So what to do when everything in the visible world goes really wrong? Because this situation was not the first and will not be the last in our lives. We want to take you with us into the battle through which Christ triumphed! Summary of our trip to Canada.
In the past, we usually looked for the escape route in difficult situations and decisions. Although we knew what God's will was for the situation, we pulled back due to pressure of time and sometimes people or natural circumstances. Situations were judged by us in a completely carnal way and God was left out entirely. This led to quick and hasty and ultimately wrong decisions and conclusions.
The devil's attacks were particularly strong in situations where we clearly knew God's will. And not because he is focused on us as a person. We are not important to him. It is always about the word of God, which he tries to steal from our hearts so that it cannot grow. Because the seed (word of God) contains the power and the miracle to change situations significantly.
After the lawyer told us that we had done nearly everything wrong and had therefore ended up with the status of “unlawful presence”, this was of course a serious slap in the face at the time. Because we were sure that God wanted us to stay in the USA and study for another year. The minutes after such a meeting are key to the rest of the process and the outcome. «Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1. Peter 5:8 ESV». In emotionally loaded and difficult situations, it is easy to get on a mental rollercoaster. But that doesn't have to be the case if you let the Spirit renew your thoughts. One verse earlier (v. 7) reads: «...casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.» If you put these two verses together, you can see that worries, i.e. fears, intoxicate the soul (will, mind and emotions). The devil is waiting at the door in the form of negative thoughts, condemnation, fear, shame, etc., hoping that you will open the door for him. And when you open the door, he takes you captive and even puts the sledgehammer in your hand, with which you destroy yourself. You are literally overloaded with fears that pull you into a negative downward spiral. The devil's intentions are clearly described to us in John 10:10 : «The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. …». And that is not exactly something a Christian strives for.
Instead, the writer says in verse 8, “Be sober,” because God provides, therefore you should be unconcerned. When we cast our cares on Christ, we remain sober in our souls and open to God's speaking. The word from the Greek also means: “Be mentally self-controlled”. It is the still and small voice that shows us the way and not the loud and oppressive one. And “Be watchful”! The word means that we should keep ourselves alert at all times. Always be on your guard and never be careless. Why be sober and vigilant at all times? Because the devil goes around looking for ways to get his foot in your door. But to do this, a born-again Christian must first open the door. Notice how it is said that he seeks whom he may devour. He is constantly searching, because the word “roar” in the Greek text refers to the howling of an animal that has a great hunger that is never satisfied. In nature, old and sometimes toothless lions lurk and roar in the direction of their prey in order to drive it in a certain direction. The old and toothless lions are no longer really able to hunt and leave this to the younger ones. What they do, however, is to drive the prey in the opposite direction, towards the position of the younger lions, by roaring loudly, in order to be attacked by the younger lions. The moral of the story is that there will be situations where the “roar” will come from the very direction you know it is God's will to go. And it's not the roar of the lion of the tribe of Judah! In such a case, you must run straight towards it and know that you will emerge victorious. At worst, you'll come up against a toothless lion - not very scary. The passage says that he is like a lion. But in reality there is only one lion, who is also the lamb - Jesus Christ!
In verse 6 we find another important part in difficult situations. It says: «Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,» Unfortunately, humility is often equated with subservience, false modesty, cowardice and inferiority. And that is not how the Bible describes it to us. Humility means putting our trust fully in God and not in ourselves. At the same time, it also means that we do not think more of ourselves than God has said, but also not less than God has said. And unfortunately, the second part in particular is often not highlighted at all. It is immensely important that we know our true identity in Christ.
The truth that humility is the key to greatness and success is not new. Jesus gave new meaning to this truth by walking in humility like no one had ever done before. Jesus said he was meek and humble of heart (Mt 11:29), and we can see that there was and is nothing weak about him. He was strong. He was courageous.
Worrying is a sign that we are not humble. When it says in verse 7 that we should cast all our cares on him and we don't do that, we clearly show that we want to know better than God. If you think about it a bit, you will quickly realize that nothing good has ever come out of worrying. Our brain cannot distinguish between a real and an imagined experience. When we worry and create negative images, our brain thinks that we are in a real risky situation at that moment. It produces the same stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) and passes on the same messages as in a real situation. Some researchers believe that negative imagination creates even more problems than a real situation. On the other hand, if you use a positive imagination, you can guess what will happen...
Vers 9: « Resist him, firm in your faith, …»
The Greek word translated as “resist” means “to withstand, to be firm against the onslaught of another, to stand firm in one place”. «A dam or mound resists a current of water passively, by standing unmoved and interrupting its progress. An army resists the progress of an enemy actively, by encountering and defeating it.» Webster
Faith looks forward to the promise and is certain that it will be fulfilled. Just as our physical sight is a sensory organ that shows us the natural world, faith is the “sense” that shows us the invisible, spiritual world. If you have the real substance in front of you or if you can see it, faith is not necessary. Faith is needed for that which we cannot see and cannot take in with our sensory organs. Faith is not mere conviction or intellectual understanding. It is the willingness to trust that God's word is true and everything else is a lie, to rely on HIM and to hold on to HIM, come what may. Genuine faith will also produce an action. In our case, it was standing firm in our position and holding on to the word we received from God. Faith is manifested in the natural realm through the works it produces and is otherwise dead. (Jam. 2:26)
James also used this spiritual principle in his letter in chapter 4, 6-10. Both Peter and James use the verse from Proverbs 3:34 as a source text. During our situation, this passage in particular helped us to go through the storm. We did not want to give up our position and God showed Himself faithful and mighty! It was not the path we would have chosen personally. Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” It is the word that shows us the right path. We are grateful that we can still hear God's voice today in order to make the right decision in difficult situations.
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