“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:7-9‬ ‭NIV‬‬
http://bible.com/111/1pe.5.7-9.niv

All three of the verses above are usually spoken alone. This scripture passage clearly instructs us to do three things. I included all three verses because I feel it is important to do all three simultaneously. I also feel that all three are equally important.

So let’s take a look at these three verses. Casting your anxiety on God knowing that he cares for you is great advice, but it is often easier said than done. There are several reasons why even those of us who love God and trust in Him have a hard time doing this. For starters, satan loves to use the “what ifs” to distract us. Instead of doing what God calls us to do and letting Him handle our problems, we get stuck thinking “what if the worst case scenario happens?”. This is a very effective tool to keep us from doing what God has called us to do. Another reason that it’s hard to cast our anxiety is because even if we are trusting God completely, we don’t know how he is going to work this out for our good.

I must confess that I have been going through that very thing this week. I knew with all my heart that God was going to work a particular problem out for the good of me and my loved ones but I had no idea how he would bring me good and bring Him glory. The great fear of the unknown managed to get a hold of me, even if just a little bit.

Verse 8 tells us to be alert and of sober mind and warns that the enemy is prowling around looking for someone to devour. This tells us that even as Christians who have the full confidence of knowing that we serve a mighty God who protects us and will never forsake us, we must pay close attention.  We can’t afford the luxury of sticking our heads in the sand and pretending that satan doesn’t exist. We can’t just pretend like we are skipping through a field of tulips without a care in the world. Even a tulip field may have snakes in it.

Verse 9 tells us to resist the devil and stand firm in the faith and ends by telling us to buck up we are not the only believer in the world who’s having a hard time.

There is nowhere in the Bible where. God promises us a rose garden here on earth. Nowhere does he say that our life on earth will be trouble free. Unfortunately, it’s just the opposite. Throughout the Bible we are warned that we will face many trials and tribulations here on earth. What separates us from the nonbelievers is how we handle them. This is also our silent witness. When nonbelievers see us facing hard times with courage and dignity, they take notice. When they see us standing firm in our faith, they are encouraged. When they see us trusting God instead of freaking out, they want what we’ve got.

So as you face the hard times that life brings your way, give it to God. Be persistent in prayer. Remember that God may test us, but he never tempts us. When you face temptation be alert enough to know where it comes from and deal with it accordingly. When we give in to temptation, the devil wins. Stand firm in the faith. This is how you gather the strength to resist the devil.

Last but not least, toughen up! Don’t be a bunch of sissies! We are all facing trials and tribulations, this is part of being a Christian. But I tell you this my friend, I will gladly experience a life of hard times with God by my side over a life on this earth on easy street without God. This is just temporary. We are only passing through so stand strong till you reach your final destination and have a great weekend!