1 Peter 5:9, commentary and pictures

The verse commands believers to resist the devil steadfast and firm in the faith, for he is a roaring lion walking about seeking to destroy, overcome and ensnare and break their connection with God. That resistance belongs with being sober and vigilant and watchful unto prayer, humbling oneself under the mighty hand of God and casting all care upon Him because He cares. Those who suffer are to know they are not alone, for the same afflictions are accomplished in their brethren throughout the world, which keeps them from losing heart and holds out hope of future strengthening and eternal glory. This steadfast stand is not accomplished by human strength or wisdom but by God's Spirit, grace and strength through reliance on Jesus who has conquered Satan, by constant prayer and living faith, and by God's enduring Word as the weapon against the enemy's claims. It is a lifelong, persevering warfare against temptation and sin, in which those who refuse to yield the mind, resist the first insinuation and give themselves wholly to God will be kept and upheld, driven back the foe, drawn closer to God and at last receive triumph and a crown of everlasting life.

Words and Immediate Context

The command is to resist the devil, also named as Satan and the adversary and the enemy, steadfast and firm in the faith. Steadfastness means standing firm in faith against him amid trials and persecution, with hope centered in Christ so that suffering for Him does not cause loss of heart. This firm resistance is joined to remembering that fellow believers throughout the world endure the same afflictions and sufferings, so affliction is shared by the church and not faced in isolation.

The devil is as a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour, actively seeking to destroy and overcome those preparing for Christ's coming. He seeks to ensnare through temptation, to confuse judgment, to threaten connection with God, and to destroy through a lifelong assault requiring sober, constant vigilance and persevering struggle against temptation. Therefore resistance means staying sober and watchful unto prayer, refraining the tongue from evil and the lips from guile, turning from evil and doing good, and seeking peace.

The call to resist belongs with being sober and vigilant and watchful unto prayer, and with humble submission under the mighty hand of God. It belongs with casting all care upon Him because He cares for His people, and with mutual submission and humility under God. It is connected with sober, circumspect Christian conduct, with bearing spiritual burdens, humbling oneself before God, and remaining faithful amid the solemn conditions of the last days.

The same context charges elders and ministers who would be partakers of the glory to be revealed to feed the flock willingly and not by constraint, without greed for filthy lucre and without lordship as lords over God's heritage, but as examples. It promises that after suffering awhile the God of all grace who calls to eternal glory by Christ Jesus will make perfect, stablish, strengthen and settle, to whom belongs glory and dominion forever. Such trials do not cancel the hope of future strengthening and eternal glory.

Resistance is a lifelong, persevering struggle belonging to the continuing warfare and constant battle against temptation and sin, in which faith is tested through trials while looking to Christ for grace and strength. It is active, strenuous work that cannot be done in indolence or by laying aside spiritual armor, but calls for alertness, watchfulness, prayer, and wise, persistent opposition to the enemy. Even after a victory the enemy attacks again to the close of time, so believers must keep resisting with steadfast trust in Christ, stretching every nerve and exerting all powers, with unwearied petition to Jesus to overcome Satan's devices through the merits of Christ.

Shared Suffering Worldwide

The verse teaches that the same afflictions and sufferings are accomplished in brethren throughout the world, so those who resist the devil steadfast in faith are to know they do not face trials in isolation. Fellow Christians everywhere endure the same kinds of suffering, and this shared affliction reminds believers that they are not alone in what they meet.

Remembering this shared suffering encourages steadfastness and keeps believers from losing heart under trials and persecution, because hope centered in Christ is not canceled by suffering for Him. It belongs to the earnest exhortation to all who would be partakers of the glory to be revealed as faithful ministers, joined to feeding the flock willingly and without greed or lordship as examples, mutual submission and humility under God, casting all care upon Him, sobriety and vigilance, with assurance that the God of all grace will perfect, stablish, strengthen and settle those who suffer awhile unto eternal glory by Christ Jesus. Those under severe temptation are not to be discouraged, lest the tempter gain advantage, for yielding to Satan's direction brings captivity while only God's power granted in answer to earnest prayer of faith can deliver.

