The newspaper article said that the two mountain bikers had done everything right. That was not true. When a mountain lion attacks, one should never run.
When the two men noticed the cougar stalking them, they made lots of noise. Correct. When it rushed them, one of them drove it off by ramming it with his bike. Good idea. But a hungry lion attacks again. In the second attack the lion seized the head of one man in its jaws, severely injuring him. That was when the second man made his fatal mistake and ran. Mountain lions instinctively chase fleeing prey.
Scary, right? Who would go out in the woods after hearing that story? When Peter warned of the devil behaving like a roaring lion it was not his intention to scare us.
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith. (1 Peter 5:8-9)
The following advice to anyone who encounters a mountain lion should be printed as a footnote to those verses: “If the lion continues to face you when you make a stand against it, you know that you already have the advantage. Lions do not turn their backs on an enemy, because they know that would make them vulnerable.”
Peter’s point was that we can resist Satan. Satan hates resistance because there is nothing he can do against it. He has little real power; his power lies in deceptive intimidation. That power is only effective when we slip away from the truth and listen to his deception. His lies rob us of faith in God and fill us with fear. That’s when we turn and run.
If Peter’s picture of a prowling, roaring lion puts fear in your spirit, here is some perspective: Fatal mountain lion attacks are rare—averaging about one every four years in North America. In most cases, noise and determined resistance will drive the attacker away. It really is safe to go out in the woods after all. A little courage is all we need to choose faith and take a stand against our spiritual enemy. He is certain to flee because we have the advantage of spiritual authority from Jesus.
The goal of Bible Maturity is to promote spiritual growth and faith in God. Please share these short Bible devotions with your friends and family and pray for revival.