In ROTJ, Luke and Darth Vader are in the midst of their lightsaber duel when Luke lowers his lightsaber. Vader quickly admonishes Luke that it is “unwise to lower your defenses!”
While Luke was able to quickly relight his lightsaber and defend himself against Vader’s attack, we need to remember and put into practice what Peter told us in 1 Peter 5:8.
Peter reminds us to “be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
To live in a heightened sense of alert takes a lot of energy and willpower. Typically, after a terrorist attack, there is a heightened state of alert. Then after a few days or weeks, the areas that were attacked fall back into a false sense of security.
As believers, we are the most susceptible to attack when we least expect it. When we are with a group of believers, we can feel safe since we typically do not commit secret sins in groups.
When we are alone or weakened in our faith, that is when we are most vulnerable. Just like a lion does not go after the entire herd but seeks out the old, infirm, or those separated from the herd. The Devil does likewise.
In verse nine, Peter tells us, “Resist him [the Devil], firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
As believers, when we are by ourselves, we are not alone. We are still part of the body of believers, and we have the Holy Spirit within us (according to 1 Corinthians 3:16).
While it is difficult to stand at high alert forever, we can stand firm in our faith and pick up our cross daily.
As James 4:7 tells us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.”
