1 Peter 5:5-11 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“5..And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. 7Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

“8Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.

“10And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you. 11To Him be the power forever and ever. Amen.”

Humility

If we clothe ourselves with humility toward one another, what should that look like in all practicality? It has to do with humbleness of mind, modesty, meekness, a lowering of human pride, having a humble opinion of oneself, not selfish, not self-exalting, and not prideful, while living in complete dependence on the Lord, and not on self-reliance. It is the opposite of arrogance, conceit, haughtiness and self-importance which centers in self and in selfishness and in one’s own accomplishments and not in God.

Pride

And what does it look like if someone is full of pride? Pride is centered in self and in selfishness and not in selflessness. It takes a “me only” approach to life, putting oneself and one’s own desires above all else and above all others. But oddly, this can involve doing kind things for others if the benefit gained from it results in themselves being honored and valued and regarded as someone nice or kind, i.e. it has to do with self-image. But they can also refuse to be kind and to treat others with hate for their own sinful desires.

Humility vs Pride

Sometimes a person may appear humble outwardly, but it is for show only to impress others. So ultimately it is self-serving, for it is out of a heart of pride that they put on this show so that others will think well of them. They are good actors, in other words. And then there are those who are truly humble before God, but God may lead them to give a testimony of the goodness of God in their lives, and others may mistake that for pride because they misinterpret the words being shared, even if God is being given all the glory.

The Devil

The devil is often the one behind confusing good with evil and evil with good, trying to make the righteous look selfish, while applauding the truly evil to make them look good. And we live in a day when evil is being called good, and where good is being called evil. So the evildoers get applauded and raised up, and they are accepted as “good” while the godly and the moral who are on the right path get criticized and discredited. The same thing is happening to the gospel of our salvation, too, while lies are widely accepted.

So we need to be aware of the devil’s schemes being used against us in these modern days where so much is being turned Topsy-Turvy (upside down). For he wants to do all within his power to discredit the truly righteous who are living holy lives, pleasing to God, while he raises up the truly evil who multitudes then end up following. So know his tricks so that you can defeat them and so that you do not get fooled by them. For if you are teaching the truth of God’s Word, you will be opposed. Keep going!

Restoration and Healing

Full restoration following much suffering may not happen in this life, i.e. some sufferings will continue until the day the Lord takes us home to be with Him for eternity. He may give us some breaks, here and there, on this earth, where things will seem to be going well for a while, and then POW! We may get hit soon again. So don’t be surprised if you seem to be getting hit (not physically) with one trial after another after another, and if presently your trials and tribulations are mounting to the point of bringing you to tears.

Now for many people these trials may be of a physical nature, and not something just in the area of verbal attacks and false accusations and rejections and the like. There are so many different ways in which we could literally be under attack by Satan and by his evil forces. But we have to fight back, not with guns and knives, but with spiritual weapons of warfare, i.e. with the truth of God’s Word and with the truth of what is really going on in opposition to lies being spoken. And one day this will all be over! Amen!

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 10:16-25,34-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; Hebrews 12:3-12; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

Like a Roaring Lion Seeking to Devour You
An Original Work / October 5, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Bow the Knee

By Chris Machen and Mike Harland

There are moments on our journey following the Lord
Where God illumines ev’ry step we take.
There are times when circumstances make perfect sense to us,
As we try to understand each move He makes.
When the path grows dim and our questions have no answers, turn to Him.

Bow the knee; Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see.
Bow the knee; Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.
And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan,
In the presence of the King, bow the knee.

There are days when clouds surround us, and the rain begins to fall,
The cold and lonely winds won’t cease to blow.
And there seems to be no reason for the suffering we feel;
We are tempted to believe God does not know.
When the storms arise, don’t forget we live by faith and not by sight.

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