6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
We've already talked about the great humility and submission we need to have before God for victory, as well as the core issue of Satan's attack on the mind. He is devious and relentless. Something else this passage reminds us of is how much our emotions can mislead us. Our anxieties, fears and worries which are not submitted to God can wreak havoc on how we respond to trials and temptations; we need to give them all to God. Another key element of spiritual battle is to constantly remember that we are not alone in our struggles: believers throughout the world are under attack as well, remaining faithful in even more severe and difficult situations. In spiritual warfare it is easy for us to think we are a special case - worse than any other case, and that this gives us an excuse for giving in, letting up, responding to temptations and trials with less dedication to being victorious. Peter says: that is simply not the case.
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