The devil is a noisy dude! 1 Peter 5:8 explains his temperament, “8 Be alert and self-controlled always. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The lion roars to paralyze their prey isolating them from the herd. Once isolated, the prey becomes an easy target. The Apostle Peter experienced the devil’s noise firsthand when he was “paralyzed by fear” at the noisy trial of Jesus and denied Christ three times. How broken and defeated he was after experiencing the loud viciousness of the devil!
H-O-W-E-V-E-R, the Bible states definitively that we stand victoriously together in Jesus. John 16:33 declares, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Let’s go back and chew on this verse a bit:
- “in me (Jesus) you have peace”
- “In this world you will have trouble” (noise!)
- “But take heart!” (don’t be scared, discouraged, fearful, worried, depressed, isolated…)
- “I have overcome the world.” Jesus kicked the devil’s butt! Excuse me for my blue-collar background but what I just said is the truth.
1 John 5:19 clearly states the position that we as Christ-Followers have been placed, “19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” We live in a loud, noisy, confusing, selfish, self-centered, hurtful, lustful, tempting, viscous, boastful world under the control of the devil. That is bad news…right?! However, a couple of chapters in front of this verse, John gives perspective to the “children of God” in verse 3:8, “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Amen and Hallelujah!
So, what should we do? Go back to the initial verse above in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and self-controlled always“…not fearfully but confidently. Enjoy the encouragement of this forceful verse, 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
Rest and be at peace as you reflect on Proverbs 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” Our God’s not noisy.
Barnabas Man 