Lions!

1 Peter 5:8- Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Lions are amazing animals. I’ve seen them in the zoo and heard them when they roar. It’s a very scary sound. The roar echoes throughout the zoo, especially in St. Louis. When those lions roar, everyone hears it. There are not many animals, to my knowledge, that would dare oppose a lion, particularly when it’s meal time. Fearsome beasts, the king of the jungle or the savannah, the lion is a force to be reckoned with.

Peter uses the image of the prowling, roaring lion to describe the devil. The devil is constantly, ferociously on the hunt for someone to devour. The image is a fearful one for humanity. Peter’s image comes with the warning to be watchful, keep a clear head, pay attention so that you can hear, see or smell the lion coming.

One thing that occurs to me, through Peter’s description is that the lion is not very stealthy. He prowls around roaring. That voice can be heard loud and clear. He’s not sneaky. Elsewhere, the devil is described as a serpent, more crafty than the others. So, it’s not that he can’t be sneaky, but Peter sees the devil as a very noticeable creature.

The devil has been a student of human behavior since the beginning of time. He knows how we act, interact, and behave. He is constantly on the move and looking for his next meal. But there is someone else who is constantly on the look out. And he is also known as a lion.

“And one of the elders said to me, ‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.’” Revelation 5:5. That’s Jesus, my friends. This Lion has conquered all. He has conquered the other lion. He has conquered the power of the other lion. He is Jesus.

This Lion is a force to be reckoned with, just as lions on the savannahs of Africa have no animal opponents. This Lion laid down his own life, this Lion did not roar when he was put on the cross. It was in His humility that He was most powerful. So we are watchful, but we do not weep. We are clear-headed, but our faith is secure with the Lion of Judah.

Heavenly Father, creator of all things. Help us, through your Holy Spirit, to be mindful, watchful and aware of the prowling lion, the devil. Comfort us with the roar of your Son, the Lion of Judah, Jesus, our Savior. In His name, Amen.

P.S.- This was a challenging devotion to write for a Detroit Lions fan. They don’t roar too much, neither are they conquerors nor devourers.