The Devil Should Be Scared of You. Here Is Why.

I read 1 Peter 5:8 this morning and I had a reaction I did not expect.

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

Everyone reads that verse and feels like the prey. I read it and wanted to go get him.

I know that is not the typical response. But hear me out.

A lion does not attack the strongest target in the herd. You have seen the nature documentaries. The lion stalks. It watches. It looks for whoever is lagging behind, whoever is distracted, whoever got separated from the group. That is not a terrifying strategy. That is actually a telling one. It tells you something about the enemy's limitations.

He cannot come at you straight on. He does not have the authority to do that. So, he sneaks. He creates small distractions. He gets you off track from your daily time with God. He finds the crack in your armor that you forgot to check. He watches for the moment you are overwhelmed and then he makes the world feel bigger than God. That is when he moves.

But here is what that means for us. If we stay connected, he has nothing to work with.

"A self-controlled watchful believer is not easy prey." (That line is from the YouVersion devotional Stay Alert, not mine. But I love it so much I had to put it somewhere everyone could see it.)

The devotional reminded me that being a disciple means playing both offense and defense at the same time. Offense looks like staying in God's word, seeking a God-centered community, and fighting for your time with Him the same way you fight for everything else that matters. Defense looks like calling out what is not true when you hear it, doing something when you see injustice, and having the courage to stand for good when chaos is trying to win.

And then there is this: say the name of Jesus. Out loud. Often. There is a reason that name carries weight. If we spent the day calling on Him the way He calls on us, I genuinely believe the enemy would be too busy being pushed back to have time to stalk anyone.

I know some people reading this are where I was not too long ago. Thinking you have done too much for God to still want you. Thinking He forgave you but that was probably the end of it. I thought the same thing.

Peter denied Jesus three times. Three times, out loud, in front of witnesses. Jesus predicted it would happen and Peter still did it. And after the resurrection, Jesus did not write him off. He looked for him specifically. He restored him. And then He handed Peter the keys to Pentecost.

If He did that for Peter, He is doing it for you, too.

We all let our guard down sometimes. The point is not to stay there. Drop the guilt, drop the shame, drop the self-condemnation. Ask for forgiveness. Do better. Move forward. He is not waiting for perfect. He is waiting for availability.

Stay alert. Stay connected. And if you want my honest take, stay on the offensive. The enemy should not be the only one with a strategy.

Peace, Love and Joy,

Tanya