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. 10 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. (I Peter 5)
The believers to whom Peter wrote knew what it was to be kicked when down. They had suffered much loss due to proclaiming Christ as Savior, and then were persecuted and reproached over and over again. It was a double dose, just as this passage talks about both yesterday's and today's them: anxiety and discouragement. Satan wants nothing more than to discourage us in our walk of faith - to kick us when we're down so we won't get up again. Our tendency is to imitate his pride - that we are too good for such treatment. But Christ was not; He willingly made Himself vulnerable for us. We just need to recognize what is going on - to be watchful and sober-minded, realizing what Satan is trying to do to us and refuse to let him. God promises that when we are down and kicked down He will pick us up, give us stable legs, strengthen us, and help us walk and run again. Don't let the devil keep you down!
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