Get ready to start a journey…a journey through the pages of the Bible and the pages of your life.
“How can a man be happy who is the servant of anything?” That question was asked by the Greek philosopher Plato. Most people would agree. We live in an Invictus age where “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” At least, I want to be! Freedom and happiness are seen as the result of being in total control. But for the believer, freedom takes a different turn.
How is a believer supposed to respond to the government? Peter gives us very straightforward instructions.
Actions speak louder than words. It matters how we conduct ourselves within the walls of our homes. It matters how we do marriage and how we parent our children. It matters how we interact with neighbors. It matters how we drive on the roads, respond to an overworked store employee, and coach little league teams. It matters how we treat work associates. It matters that we put in an honest day’s work for our wages. These things matter to the people in our lives and those we interact with every day. Today’s passage reminds us that others are watching closely.
In our passage today, Peter likens these sinful snares to soldiers coming to make war. Equipped with the tanks of anger, missiles of greed, swords of lust, and automatic weapons of pride, these “soldiers” come to attack your soul. These soldiers of sin seek to destroy us or render us useless and ineffective. A broken and wounded follower of Jesus is just as useless as one who has been wrecked.
When God says something one time, it is an eternal truth. And then, there are truths that he emphasizes with repetition. Today’s passage highlights God’s intimate fellowship with his people by using the simple word “with.”