1 Peter 5:9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
The way to resit the devil is to stand firm in faith. This is a choice, but we do not need to do this only by our own strength. God can help us. That is the whole idea of faith. Faith requires that we place our lives into the hands or safety of God’s care and direction. Peter returns to the topic of suffering, which has been one of the central ideas in this entire letter. When we face suffering and trials, we may be tempted to give in, compromise, become discouraged, and even lose faith. That is the goal of the devil, to pull us away from God and become discouraged. Doubt will lead to defeat. In order to stand up strong to the many things of life that will discourage us, we must put our trust in God. We must do the even when we do not feel or sense God’s presence with us.
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