Drop the load and keep moving!
1 Peter 5:6-10New King James Version (NKJV)
6
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon
Him, for He cares for you.
8
Be sober, be vigilant; because[a] your adversary the devil walks
about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist
him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are
experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may[b] the
God of all grace, who called us[c] to His eternal glory by Christ
Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish,
strengthen, and settle you.
Once we realize what:
Ephesians 6:12King James Version (KJV)
12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The devil will try ever tried to use your past against you.
Philippians 3:13King James Version (KJV)
13
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one
thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and
reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God
in Christ Jesus.
Saying things You're in this mess because of your own actions! And then
turn around and said things like Don't even try to ask God to help you
because you got into this mess by yourself, and now you're going to have to
get out of it by yourself! God won't help you, because you're reaping exactly
what you've sown!"
(He would ever send people your way to be that thorn in the flesh) BUT
GRACE!
This is what happens in the Book of Peter
But I so glad that Jesus send a word in 1 Peter 5:6-10 that it is something
that you can do about this.
Until you really come to understand and embrace the meaning of First
Peter 5, you will be stuck in the same place of care and worry. Its
time to come out of Worry Village.
1. Some people are in a place in life that you are to believe for all the
finances to come in quickly so we could pay your bills.
2. Some people are in a place that they had been giving a deadline that
everything got to be completed; otherwise, there was a possibility we
could lose everything you had invested. With this kind of pressure,
you find yourself worrying that we wouldn't have enough money or
resources. Then you come to the place that you constantly fighting
thoughts about losing the everything if you didnt make the deadline
that was given.
3. Some people while lying in bed at night, rolling this way and that
way, turning again and again, unable to sleep because your mind was
spinning with doubts, worries, fears, and concerns. Your heart
pounded harder and harder each day and night as the devil reached
out to grab hold of your emotions and twist them into a mess. And I
do understand that people someone will tell you to quit worrying and
start trusting the Lord, but instead of appreciating the advice, you will
found yourself getting angry.
In verse 7 of 1 Peter 5 "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth
for you The word "casting" is a compound of the words. The 1st
part means upon, as on top of something.
The 2nd part means to chuck, to throw, or to cast, but these words
carry with it a violently meaning of throwing or to fling something
with great force.
The only other place this word is used in the New Testament is in Luke
19:35, where the Bible says, "And they brought him to Jesus:
and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus
there on." It is important to note this passage, for it correctly transfers the
idea of the word cast, which in secular literature often pictured the flinging
of a garment, bag, or excess weight off the shoulders of a traveler and onto
the back of some other beast, such as a donkey, camel, or horse.
One of Pastor favors verse!
Matthew 11:28-30New King James Version (NKJV)
28
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I
am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
The word labour describes the most wearisome kind of labor. This is a
person who is giving everything he has to a project or assignment. He is
striving, laboring, and working with every fiber of his being. But the Greek
tense describes people who have been laboring under this load without a
pause for a very long time. Their work has been wearisome, exhausting,
and unending.
The words heavy laden tell us why these people are so weary from their
labors. These words are from the Greek word indicate a load or burden
that is normal and expected for an individual to carry in life. It was a
military term that described the backpack or bag that every soldier was
required to carry as a part of his career as a soldier. Carrying such a
weight was a normal and expected requirement for soldiers. The
weight of these backpacks and bags was determined by the length of the
soldiers journey. If his trip was short, the weight would be less. But if the
assignment mandated a longer journey, the weight of the backpack or bag
would be much heavier laden.
This means Jesus was referring to people who had been doing their job for
a very long time and their job wasnt done yet. Their journey had not
been a quick, short, and easy one, and much of it was still before them.
They had quite a long distance yet to go before they reached their
destination. Knowing how exhausted they were and yet how much further
they had to go before they were finished, Jesus told them, Come unto
meand I will give you rest (v. 28).
The word rest is from the Greek means to rest, to relax, to calm, or to
refresh carries the meaning of to pause, to cease, to discontinue, or to
refrain. In our modern-day language, it could be translated to take a
breather; to have a break; to have a interruption, a silence, an interval,
an intermission; or to take time to get away from something or some
responsibility.
Jesus never promised that He would take difficult assignments away from
you. However, He did promise that if you would come to Him, He would
give you the rest you need in order to be refreshed for the continuation and
conclusion of the journey. So when it seems like youve given all you have,
but theres still so much more for you to do before youre finished, just take
a break from your journey and go to Jesus for some supernatural
refreshing!
Just like Pastor said on last Sunday. Jesus turns it around!
But exactly what problems and cares are we to throw over onto
the shoulders of the Lord? The apostle Peter says we are to cast all of
"our cares" upon Jesus. The word "cares described any affliction,
struggle, hardship, misfortune, trouble, or complex
circumstance that arises as a result of problems that develop in
our lives. It could refer to problems that are financial, married,
job-related, family-related, business-oriented, or anything else
that concerns us.
