's devices are exposed because it's a great strategy that he has to tell you that you are all alone and there can't possibly be anyone who's being so particular or there can't possibly be anyone who's flooded by as many temptations as you are and you are an anomaly and you're strange and obviously you're all alone. However, Peter is telling us the opposite, that it's actually a mark of the Christian to be in these conflicts against Satan because those who belong to the Lord will fight this warfare, and those, however, who are in Satan's territory will not be fighting and striving against him. And so you should know it's a mark of the brethren to be in this conflict, this affliction, in which there's a kind of suffering in it, to be in the weariness of battling against Satan. It's revolting to the mind of the Christian to have his insinuations and suggestions put into the mind. It's a kind of affliction. We long to be freed from it. But while we continue in the world, and oh yes, this affliction is only experienced by our brethren that are in the world. We have brethren who've gone out of the world. They're past this. But as long as brethren remain in the world, they with us are in this same conflict. Even if the trials are hidden and inward, Wherever the brethren are, they are in this conflict. In a way, this truth also pushes us to consider the Lord himself. Because if, and indeed it is true, that the devil is a roaring lion is seeking whom he may devour. And so there is a larger scale conflict than simply his assaults against you, believer. we were beginning earlier, we remember the words of our Lord to Simon when he says, Satan hath demanded, hath desired that he may sift you, you, plural, you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee. There's both the personal conflict and the conflict against all the brethren. And see, if the lion is attacking the entire flock, We know that surely the shepherd sees because our Lord Jesus is called the shepherd here in this chapter when the chief shepherd shall appear in verse four. He is the chief shepherd in his dignity, chief in his sufficiency for his whole flock, chief in his love for his own sheep, which he purchased with his blood. And so there is, there must be, A conflict with the devil, if we mean to be in heaven, we must conflict against him. But we conflict against him in the sure and certain hope that the chief shepherd will soon appear. And he will rise up and destroy the lion that harasses his flock forever. He will be our Samson who will arise and tear with his hands the roaring young lion. He will be our David to catch the lion by its beard, deliver his lamb, and strike the lion. He will be Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, to go into the pit and to slay the lion in the time of snow. The devil is doomed for touching the sheep of our Lord Jesus. And it brings us to a question you've been hearing the Word of God much in recent days. Are you one of the sheep of this shepherd? Do you hear his voice and follow him? What is your favorite place to be? To be lying down in his green pastures and grazing upon his rich provision in his ordinances. Is that what you love? Do you hear his voice and follow him? Do you know the difference between his voice and the voice of a stranger? He says to you. I am the door. By me. If any man enter in. He shall go in. and go out and shall have pasture. The good shepherd. Some he has to seek for a long time before he brings them. But he always obtains what he seeks. He leaves the ninety and nine. He seeks that one sheep until he find it. And when he finds it, he lays it on his shoulders. He carries it home, rejoicing. Has this good shepherd been convicting you, calling you, prodding you? Come to him. Come to him. You know, it illustrates our blindness, doesn't it? We're prone, aren't we? In fact, the Lord says very plainly in his word, we all like sheep have gone astray and have turned everyone to his own way. All were blind. The natural state of man were blind. You know what we would do? Apart from the Holy Spirit, comply with every suggestion of Satan and resist the overtures of the chief shepherd. But may God Give you grace here in this. This last call. Of this communion. There's a solemnity to it, isn't there? That there's been a sealing of covenant with the Lord. There have been those who've called upon his name. Covenanted with God in Christ. And here is one more call. Come. Onto this chief shepherd. In fact, you have no choice. You must come. The devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. You must come. May God give you grace to do so. Would you stand with me then as we pray? O Lord, our God and our Father in heaven and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, how we thank Thee, O Lord, for the light of Thy word and for how it exposes the stratagems of the evil one, his wiles. And give us grace, O Lord, we pray, to receive the light of Thy word and to make it to be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We pray, O Lord, the day be quickly hastened when Christ shall have his whole flock united in one, and when this lion shall be forever torn. And even now, O Lord, as it were, bring out sweet things from the carcass of that devourer. And we pray then to thy people, O Lord, even turn these attacks of the evil one to our good, that we may cleave them more closely unto thee, and help us, we pray, to come away sober and vigilant and watching. And we ask it for Jesus' sake. Amen.