Those working for reform share the hard road walked before them by prophets, apostles and reformers, and Christ who is stronger than Satan gives strength to remain steadfast and leads to victory. Presidents, ministers and brethren stand together under Christ in the same trying circumstances, so no one mind or judgment, even a president's, is to be a controlling power or decide for others what they shall do or what spiritual food they shall have. The office of president does not give infallibility, for he is human and fallible and needs counsel from his brethren, and sharp traits of character in him are more dangerous because his responsibilities are greater. Workers entrusted with a special work must have room to act on their own best judgment under God, who will lead and guide and bless them and give them light as to what the people need, and no man is to decide their course of action and spiritual food or lay a hindering hand upon them. When ministers exercise the best judgment they have under trying circumstances or in an emergency, others must be careful how they censure or criticize, and a president who hears of a mistake must not condemn or criticize on hearsay but must first see or speak with the one thought to be in error, being an example to the flock and not a lord over it.

When one congregation endures continual assault, as at Battle Creek, fellow believers should pity and pray for them rather than triumph over their troubles, while staying alert and standing firm in faith against Satan's attacks. The verse is included among plain instructions for overcoming faults of character and for drawing near to fellow believers with respect, love and confidence rather than suspicion.

Strength for Steadfast Resistance

Faith in God supplies the power to resist temptation, and when faith is weakened the soul loses its safeguard against sin. Meeting each test in faith can increase moral strength, and meeting and overcoming obstacles in spiritual battle builds strength for future trials. Steadfast faith resists assault, must be exercised in daily life and must withstand trial, and amid terrible dangers divine power keeps those who trust.

Resistance is not accomplished by human strength, wisdom or judgment, but by divine Spirit, grace and strength. It is accomplished by reliance on Jesus, who understands Satan's power and has conquered him and supplies strength for victory. It is possible because Christ gave His precious life that believers might become partakers of the divine nature and overcome the temptations in the world through lust, having clothed divinity with humanity so that humanity might reach humanity. Through connection with Christ the soul becomes a partaker of the divine nature and obtains power to resist advances, while the sanctified intellect unlocks the treasures of the word to present to other minds; knowledge alone without sanctification can become a destroying power, as shown by the highly intellectual angel in high position who became a rebel and by many minds of superior attainments now led captive. Human beings have no strength of their own, so resistance requires earnest prayer for pardoning grace and strength and recognition of weakness with reliance on God and the strength of Jesus.

Constant prayer and living faith guard for trial. Light and strength from the Holy Spirit earnestly sought help believers resist temptation and overcome as Christ overcame. Unwearied petition to Jesus for help and strength is necessary especially when surrounded by influences calculated to lead away from God, in order to overcome devices. Looking constantly to Jesus changes the believer into His image, with studying the word, refusing to put human wisdom in His place, and walking in humility and contrition before God whose efficiency and inexhaustible fullness as Light of the world and Sun of Righteousness are at the command of all who so walk. Earnest prayer and living faith bring victory in the real spiritual conflict where Satan tries to perplex and overcome those seeking to obey God until they give up the warfare. Standing firm against fury and threats of persecution is done by relying on prayer and the Spirit rather than weapons, through whose work even enemies of the faith can be brought to peace.

God's enduring Word, expressed in a plain Thus saith the Lord, is the answer to the enemy's claims and the weapon against him. Prayer and careful study of Scripture help recognize devices, since Satan works by deception to draw people away from their sure defense in Christ. Believers are to stay close to Christ and humble themselves when tempted. They are not to argue with Satan or repeat his claims, and not to meet him on his own ground or talk discouragement, but to stand firm as a rock on received truths. The devil is far busier in carrying out his plans, working cunningly by snares that take away even one pin or one single thing from the structure of truth, and yielding that one point causes the whole to be gone before it is known.