Regardless of why it happened - is what you need to throw over onto
the shoulders of Jesus Christ! Peter says, because He "careth for
you." The word "careth" means to be concerned; to be thoughtful;
to be interested; to be aware; to notice; or to give painful and
careful attention.
Peter uses this word to assure us that Jesus really does care about us and
the things that are heavy on our hearts. In fact, He gives careful attention to
what is happening to us. He is interested in every feature of our lives.
It's time to shut the devil down! Because he would tell that your
problems are too stupid, small, or insignificant to bring to Jesus. The Lord
is interested in everything that concerns you!
Tell the person beside you.. Something else you need to know.
First Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant, because your
adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking
whom he may devour."
Sober -intoxicated person does not think straight because they
see things differently.
The word "vigilant" comes from the Greek word, which means to be on
your guard, to be watchful, or to be attentive. This word primarily
denotes the watchful attitude of one who is on the lookout to make certain
no enemy or attacker can successfully gain entry into his life or place of
residence.
(We need to watch and pray! I understand that no weapon form against you
will proper!)
Ephesians 4:27 King James Version (KJV)
27
Neither give place to the devil.
You must be on high alert against an enemy who is seeking to gain a foot
hole into your lives. The Greek tense for the word "vigilant" means to be
continually, always vigilant.
Tell someone: this is not a one-time act of watchfulness, but the attitude
of a person who is unwavering in his commitment.
This person has resolved that he will never let up in his promise to be
watchful, wide awake, and on the lookout to make sure some sinister force
doesn't successfully sneak up to attack and overtake him.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
1 Peter 5:8
The fact that Peter uses the word vigilant lets us know that the devil can be
pretty sneaky in the way he attacks. Therefore, we must be constantly wide
awake to keep the devil out of our affairs (relationship, dealings, and
contacts).
Peter goes on to say, "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary...." That
word "adversary" is from the Greek word was used in New Testament
times for a lawyer who dispute in a court of law.
This was the picture of a prosecutor who brought offenders to court,
dispute strongly against them, and then sent them off to prison. Now
Peter uses this word to portray the way the devil may try to
overtake us!
Peter is telling us that when the devil strikes, he often acts like a lawyer who
tries to bring us down by prosecuting us with the facts of our past sins and
mistakes. The enemy drags up facts from the past and reminds us of our
former failures; then he strongly tries to convince us that we deserve to be
in the mess we are in.
If the devil is successful in his prosecution, he will persuade us to believe
that we are unrighteous and unworthy and that we deserve whatever
happen in your life.
Many believers assist the devil in his efforts to prosecute them by being
irresponsible or negligent in key areas of their lives.
1. For instance, many people have money problems because they
have spent too much money or used their credit cards way
beyond the limit of what they could afford.
2. Others get sick in the wintertime because they go outside
without proper clothing.
3. Marriages get into trouble because the spouses never spend
time together or do anything to nurture their relationships.
Christians like to blame the devil for everything that happens, but the truth
is, people usually help out the enemy a little along the way!
Praise God, when we sin and do wrong, His grace is there to forgive and to
restore us! But the devil is also there. The enemy remembers every innocent
mistake made along the way, and like a prosecutor or "adversary" , he
comes to accuse you. Like a lawyer, he dispute his points in your mind,
saying:
You're in this mess because of
your own dumb mistakes!
You're reaping what you sowed,
and there's no way for you to get
out of this mess!
You're paying for your past!
Your kids are a mess because you
failed as a parent!
You're going to go bankrupt
because you spent too much
money on worthless things!
You've destroyed all your
friendships because you weren't a
faithful friend!
Sometimes the devil is precise in what he tells you. It may be true that you
created this mess! You really may have messed up your friendships by not
being a faithful friend. You may have spent too much money, and the
financial trouble you're in now may very well be your own fault! All the
devil's charge may be true. The devil is going to try to use facts and
arguments that make sense to you so you'll agree with him!
But you must never forget what David told us: The Lord is the One who
redeems our lives from destruction (Ps. 103:4). He is a restoring,
delivering, redeeming God! He wants to snatch you out of the
power of darkness and get you over into His realm of life and
light where past sin won't continue to exert its influences upon
you! (Col. 1:13) You just need to genuinely repent of past mistakes, get
your heart right with God, and then tell the devil to flee!
If you keep dwelling on the allegation that the enemy is speaking against
you in your mind, you'll find yourself in trouble pretty quickly. Peter goes
on to tell you why this is so: "...The devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour."
Have you ever heard lions when they are hungry? They roar so loudly that
the sound is nearly deafening. Peter says that this is what it's like when the
devil starts attacking your mind. Your mind is so filled with the roars of the
enemy's allegation that you can't hear anything else but those lies. He tells
you over and over, "You're going to fail...fail...fail...fail...FAIL!!!" Even when
people try to tell you the truth, it's hard to hear what they're saying because
those lies are roaring so loudly in your mind and ears!
