What does 1 Peter 5:8 mean, that the devil prowls like a roaring lion?

1 Peter 5:8 reads: Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8 gives us characteristics of the devil and why we must beware of the devil’s actions.

Your adversary the devil… – 1 Peter 5:8 reveals that the devil is our opponent or enemy. Satan is an enemy of both God and humanity. The devil hates humans and therefore satan is actively antagonistic, corrupting and opposing humanity and all of God’s creation.

Our Christian battle is not a physical fight, but it is a spiritual war between good and evil.
Ephesians 6:12 says: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour – Note that the text does not say that the devil is a roaring lion – but instead it says that he prowls like a roaring lion. This is a metaphor that describes that the devil is like a predator who is constantly and stealthily looking for opportunities to attack, hurt and destroy humanity.

Like a predator against its prey, the devil’s actions against his prey lack any remorse and is ultimately meant to cause maximum damage. Therefore, the devil’s opposition and attacks against humanity are fierce and relentless and meant to destroy.

How does satan seek to attack and devour?

The devil’s attacks against humanity occur in different forms, such as the following:

1. The devil causes spiritual deception to lead people astray from God’s truth and will
The devil is known as the father of lies (John 8:44) and he is capable of creating false doctrines, false ideologies and false belief systems. It is through spiritual deception that satan blinds people from experiencing the saving power of the Gospel and therefore seeking a relationship with God. Just as he did in the beginning with Adam & Eve by speaking lies, the devil’s objective is to keep humanity at enmity with God and in slavery to sin.

2. The devil tempts people to sin and enjoy the pleasures of sin
Satan is a tempter (Matthew 4:1-11). The devil encourages sinful behavior and addictions. The devil lures people into habits that will cause our self-destruction both physically and spiritually.

3. The devil causes people mental, emotional and physical trauma
The devil is capable of afflicting our bodies and minds with sickness, pain and trauma (Job 2:7; Luke 13:16).
With unbelievers, the devil can lure people into a state of demonic possession where one’s mind and body is occasionally controlled by evil spirits.
Furthermore with devil can cause negative emotions such as feelings of hatred, condemnation, anxiety, pride, doubt and so forth. Various emotions can cause a self-destructive mode that leads to sin, suicide or into any lifestyle that further distances people from God.

Be sober-minded; be watchful

1 Peter 5:8 tells us to “Be sober-minded; be watchful” in order to protect ourselves from the prowling enemy.
Being “sober-minded” means that our minds need to be aligned with the word of God. We cannot be sober-minded unless we have the mind of God pertaining to different kinds of situations & ideologies in our life. It is our understanding and obedience to the Scriptures that help us to know God’s will.

Psalms 119:11 says: I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Sober-mindedness means that our thoughts and actions align with the Scriptures and Christ’s teachings so that we do not sin against Him or fall into spiritual deception.

We can only resist the devil’s temptations and attacks when we are sober-minded or when our hearts are in agreement with God’s word. For example, Jesus appropriately used the word of God for every temptation He faced from the devil and therefore was able to resist the devil (Matthew 4:1-11).

1 Peter 5:8 also tell us to “be watchful” in order to resist the prowling enemy. This means that we should not be distracted by the enemy. Instead we must be discerning and be capable to distinguishing between good and evil.

Therefore God does not want us to be spiritually blind. Instead God wants us to be spiritually knowledgeable and discerning. He wants us to test the spirits and to test everything against the truth of the Scriptures.

Conclusion

The devil’s ultimate goal is to separate people from God’s love and redemption. Satan wants to blind people from the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that people do not accept the free gift of salvation that God offers the world.

The devil does not want people to have a relationship with God, which is only possible through placing our faith in Jesus Christ who died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin and resurrected on the third day. The devil wants to see as many people as possible enter eternal hell.

It is therefore important that through Christ, we become sober-minded and watchful to avoid this spiritual enemy that seeks to devour humanity.