“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8
Have you ever felt like the times when you are most obedient to God, you seem to be the most tempted? This is not unusual. When you are living right in the center of God’s will, Satan is extra motivated to take you out.
Think about it. He isn’t worried about the lukewarm Christians, the ones who keep to themselves and aren’t really doing a lot for God’s Kingdom. He wants to disrupt the lives of those who are on fire for God!
This was the case with Job. Job was a good man. In fact, the Bible describes him as the most righteous man of his day, a man who was called blameless (another word for perfect). He was also called upright, which means he feared God and turned away from evil. The author of this book calls Job, “the greatest man in the East.”
That is high praise for any human being! And that is the description we’re given for this man named, Job. Job was well known, and he was very well-liked because he did so many good deeds. He was extremely wealthy, and everyone loved him.
They loved him because he used his wealth and power to help the disadvantaged. He helped the poor, the fatherless, and the widows. He even used his power and influence to destroy pagan forms of worship.
When you think about Job, I want you to get this picture in your mind: He was a righteous man. He was a rich man. But he wasn’t only righteous and rich…he was also right in the center of the devil’s crosshair!
Because of the power and influence Job had, the devil wanted to take him out. The devil doesn’t want us to have influence and power all while using it for God’s glory. When you are on fire for God and making a difference in the lives of others, that is when the devil will target you.
This is when you must be careful. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
When you are obedient to God, you will be in the devil’s crosshairs. This is when you must lean into God. As we said yesterday, TRUST Him and OBEY Him, and He will defend you!