If you keep giving ear to the devil's allegation, he will keep you all torn up
inside and in a constant state of chaos. In fact, Peter says he will "devour"
you. The word "devour" is the Greek word which means to drink, to lick,
or to slurp up, as a lion might lick the blood of his prey off the
ground.
The devil wants to turn you into a mess of liquid emotions and then lick you
up until there's nothing left of your life. That's what he wants to do with you
but you don't have to let him do it!
You don't have to fall victim to the devil's attacks! Peter tells us, "Whom
resist steadfast in the faith..." (1 Peter 5:9). If you'll resist the devil,
you can run him clear out of your mind and your life. He doesn't know how
to deal with those who stand up to him, so he runs in fear when a believer
challenges him! And if you feel too weak to resist the devil by yourself, I
would advise you to find people who know how to pray and let them help
you!
Has the devil been harassing you about anything in particular? Are you
tired of this constant harassment?
If so, it's time for you to stand up, throw back your shoulders, and
command him to leave in Jesus' name! Then determine to stay alert and
watchful, constantly on your guard. You can be sure that the enemy will try
to come back to accuse you againbut next time, you'll be ready for him!
The Devils Destination
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11
In Ephesians 6:11, Paul explicitly tells us how the devil operates. He writes,
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil. I want you to especially pay attention to the phrase the
wiles of the devil.
The word wiles
1. It means that the devil is like a traveler who travels on a road.
He is headed in one direction and has one destination.
Let me give you an example of what I mean. If youre going to take a trip,
the logical thing for you to do is get a map and chart your journey to your
destination. You dont take just any road; rather, you strategize to find the
best and fastest way to get where youre going. Right? It would be pretty
foolish for you to jump in the car and take off with no sense of direction.
Taking any road could lead you in a multitude of wrong directions. Its just
better to use a map and stay on track. Correct?
This is precisely the idea of the word wiles. The devil isnt wasting any time.
He knows where he wants to go. He has chosen his destination. Rather than
mess around on a bunch of different routes, he has mastered the best way
to get where he wants to go. He is not a mindless traveler. And when he
arrives at his place of destination, he has one main goal he wants to
accomplish: He wants to wreak havoc and bring destruction. Therefore, we
must ask: Where is the devil traveling, and what does he want to do once
he gets there?
Paul answers the question about Satans destination in Second
Corinthians 2:11 when he says, we are not ignorant of his
[Satans] devices. Pay careful attention to the word devices in this
verse. It is the Greek word describes the mind or the intellect. So, in one
sense Paul is saying, we are not ignorant of the way Satan
schemes and thinks.
But the word devices also indicate Satans evil plot to fill the human mind
with confusion. There is no doubt that the mind is the arena where Satan
feels most comfortable. He knows if he can access a persons mind and
emotions, he will very likely be able to shut in that individual in a trap. One
writer says that the word not only depicts Satans scheming mind but also
his crafty, subtle way of attacking and victimizing others minds.
Identifies the primary destination of the devil to get into a persons mind
and fill it with lying emotions, false perceptions, and confusion.
It was for this reason that Paul urged us, Casting down imaginations,
and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of
God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
The words bringing into captivity are from the Greek word, which
pictured a soldier who has captured an enemy and now leads him into
captivity with the point of a sharpened spear thrust into the flesh in his
back. The captured enemy knows that if he tries to move or get away, the
Roman soldier will shove that spear clear through his torso and kill him.
Therefore, this captive doesnt dare move but remains silent, submissive,
and non-resistant.
However, when Paul uses the word in this verse, he writes in a tense that
describes the continuous action of taking such an enemy captive. This is
not a one-time affair; it is the lifelong occupation of this soldier.
He constantly has a spear in his hand, and he is always pushing it against
the flesh of an enemys backside as he leads him away to permanent
captivity.
Because the devil loves to make a playground out of your mind and
emotions, you must deal with him like a real enemy. Rather than fall victim
to the devils attacks, you must make a mental decision to seize every
thought he tries to use to penetrate your mind and emotions. Rather than
let those thoughts take you captive, you have to reach up and grab them and
force them into submission! You must take every thought captive to the
obedience of Christ!
But if youre going to beat the devil at his game, you have to put all your
energy into taking every thought captive. If youre not really committed to
seizing every thought the devil tries to inject into your mind and emotions,
hell strike you again! So once you make the decision to do it, stick with it.
Its time for you to take charge of your thoughts and drive his lying
insinuations right out of your brain!
My Confession for Today
I declare that I have confessed all my past sins and mistakes. Therefore, I
am forgiven; I am clean; and I am free in the sight of the Lord. He does
not hold my past against me. He is my Redeemer, my Restorer, my
Deliverer, and my Salvation. His Spirit is operating in me right now to get
me out of every mess I have created, both intentionally and
unintentionally. My heart is repentant, and my desire is to do what is
right. Therefore, God is helping me walk out of the problems that have
tried to grip my mind and my life!
I declare this by faith in Jesus name!
