Why are we supposed to be sober and vigilant (1 Peter 5:8)?

Being sober is not being gloomy, but using wise discretion. And vigilance is watchful awareness. These things are of vital importance, for the devil, a determined adversary, As constantly on the move, ready to attack the unwary, and as a roaring lion to frighten them into a state of helpless paralysis. Let us not be caught. It is Satan's devouring character here seen, not his subtlety as a serpent. He was using persecution with the object of intimidating souls, and they needed the courage of firm faith to protect themselves from this.

All this will be easy if the humble spirit prevails. All are to be clothed with humility in their dealings with each other. The person of humble mind is not uppish, and hence does not readily come into collision with others. Better still, he does not come into collision with God; for God sets Himself against the proud, whilst He gives grace to the humble. The mighty hand of God is upon His people in the way of training, and often in very painful dealings, as was the case in the persecutions of these early Christians, yet under it we are to bow and in due time we shall be exalted. Meanwhile, we are to cast all the cares, which this painful state of things might produce, upon Him in the full assurance that He cares for us.

Although as believers we are privileged to take all our trials, even our persecutions, as connected with "the mighty hand of God," yet we are not to overlook the fact that the devil has a hand in them. The case of Job in the Old Testament illustrates this, and the fact is recognised here. In the persecution of saints the devil moves about as a roaring lion, aiming thereby at breaking down our faith. If faith be a mere matter of mental enlightenment, mere head-conviction and not heart-trust, it fails and he devours us. We are therefore to be sober and watchful. We must recognize that the devil is our adversary, and that he is to be resisted in the energy of a live faith which cleaves to the faith made known to us in Christ, remembering also, that if we taste suffering we are only sharing what is the common lot of our brethren in the world.

(Vv. 8, 9). The last form of suffering to which the Apostle alludes is suffering from the opposition of the devil. He is the adversary and slanderer of God's people, but “the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil”. Though the devil's power has been annulled at the cross, he is not yet cast into the lake of fire. As a restless and roaring lion he is still “going to and fro in the earth … walking up and down in it ” (Job 1:7; Job 2:2). His aim as ever is to destroy. With God's people his efforts take the form of seeking to destroy their faith in God. Peter can speak from experience, for the time was when Satan desired to have Peter. He was, indeed, allowed to sift Peter as wheat, but was not able to touch his faith, for the Lord said, “I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not”. Now Peter can tell others that the secret of resisting Satan is found in being “steadfast in faith”.

1 Peter 5:8 gives us a second reason: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour.” We find the same principle at work in worldly matters. The soldiers who guard a camp, hourly expecting an attack, do not sit down, laughing, joking, and amusing themselves. We find every sense on the alert, and complete sobriety, in order to detect the least movement on the part of the enemy. So we, as Christians, should be in a similar condition in a spiritual sense. Our enemy is more subtle than a natural one, and we are more ignorant of his devices than of those of an enemy of flesh and blood. Christians may say they don’t want to become misanthropes. I would say to such, The word of God should be our standard in these matters, and should judge and correct our ways. The sobriety of Scripture does not allow us to conduct ourselves in a light, frivolous way, but it admits of true joy and rejoicing, as Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”

It is of interest to note how distinctly the enemy is presented as the power of evil with which we have to cope, no less than our God and the Lord Jesus to care for us. Here, as the apostle regards us, not as the Epistle to the Hebrews in view of the sanctuary, but as at the same time exposed to the peculiar stress of the desert, he appropriately sets forth our adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walking about, and seeking whom he may devour.

On the other hand, they were to be sober and vigilant, because the adversary sought to devour them. Here — whatever may be his wiles, however he may lie in wait for Christians — it is in the character of a roaring lion, one who excites open persecution, that the apostle presents him. They were to resist him, stedfast in the faith. Everywhere the same afflictions were found. Nevertheless the God of grace is the Christian's confidence. He has called us to participate in His eternal glory. The apostle's desire for them is, that, after they had suffered for a time, the God of grace should make them perfect, complete — should stablish and strengthen them, building up their hearts on the foundation of an assurance that cannot be shaken. To Him, he adds, be glory and dominion.

