“Eaten Up Or Built Up”
1 Peter 5:5-11
Sermon Series: “Trials”
Introduction: I believe that in every situation, including trials, God is working for our good and His glory and Satan is working to destroy us. God tests us in order to build us up while Satan tempts us in order to eat us up. He is a deceiver (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) whose desire is to destroy us (John 10:10). Trials can especially be an open door for Satan to work in our lives because of the discouragement that can come with them. How can we keep from getting eaten up during our trials? What do we need to know and do in order to be built up instead of eaten up?
Main Idea: In the midst of our trials, we will either let Satan eat us up or let God build us up.
1. Wehaveanenemywhoattacksus(v.8).Verse8callsSatanour adversary, which means “an opponent in a lawsuit.” Devil mean “slanderer.” The text say that Satan “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” In other words, He is our enemy who uses lies and false accusations to try to eat us up. Satan was originally Lucifer, the highest of the angels. He fell through pride and rebellion, along with a third of the angels, who are now demons. He tempted our first parents in order to bring sin and death into the world. He is not on Godʼs level, but he is very powerful and desires to oppose God by dragging us down. However, it is very important to remember that Jesus defeated Him through His death and resurrection, and we stand in that victory.
2. Wehaveafatherwhoworksforus(v.6-7,10-11).
- Our life and times are in His hand.
- He personally cares for us.
- He offers us grace to meet every need.
- He has made us eternally secure through Jesus Christ, His Son.
- He works through the trials to build us up into spiritual maturity.
Perfect – In this particular case, the word means to mend to order to equip for useful service.
Establish – It means that God gives us His strength to face the trials of life.
Settle – It refers to grounding on a firm foundation.
3. Here are some actions we need to take in order to experience the Fatherʼs work for us.
- Humbleourselves.Prideiswhatmadethedevilthedevil. C.S. Lewis calls it the “complete anti-god state of mind.” God pushes us away when we are proud but give us grace when we are humble.
- CastallourcareupontheLord.Whenweareworriedand anxious instead of trusting the Lord, our lives become Satanʼs playground.
- Livewithself-control(sober).Whenwedonʼtlivewith self-control, we make ourselves receptive to Satanʼs temptations because we are tempted when we are enticed by our own desires (James 1:14).
- Beawakeandwatchful(vigilant).Whenwespirituallygo to sleep, it gives Satan openings in our lives.
- Resistthedevil.Wetakeourstandandrefusetobemoved by standing in faith in the Lord and His Word.
- Be steadfast in the faith. “The faith” refers to the body of revealed Christian truth contained in the New Testament. “Steadfast” is a military term and basically means “solid as a rock.” The way we are strong in the midst of trials and against Satan is by believing, confessing, and obeying the Word of God. It is the truth that overcomes Satanʼs lies.
- Know that other Christians are experiencing the same kind of sufferings. We should know that we are not alone. Other Christians are experiencing the same kind of trials. They should be expected as a normal part of the Christian life. Others have endured. We can too.
