RESIST HIM

Wednesday 05

“Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”1 Peter 5:9 (NKJV)
Read: 1 Peter 5:5-11

This verse and passage is a continuation of what is being shared in the preceding verse, 1 Peter 5:8. The admonition is: “Resist him [the adversary, the devil], steadfast in the faith.” After the words, resist him, a comma was put behind the pronoun “Him” to indicate that being steadfast in the faith is separate. In other words, it means, resist the devil, whilst you remain steadfast in the faith.

That is, your steadfastness in the faith should not diminish in the whole process, whilst you are going through whatever and resisting the devil. You should remain steadfast in the faith and not be despaired. You should know that whatever you are experiencing as suffering, the same is being experienced by other kinsmen of yours in the world.

In other words, unbelievers who are your kinsmen are also passing through sufferings, it is not peculiar to you. Thus, it should not be strange to you, and you should not think you are passing through it because you are a believer in Christ Jesus.

Whatever the suffering; it could be persecution because of your faith, or lack of basic needs of life, just know that it is not peculiar to you alone, others are experiencing a similar thing, too.

The verse 10 of the chapter, Apostle Peter, then pray: “. . . May the God of all grace, Who called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered A while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

The suffering is for a while. After a while, a number of things will happen:

• You will be made perfect, establish, strengthen, and be settled. Since the suffering would be for a while, you should endeavour to wait and endure.

Whilst you are waiting to pass through the suffering, you do not wait passively, you wait while you work on your steadfastness in the faith. You learn the necessary lessons you ought to learn in the suffering, because your experience in the suffering should not be wasted.

• The word perfect in the passage talks about maturity. In other words, you would be made mature in the course of the suffering.
• Your rough edges would be smoothened.
• You will be polished and groomed spiritually through the suffering for the next level of your assignment after the suffering is over. It is after you are made mature or perfect that you become established, strengthened and settled. Can you see that it is a process? It is not what is done haphazardly. Thus, you would do well to pay attention to the process that you might be a perfect product that is suitable for God’s intended purpose. Peace.

Reflect
What is God using your current season of suffering to develop in you?

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