Satan cannot conquer those who resist unless they submit to his control. Those who resist by seeking refuge in Jesus, by praying and watching and relying every moment upon God, and by giving themselves wholly to God and seeking the Spirit's grace to overcome inclinations of the natural will, will be kept, upheld and strengthened and will not be left helpless to be overcome. God's angels come to the aid of those who resist, plead humbly and confess wrongs, and refuse to yield the mind to the enemy. Satan's power is never greater than Christ's power to uphold and strengthen those who trust in Him, so faith speaks with hope and courage and is not distressed and discouraged by his efforts. Without active resistance he works to lead away from truth, and giving him the least encouragement lets him enter the heart uninvited and take possession of the mind with deception so deep that impulse is mistaken for heaven's guidance; safety requires refusing to give the mind over because minds were bought with infinite price, refusing to follow impulse, maintaining living connection with God and following the Holy Spirit, and seeking evidence of the divine character that will be acknowledged in the heavenly courts. Safety also requires watching one's own spirit with much prayer, since he shifts his operations to some unexpected temptation when particular ones are guarded against, and God will hold up those who do, even amid greater peril for those giving the last message of warning.

Victory comes through the merits of Christ. Such resistance breaks every fetter, drives back the spiritual foe, brings the resister closer to God, and gives triumph in His name. It is done in the name of Jesus of Nazareth in a contest for souls by running with patience the race set before, practicing self-denial, working for the salvation of those around, and being faithful to baptismal vows. It requires active, strenuous work that cannot be done in indolence, stretching every nerve and exerting all powers, with the sanctifying light of truth exposing sinful passions striving for mastery including pride and sinful indulgences that keep a person from the Saviour. It means seeking strength from God with determined effort instead of parleying and reasoning, tarrying on forbidden ground, and indulging doubts and unbelief. Steadfast resistance brings present blessing and at last a crown of everlasting life instead of a fading laurel, seeing the King in His beauty and entering into His joy.

Vigilant Daily Christian Warfare

Resistance calls for staying alert, watchful and prayerful and keeping on the spiritual armor instead of laying it aside in the continuing battle. There is to be no resting quietly as if the devil will leave anyone alone, for special effort is required and the promise is that the resister will not be left helpless to be overcome. Self-reliance leaves a person blind to deception and draws away from faith, and without watchfulness there is vulnerability to deceptive temptation. The young especially are to recognize dependence on God for strength, with watchfulness and prayer giving discernment of the enemy's attacks and victory in the Christian struggle.

Resisting means refusing to yield the mind to the enemy and refusing to express tempting thoughts in words or actions. Since tempting thoughts cannot always be prevented from coming, repressing sinful thoughts and feelings frustrates the tempter, who cannot read thoughts but observes words and actions to shape temptations. The first insinuation is to be resisted firmly in order to shut out further deception. There is to be no parleying and reasoning with Satan, no tarrying on forbidden ground, and no indulging doubts and unbelief, but determined seeking of strength from God. Doubts about Scripture belong among these temptations, and those troubled by them are not to unsettle others and spread unbelief by expressing them.

Satan watches for unguarded moments to seize precious heavenly graces, watches for opportunities to harm or destroy, and gains advantage when his methods are unknown. When particular temptations are guarded against he shifts his operations and prepares some unexpected temptation, weaving nets to entangle the feet. He works through hurtful words and actions, often using members of a person's own family as instruments, magnifying unguarded words or actions until hurt turns to resentment and people wound one another. Resisting the person believed to have caused the hurt gives him advantage; victory comes by seeking strength from God rather than defending perceived rights, and by calmly yielding when possible to prevent unhappiness and overcome temptation. Direct attacks, including the unruly working of false tongues to hinder the work, are to be withstood steadfast in faith until by grace they are effectually repulsed.

Unbelief constantly surrounds believers as a satanic temptation that charges the very atmosphere and fastens upon the mind with fascinating, bewitching power. Meeting it requires constant effort with wisdom to discern it and strength to oppose it. Reading infidel authors invites this temptation and imperils the soul by placing the reader on Satan's ground where that wisdom and strength fail, though some affected may finally recover. Those who value salvation are therefore to shun infidel writings completely as leprosy is shunned.

