The Ghost and the Darkness

Have you ever had your past used against you? Satan does a pretty good job at trying to throw your past wrongs in your face and try to make you think you are worthless. I Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilante, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." The Greek word for "vigilant" is gregoreo, which means to be on your guard, to be watchful. The purpose of that word is to denote the watchful attitude of one who is on the lookout to make sure no enemy can penetrate any part of their life. This tells us that we should be on high alert. Peter reminds us that Satan is going to be aggresive in his attacks. Peter then goes onto use another interesting word "adversary". The Gk word is antidikos, which literally means a lawyer who argued in a court of law. A prosecutor who brought offenders to court and and argued against them. This is a great image of what the devil does when he strikes. If he can convince us of what he says, he has won. It is the way he does it. He poses as a ghost in the darkness, and attacks when we aren't ready or accuses to the point where we buy his lies. The word devour in the Gk is pino, which means to lick, to drink, or slurp up, as in a lion licking the blood of its prey. That is the way the devil works. However, Peter reminds us in the next verse that we have an out when the enemy comes roaring. "resist him, by standing firm in the faith." If you apply this you can literally stand alert and be ready when the Satan comes out of the darkness, and then with God's authority and Jesus' name turn the hunter into the hunted.