Don't be Anxious - Fight!

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 5:6-10)

Like so many scriptures, this one seems counterintuitive. Peter tells us that Satan roams like a lion to find someone to devour in the same breath that he tells us to cast our anxieties on God. In fact, the basic message he presents could be "Don't be anxious - fight"! Yet for me the thought of fighting produces anxiety!

But God is, as always, wiser than me (what a relief). He knows that if we are anxious and burdened about the cares of the world, we won't see the battle for what it is and fight it spiritually. If we allow the enemy to distract us by anxiety and fear, we give him the upper hand. And so Peter tells us to put our anxieties on God, and focus our energies on the spiritual battle.

The things in this world that make me anxious are all in His hands. Instead of anxiety, I should be on the alert for Satan's schemes. Resist him, Peter writes - and one tool for resistence is the awareness that other believers are also suffering similarly. Our "fellowship of suffering" becomes part of the battle. Peter also reminds us that our suffering will lead to God perfecting, confirming, strengthening, and establishing us. In other words, a proper theology of suffering is part of spiritual warfare!

Are you suffering today? Put your anxieties on Him, and learn from the suffering how to do battle with the enemy. You'll find yourself strengthened in the process.