Steadfast resistance turns on conquering appetite, which gives moral power to gain victory over every other temptation. Slavery to appetite has proved the ruin of thousands and causes failure to perfect Christian character. The urgency lies in continual transgression for over six thousand years bringing sickness, pain and death, while as the close of time draws near temptations to indulge appetite become more powerful and more difficult to resist.

Temptations will grow stronger as Christ's appearing draws near because Satan knows his time is short, so commandment-keeping people are not to relax watchfulness but to stand firm and turn away from sin with the strength resistance brings. Those preparing for Christ's coming must remain sober, circumspect, watchful in prayer, humble before God, bearing spiritual burdens and remaining faithful amid the solemn conditions of the last days. The peril is greater at the present time than ever before for those giving the last message of warning to the world.

Giving the enemy the least encouragement lets him enter the heart uninvited and take possession of the mind, bringing deception so deep that impulse is mistaken for heaven's guidance and a person thinks he is wonderfully led by the Lord. Safety requires refusing to follow impulse as heaven's guidance, refusing to let fabrications and false reports have power over the mind, taking truth for granted, standing firm and thanking the Lord for enabling that stand. It requires maintaining a living connection with God and following the Holy Spirit, seeking evidence of the stamp of the divine character that will be acknowledged in the heavenly courts, which enables helping the tempted instead of leading others away from Christ. It means living in total dependence on God for everything, bringing Him into everything done and into all business transactions to keep the tempter out, letting prayers continually ascend for grace to overcome, giving Him all the power of the mind, and watching one's own spirit with much prayer, with the promise that God will hold up and strengthen those who rely every moment upon Him.

Failure to resist attracts evil angels and drives away pure and holy angels. It leaves one under fatal fascination, charmed and mesmerized and enshrouded by clouds of unbelief, going to battle without armor, grievously wounded yet at ease and insensible to the wound, sitting in Satan's easy-chair and snare without effort to escape to the light. That course ends in perishing unless there is arousing and desperate effort.

Faithful Living and Service

Those entrusted with carrying God's message must lift up the message rather than self, walk humbly with God day by day, and work under the care of the Great Shepherd as faithful stewards worthy of trust. They must never train others to look to a human being for wisdom, never take God's place, never put confidence in man nor make flesh their strength, but make the Lord their trust, look to Him for guidance and follow His counsel, with the assurance that God will lift up the humble at the right time.
Steadfast resistance means rallying together and standing firm as a rock upon the truths received, refusing to meet the enemy on his own ground and refusing to speak discouragement. The devil is far busier in carrying out his schemes, working with cunning snares to remove even one pin or one single element from the structure of truth, and yielding that one point causes the whole to be lost before it is realized.

The warning stands against apostasy that creates divisions and draws souls toward ruin, as urged upon the churches in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley, treating such seducing work as the work of the adversary. It also stands against efforts to break unity and draw people into parties promoting plausible but false theories. A careful habit of resistance, steadily and prayerfully maintained, makes it less difficult to overcome the power pressing against the soul.
The office of president does not confer infallibility, for he remains human and fallible, in need of counsel from fellow believers, and sharp traits of character in him are more dangerous because his responsibilities are greater. Presidents, ministers, and brethren stand together under Christ sharing the same trying circumstances, so no single mind or judgment, even a president's, is to become a controlling power. Workers given a special work must have room to act on their own best judgment under God, who will lead, guide, bless, and give light concerning what the people need, and no one is to decide for them their course of action and spiritual food or lay a hindering hand upon them. When ministers act with the best judgment they have under trying circumstances or in an emergency, others must be cautious about censure or criticism on hearsay, and a president hearing of a mistake must first see or speak with the one believed to be in error, acting as an example to the flock rather than as a lord over it.