Had he his former inflated thought of himself and the dire result of it in mind as three times over he exhorted his readers to be sober? Three times he had denied the Lord, he had not been sober then and he did not watch to prayer; hence the devil found him an easy prey, and would have devoured and destroyed him had it not been for the intercession and restoring grace of the Lord. But how sobered he must have been as he thought of his folly and sin, but more so, a hundredfold more so, as he contemplated the sufferings of his sinless Saviour for his fleshly self-confidence and the sins which were the fruit of it. We can only get a right estimate of our sins as we view them in the light of the cross. How deep must have been his feelings as he remembered it all and wrote, " You who are kept by the power of God" (chap. 1:5, N.Tr.); for he had been kept that his faith failed not. The devil as a roaring lion may seek to devour those who belong to Christ, but his devilish hatred of them will not avail him, nor all his subtlety and strength, for not even he can pluck them out of the Shepherd's hands, and the Father who gave them to Him is greater than all and no one can pluck them out of the Father's hand. Yet with his own experience in mind Peter warns us to be sober, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope to the end" (chap. 1:13). "The end of all things is at hand, be ye therefore sober, and watch to prayer" (chap. 4:7). "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour" (chap. 5:8).

Was Peter puffed up because of this great distinction bestowed on him? It would seem so, for otherwise Satan would have had no advantage. We remember it was when Paul had received great revelations from heaven that he needed a thorn in the flesh lest he should be exalted above measure. And Satan took a hand in that, for the thorn was Satan's messenger to buffet him. Simon Peter was elated; he was neither watchful nor sober. We can almost feel the sob that broke from him as be remembered it, and wrote to his younger brethren, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).

The cross was before the Lord. He could not build His church until He had passed through the sorrows and suffering of death, and overthrown its power in resurrection, and of these sufferings He spoke. And “Peter took Him, and rebuked Him, saying, Be it far from Thee, Lord; this shall not be unto Thee.” Simon did not know that it was Satan who put that thought in his mind and made him blurt it out, but so it was. The man who had uttered God's revelation actually became within an hour the mouthpiece of Satan. And if Simon, so highly favoured, fell so soon through unwatchfulness and pride of heart, what need there is for us to be sober and vigilant. We realize, as we consider it, the need of the exhortation that he gives us.

Had he his former inflated thought of himself and the dire result of it in mind as three times over he exhorted his readers to be sober? Three times he had denied the Lord, he had not been sober then and he did not watch unto prayer; hence the devil found him an easy prey, and would have devoured and destroyed him had it not been for the intercession and restoring grace of the Lord. But how sobered he must have been as he thought of his folly and sin, but more so, a hundredfold more so, as he contemplated the sufferings of his sinless Saviour for his fleshly self-confidence and the sins which were the fruit of it. We can only get a right estimate of our sins as we view them in the light of the cross. How deep must have been his feelings as he remembered it all and wrote, “ You who are kept by the power of God” (chap. 1:5, N.Tr.); for he had been kept that his faith failed not. The devil as a roaring lion may seek to devour those who belong to Christ, but his devilish hatred of them will not avail him, nor all his subtlety and strength, for not even he can pluck them out of the Shepherd's hands, and the Father who gave them to Him is greater than all and no one can pluck them out of the Father's hand. Yet with his own experience in mind Peter warns us to be sober, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope to the end” (chap. 1:13). “The end of all things is at hand, be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer” (chap. 4:7). “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walketh about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (chap. 5:8).

(1 Peter 5:8-9,) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." But because He is caring for you, you are not therefore to be unwatchful. No, no, remember that your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour. Here it is as a roaring lion Satan comes, hence these Hebrew believers were going through persecution. In the 2nd Epistle he comes as a snake in the grass, introducing moral corruption.

"Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." Every one thinks there never was a lot like his, — such a troubled pathway. Peter says, Nothing of the kind, every one else has the same; you are not the only person who is suffering. But he commends us to the God of all grace. What can keep us going? Grace — only grace. We need grace all along the way.