Your adversary 你们的仇敌
Dexu Xia
Today‘s Scripture “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Today's Insight
If you are a member of the body of Christ, get ready to face a mad devil. You may not want to think about it or even accept it, but if you have determined to follow Jesus with all your heart, Satan has marked you for destruction. He’s going to flood your life with troubles of all kinds.
The apostle Peter warns, “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers” (1 Peter 4:7, NKJV). He is saying, in essence, “This is no time for lightness. You have to get sober-minded about spiritual matters. It is an issue of life and death.”
Why the need to be so serious? The end of time is near and our enemy has turned up the heat. He is stalking us like a lion, hiding in the grass, waiting for an opportunity to pounce. He wants to devour us, to utterly destroy our faith in Christ.
Some Christians say we shouldn’t even talk about the devil and that we’re better off just ignoring him. Others try to reason him out of existence. Liberal theologians, for example, argue that there is no devil, no hell, no heaven.
But the enemy of our souls is not simply going to go away. He is described in the Bible as Lucifer, Satan, devil, deceiver, hinderer, wicked one, usurper, imposter, accuser, devourer, and ruler of darkness. These emphatic descriptions tell me that the devil is real.
We know from Scripture that Satan wields a very real power. Even now, he is at work on the earth in our nations, cities, churches, homes, and individual lives. We dare not be ignorant of his methods and strategies of warfare against us.
Reflect and prayer
Am I a subject that the adversary wants to devour? How can I avoid being devoured by the evil one?
My Savior Lord, strengthen my faith in the power of your blood when I am tempted and attacked by the devil.
“务要谨守，警醒。因为你们的仇敌魔鬼，如同吼叫的狮子，遍地游行，寻找可吞吃的人。你们要用坚固的信心抵挡他，因为知道你们在世上的众弟兄也是经历这样的苦难”（彼得前书 5:8-9）。
如果你是基督身体上的一员，请预备好去面对一个暴怒的魔鬼。你或许不愿去思考这一点，甚至不愿接受它；但如果你已立定心志全心全意跟随耶稣，撒旦便已将你列为毁灭的目标。他将把各样的患难如洪水般倾泻进你的生命之中。
使徒彼得发出警告：“万物的结局近了；所以，你们要谨慎自守，警醒祷告”（彼得前书 4:7）。他传达的核心信息是：“现在绝非掉以轻心之时。你们必须在属灵的事上保持清醒。这关乎生死存亡。”
为何必须如此郑重其事？因为末世已近，而我们的仇敌正步步紧逼，加剧攻势。他正像一头狮子般潜伏窥伺，隐匿于草丛之中，伺机扑向我们。他企图吞噬我们，彻底摧毁我们对基督的信心。
有些基督徒认为，我们根本不该谈论魔鬼，最好是完全无视他的存在。另一些人则试图通过理性推演来否定魔鬼的存在。例如，某些自由派神学家便主张：既无魔鬼，亦无地狱，更无天堂。
然而，这位我们灵魂的仇敌绝不会就此自行消散。在《圣经》中，他被冠以诸多名号：路西弗、撒旦、魔鬼、诱惑者、拦阻者、那恶者、篡位者、冒充者、控告者、吞噬者，以及黑暗世界的统治者。这些措辞强烈地向我们揭示一个事实：魔鬼是真实存在的。
从《圣经》中我们得知，撒旦确实拥有极其真实且强大的权势。即便在当下，他依然活跃于这世上的列国、城市、教会、家庭，乃至每一个个体的生命之中。我们绝不可对他在针对我们所发动的属灵争战中，所惯用的手段与策略一无所知。
反思和祷告：我是仇敌想吞吃的对象吗？我如何避免被吞吃？
我的救主耶稣，求您在我被魔鬼诱惑和攻击时全然信靠您宝血的大能。