Resistance means laboring together with God by presenting His Word and using every God-given power to wrench men and women from Satan's grasp so that his hold over them is broken. It calls for the same earnestness for humanity and the salvation of souls that Christ showed, being unwilling that even one should perish if effort can bring that one to knowledge of the truth, desiring heaven only on the terms on which it is given. It also means more than refusing to join in wrongdoing, by actively helping to correct wrongs and errors rather than standing back as spectators or critics, so that Satan cannot exploit mistakes or leave harmful wrongs unchallenged.
In daily practice this includes learning obedience, bringing a naturally forceful or self-seeking character under Christ's control, and guarding words, actions, and spirit so they do no harm to God's work. It requires bringing heart, mind, and will fully under Christ's control, with discordant traits and passions brought into unity with His character. It includes keeping sober and watchful unto prayer because the adversary goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, refraining the tongue from evil and the lips from guile, turning from evil and doing good, and seeking peace.

Each person must gain a personal experience and faithfully act his own part with the same ambition, zeal, and earnestness shown in worldly pursuits, rather than remaining indifferent as if another were living the life for him. No one can rely on another to discern danger or to supply faith, for standing amid the dangers of the last days requires personal spiritual experience, and merely following others leaves no strength to resist. Satan watches for unguarded moments to seize precious heavenly graces, so watchfulness is constant, and keeping those graces or regaining them when lost through lack of watchfulness involves severe conflict with the powers of darkness, which those who so strive will win as victorious overcomers.
Steadfast resistance requires spending more time in prayer, refusing to let frivolous things divert, and walking before God in humility. Humility includes recognizing inability to carry evangelistic work alone and to build the church as Christ desires, and joining personal talents with the talents of others who supply what is lacking, lest the enemy prevail. It means living in total dependence on God for everything, bringing God into all that is done, staying connected with Him for every necessity of life, letting prayers continually ascend for grace to overcome, bringing religion into all business transactions to shut out the tempter, and giving God the full power of the mind, which brings help and strength for the warfare.

Resisting steadfastly means daily conversion, living in Christ, meditating on His Word, walking with Him, and being sanctified through the truth. When believers do not seek heaven earnestly, Satan finds hearts ready to respond to his temptations. When church members know the truth but are not sanctified by it, Christ is dishonored and many will lose eternal life, and lifting such a church drains nearly every particle of strength from laborers because the same work must be done again and again, while labor for ignorant unbelievers meets far greater influence and success.
The young need to recognize their dependence on God for strength against temptation, with watchfulness and prayer helping them discern the enemy's attacks, resist them, and gain victories in the Christian struggle. Connection with God gives power to resist, and Satan especially opposes efforts to lead young people toward the right and to help them receive heavenly light. Parents need wisdom to recognize Satan's devices and to resist his snares, especially in guarding youth from harmful influences. Through connection with Christ the soul becomes a partaker of the divine nature and gains power to resist Satan's advances, while the sanctified intellect unlocks the treasures of God's Word and gathers its gems to present to other minds; yet knowledge alone without sanctification can become in the enemy's hands a power to destroy, as seen in the highly intellectual being in high position among the angels who became a rebel, and many minds of superior attainments are now led captive by his power.

Those who enter exposed work among the fallen and degraded must arm for battle, pledge themselves before God to resist every temptation, keep morals pure, and remain people of prayer with precaution and the wisdom God alone gives. Satan lays deliberate, insidious designs against such young men and women, seeking to lead them to disregard solemn vows, yield to temptation to evil, and lose moral purity. Without close connection with God, contact with wrong ideas and open sin will engraft itself in the mind and corrupt character, speech, manners, and principles.
Christian life is a daily struggle against invisible foes, to be met by resisting and standing firm in faith, with victory possible only through God's grace. This call applies to temptations met in the world, including the temptation to remain neutral about health reform, and those with responsibilities in God's work must let truth rule in heart and life so they can meet such temptations. Workers serving God are tempted by Satan and must stand firm in principle rather than use their God-given powers to dishonor God.

