SOMEONE TO DEVOUR

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him standing firm in the faith…”

-1 Peter 5:7-9

Are you someone to devour? As women, it is not difficult for us to begin feeling anxious about things. Many times we let our minds, our faulty assumptions, and our reasoning get the best of us, particularly when it comes to our self-worth as individuals. These lies can destroy us. In reading 1 Peter 5:7-9, I realize that Peter’s warning to be self-controlled and alert after casting our anxiety on the Lord makes tremendous amounts of sense. The Lord brings a peace that surpasses all understanding when we give our anxiety and burdens to him.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

-Philippians 4:6-7

The problem here is that we have an enemy who wants us to experience anything BUT peace. For this reason, Satan will try even harder to make us anxious as we begin and continue to cast our anxiety on the Lord. This is the very reason we MUST be self-controlled and alert when it comes to the thoughts that filter in and out of our minds on a daily basis. Let’s be honest ladies, we think A LOT. Though many of us believe that our thoughts are merely a result of self generation, we need to be alert and remember that our enemy will plant the seeds of negativity and lies in our minds whenever we give him the opportunity. He is, after all, looking for someone to devour.

Where does anxiety come from? Is it not a result of our restless mind? Anxiety can be debilitating, keeping us from being the person God desires. Why else do you think Satan works so hard to get us to experience this horrible emotion? If anxiety is a result of the restless mind, then we should be asking God each and every day to guard our minds in Christ Jesus. But how does this look practically? How do we resist the devil and stand firm in our faith? Here is a quick breakdown of what I have gleaned from the scriptures.

#1 Cast your anxiety on the Lord and present your request for deliverance to Him.

(1 Peter 5:7, Philippians 4:6)

#2 Accept the peace God offers to guard your heart and mind.

(Philippians 4:7)

#3 Be alert and aware of the enemy’s schemes to devour you.

(1 Peter 5:8)

#4 Be self-controlled in your thinking by only dwelling on those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.

(1 Peter 5:8, Philippians 4:8)

These steps may seem simple, but they are not always going to be easy to follow. So many of us (myself included), are accustomed to being lax and letting our negative thoughts and emotions about our self-worth and purpose get the best of us. Though the steps above may not be easy at times, I think you will find that through diligence in following them you will be  able to #1 resist the devil, #2 stand firm in your faith, and #3 take hold of the unimaginable peace that God offers.

Reflection Questions:

Am I someone who is being easily devoured by anxiety and the lies of the enemy?

What are some of the lies that creep into my mind that need to be exposed?

Out of the 4 steps above, which one do I struggle with the most and why?

What can I do to improve being less anxious, presenting my request for deliverance to the Lord, being alert, and being self-controlled?

Prayer

Lord, It is my desire to take full hold of your peace and live the abundant life that you want for me to have. Please deliver me from my anxiety and fear about [insert struggle here]. Please help me to be ever on my guard against the devil’s schemes. Protect my mind and fill it with your noble truth. Help me to always be self-controlled in my thoughts, only ever thinking about those things which are right and pure. I lift up my hands in surrender to you, may your peace rule in my heart today. Amen!