Persevering in Suffering

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.  And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, Who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you.  To Him be the dominion forever and ever.  Amen.” I Peter 5:6-11 (ESV).

Peter knew that his fellow Christians would suffer for the faith.  He himself was imprisoned and persecuted.  Tradition (in writings of Eusebius and Jerome) holds that Peter was martyred for the faith by crucifixion, and asked to be placed on the cross upside down for he did not consider himself worthy to be crucified in an upright position as Christ had been.  His advice is sound for any age.  Humility should be the mark of a true believer.  Even in suffering, God’s people are to give themselves over entirely to Him.  Think that God leads us with His mighty hand, reminiscent of the children of Israel delivered from Egyptian bondage and being led in the exodus by God’s hand.  Anxiety robs one of needed faith, so “cast all anxieties on Him” knowing all the while how much God cares for you.  Anxiety is a form of pride because it looks inward and seeks fulfillment of selfish motives.  Humility and anxiety cannot dwell in the same heart, for anxiety indicates that we are not trusting God for His guidance and protection.  The Christian is to be sober-minded and watchful for the devil watches for any weaknesses and anxieties believers harbor.  He can quickly pounce on a worried, anxious person and cause him to stumble.  To emphasize the power of the devil, Peter pictured him as an untamed lion, looking about for whomever he can attack and devour.  But fear not!  The Christian has the resources to resist the devil.  And major among the weapons is a firm faith.  Abaddon, Apllyon, Devil, Satan (all names for the destroyer), is a formidable enemy, and we should never joke about him, underestimate his power to deceive or allow him to gain the upper hand in our lives.  We wonder how often Peter remembered the night when he denied Jesus Christ three times.  Peter certainly could write convincingly later about the power of Satan, for he had encountered him head-on.  Both Peter and James gave us advice on how to counteract the devil’s attacks:  “Resist the devil and he will flee from you,” wrote James (4:7). 

Many foresee suffering for Christians in the near future.  Already in many places in the world Christians are undergoing severe persecution.  Now our persecution in America is along lines of ridicule and movements by those who want to rid America of practices we’ve held dear since the founding of our country.  The “politically correct” adherents want to remove references to God, prayers in public places and tax exemptions for religiously-affiliated institutions, among other things.  Paul ended this section on persevering in suffering by encouraging the persecuted Christians to remember that their trials would be for a short duration and then God would bring them to the promised glory.  God will also “restore , confirm, strengthen and establish” all who remain faithful during tribulations.  Dr. Warren Wiersbe observes:  “When an unbeliever goes through suffering, he loses his hope; but for a believer, suffering only increases his hope.”  In our forty days of uniting in prayer in America, we are praying that God will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish” Christians so that we will be able to stand in this day of difficulties and distractions that would sidetrack us from the major purpose of being strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Prayer.  Lord, look with favor on Your people who are called by Your name.  May Christians stand firmly for what is right, weigh the issues and choose wisely those with grave responsibilities for leading our country.  Guide us in these days before the election on November 6.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.