Resisting the adversary means holding firmly to faith and defending gospel truths even when unbelievers ridicule them, discerning the influence behind the mockery while answering courteously and boldly. It means standing firm against fury and threats of persecution by relying on prayer and God's Spirit rather than weapons, through whose work even enemies of the faith can be brought to peace.
Ministers meet the struggle against deception and deceptive agents by standing faithfully in God's strength, and so they can confound Satan's forces and triumph in the Lord. God's flock must be guarded against the crafty attacks of the enemy because warfare will continue to the close of time, leaving no forces to spare and requiring every worker to stand in his own lot and place. A message must continually go forth to prepare God's people for present and future conflict, with steadfast trust in the living Lord as leader and God, who will safely lead and guard all who entrust themselves to His guidance and who has brought His people safely through many battles.

Those in more responsible positions face fiercer and more determined attacks, and no one is so advanced in experience as to be beyond tempting assault. Resisting therefore means studying God's Word, looking constantly to Jesus to be changed into His image, refusing to put human wisdom in place of His wisdom, and walking before God in humility and contrition. God gives grace to withstand direct attacks meant to hinder the work, including the unruly working of false tongues, so that such efforts are effectually repulsed. Christ is the Light of the world, the Sun of Righteousness, peace and assurance forever, and His efficiency and inexhaustible fullness are at the command of all who so walk.
Steadfastness in faith is urged even when ministers have given little help, and fellowship and testimonies can strengthen those striving to persevere. Even the strongest pressure does not compel anyone to sin, for wrongdoing is a choice, and God provides strength to overcome. In times of greatest danger and discouragement Jesus draws near to help against the enemy, giving reason for praise for His faithful aid.

Doctrinal Links and Assurance

Suffering for Christ in this warfare is shared, for fellow believers throughout the world endure the same afflictions and no one faces them in isolation, and this knowledge steadies faith against the devil. Such suffering does not give cause to lose heart, because hope is centered in Christ. Trials do not cancel the hope of future strengthening and eternal glory.

Resistance belongs to the continuing struggle against temptation and sin, in which faith is tested through trials and believers look to Christ for grace and strength. No one is so advanced in experience as to be beyond assault, and attacks grow fiercer and more determined with greater responsibility, so resisting means studying the Word, looking constantly to Jesus to be changed into His image, refusing to put human wisdom in place of His wisdom, and walking before God in humility and contrition. Christ as the Light of the world and Sun of Righteousness gives peace and assurance forever, and His efficiency and inexhaustible fullness are at the command of all who so walk humbly. This resisting is done in the strength and grace of Christ rather than one's own, in the conflict with the world, the flesh and the devil. Christ does not fail the true Christian in trial, yet a person may fall by failing to remain on guard and leaving Christ out of affairs.

Power to resist comes through connection with Christ by which the soul becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Under right influence the youth discern God and glorify Him in all His works while cultivating their faculties for more efficient service, and the sanctified intellect unlocks the treasures of the Word and gathers its precious gems to present to other minds and lead them to search the deep things of God. Knowledge of the riches of grace ennobles and elevates the soul, while knowledge alone without sanctification can become in the enemy's hands a power to destroy, as seen in the highly intellectual being in high position among the angels who became a rebel and now leads captive many minds of superior attainments. Satan's power is never greater than Christ's power to uphold and strengthen those who trust in Him, so faith resists his efforts to distress and discourage by continuing to speak with hope and courage.

Religion is to govern every part of life, and resisting the foe is part of gaining victory and noble character by refusing temptation and rejecting the enemy's suggestions even when they come through other people. It is the daily work of choosing God's side, overcoming self, and refusing sin and carelessness, with angels helping those who put the will on His side. It requires strength from God with awareness of personal weakness and continual dependence on Him against intense efforts to corrupt or destroy those who uphold godliness, and it includes striving for unity, love and true godliness and walking with God by honoring Him in turning from wrongdoing.