Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20111009.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
1 Peter: Effective Christian Living In A Spiritually Hostile World
Part XII: Church Responsibilities During Persecution, 1 Peter 5:1-11
C. Responding Productively To Angelic Conflict Under Persecution
(1 Peter 5:8-14)
  1. Introduction
    1. Persecution, be it overt in the form of physical abuse or covert as emotional and spiritual abuse, always opens the door for Satanic activity as Satan seeks to destroy human beings, 1 Peter 5:8; Luke 22:31-32.
    2. That being so, it is imperative that the believer respond productively to the angelic conflict in facing persecution in any form, and 1 Peter 5:8-14 provides us that instruction (as follows):
  2. Responding Productively To Angelic Conflict Under Persecution, 1 Peter 5:8-14.
    1. The Apostle Peter who gave us the 1 Peter 5:8-11 instruction himself had already suffered great spiritual defeat under persecution: when once charged with being a follower of Jesus, Peter had three times denied the Lord, a defeat Jesus had earlier predicted would be Satanically-fueled, Luke 22:54-62 with 22:31-34.
    2. So, in closing his epistle on handling persecution in a spiritually hostile world, Peter went right after the angelic conflict issue, including battling Satan himself, giving us insight on the matter in 1 Peter 5:8-11:
      1. Just as Jesus had once charged Peter and the other disciples shortly before His arrest to "watch and pray" that they not enter into temptation to deny Him (Matthew 26:40-41), Peter directed his Christian readers about to face Nero's infamous persecution of them. ( Bible Know. Com., N. T.,, p. 838)
      2. However, filled with his experience of former spiritual defeat in the angelic conflict, Peter expanded on Jesus' theme, clarifying the specific details we need to follow in fulfillment of Jesus' prayer that when Peter had been converted after his failure, he might strengthen us (Luke 22:31-32), 1 Peter 5:8-9:
        1. First, Peter called his readers to start (aorist imperative) to be free from every form of stupor, to be clear-headed, 1 Peter 5:8a. (napsate, Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T. , 1967, p. 540-541) So, to "watch" in angelic conflict issues starts with attentiveness to what we already see.
        2. Second, Peter called his readers to start (aorist imperative) to be alert, watchful, 1 Peter 5:8b; Ibid., p. 166. Thus, to "watch" in angelic conflict issues, though starting with attentiveness to what we already see, we must then seek to identify specific movements of Satan in those noticed evidences.
        3. Since Satan prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8c), the believer, upon identifying his presence through "watching", is to resist him through standing firm in the faith, holding firmly to the truths of Scripture, 1 Peter 5:9a with 1 John 2:14b.
        4. Encouraging us to hold thus to Scripture, Peter noted the same afflictions we face are experienced by fellow believers all over the world, that we should join them in this personal effort, 1 Peter 5:9b.
      3. As the believer thus firmly holds to Scripture versus Satanic attack, the God of all grace Who called the believer unto His glory in Christ, after the believer has suffered a while under angelic conflict (1 Peter 5:10a, will achieve some marvelous things in him as Peter describes in 1 Peter 5:10b (as follows):
        1. First, God will make him "perfect" KJV, or complete (katartisei, Ibid., p. 418-419) -- mature him.
        2. Second, God will "stablish" KJV, or confirm him in that maturity. (sterizei, Ibid., p. 775)
        3. Third, God will "strengthen" KJV, or make him strong in that maturity. (sthenosei, Ibid., p. 756)
        4. Fourth, God will "settle" KJV -- permanently establish him in maturity. (themeliosei, Ibid., p. 356)
      4. Moved upon considering this great work of God for such a believer, Peter gave a brief benediction, glorifying God for His power to achieve such victory for believers under angelic attack, 1 Peter 5:11.
      5. Accordingly, Peter closed his epistle, encouraging his readers to stand fast in the true grace of God about which he had been writing, 1 Peter 5:12-14.
Lesson: From his own past failure in angelic conflict under persecution, Peter told Christians to stay attentive to identify Satanic activity, and then to resist it, standing firm in Scripture truth, encouraged that the suffering faced was typical of what other believers faced. They were to trust that God would mature them in the angelic conflict trial, that He would confirm them in that maturity reached, make them strong in that maturity and make that maturity permanent to the praise of His power in glory.

Application: May we heed this directive of Peter to be victors in the angelic conflict under persecution.