Help Battling Satan: 1 Peter 5:10-14
We’re going to finish the book of 1 Peter in this message. I’m going to explain some final thoughts from Peter in chapter 5 verses 12-14, and then take a deeper dive from verses 10-11, looking at how to get help battling Satan in these end times we live in.
1 Peter 5:12, “With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.” (NIV)
Silas was partnering with Peter and may have taken the dictation for the writing of this letter. His point in the letter was to testify this is the true grace of God and to encourage the believers to stand firm in the grace of God to endure the tough times in which they lived and get to the day of the Lord.
1 Peter 5:13-14, “(13) She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. (14) Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all who are in Christ.” (NIV)
Babylon was a way of referring to Rome as the center of evil rule and authority and probably refers to the city of Rome. She who is in Babylon probably refers to the church in Rome sending greetings to those brothers in Asia.
He refers to his son, Mark. This is probably Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark and he was Peter’s son in the faith.
Greeting one another with a kiss on the cheek was a customary way to greet brothers in the Lord. He closes with the customary offer of peace to those in Christ.
Verses 10-11 of Chapter 5 get at help for the battle with Satan that we’re in, in these last days.
Verse 10 starts with the word “and” probably referring back to verses 8 and 9 that talk about resisting the devil, our enemy who roams around like a lion looking for someone to devour.
Let’s look at verses 1011 for some help doing battle with Satan. 1 Peter 5:10, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (11) To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.” (NIV)
The God off all grace has called us to His glory in Christ. The help comes from Him, His grace or favor that’s undeserved and from His glory which He grants to us.
We’re in a fight with the devil that requires His help!
When I was 18 years old, I hung out with a guy named Gerald. We drank beer in the woods, went to Friday night dances and chased girls together. Gerald liked to get in fights!
At a Friday night dance, Gerald got into an argument with Eddy. They decided to have a fight after the dance at a park. I knew Eddy. I told Gerald if there was a way of getting out of fighting with Eddy he should do it.
Gerald asked, “why?” and I explained I had played football with Eddy, and he was tough, and my advice was to skip the fight. Gerald was having none of that.
We parked our cars around the park with the lights on and Gerald and
Eddy had their fight. I knew Gerald would need help taking care of Eddy. Our fight with the devil is the same kind of thing. We need help. Fortunately for us, God has provided His grace and glory to help us and He describes that help with four phrases.
FIRST, HE HIMSELF WILL RESTORE YOU!
I don’t care who you are, when you’re in battle you usually need to be restored so as to keep going. I know in a 13-month tour of duty in Viet Nam the troops were sent on a week of rest and recuperation at the halfway point in their tour of duty. The point was to restore them for the remainder of the battle.
God uses His grace and glory to provide rest and recuperation for us, and here he uses the word “restore.”
In Mark 4:21 Jesus is calling James and John who were commercial fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. They were in their boat preparing their nets when Jesus called them. The word preparing is the same word for “restore” that Peter uses.
They were preparing, restoring and fixing their nets so they were useable. Nets were used to catch fish and would be ripped and needed to be repaired so as to be useable again.
Our battle with Satan can rip us up so that we need to be repaired so as to continue. God’s grace and glory will repair us and get us ready to stay in the battle.
This same word translated “restore” in 1 Peter 5:10 shows up in Luke 6:40 in the words of Jesus, “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (NIV)
The word translated by the phrase “fully trained,” is the same word translated “restore” in 1 Peter 5:10. You’re helped in the battle with Satan when you’re fully trained, totally restored so you’re like your teacher, meaning you’re like Jesus. God’s grace and glory expressed in His word and truth will make you restored and fully trained.
We’re helped for the battle with Satan when we’re restored, or repaired and fully trained to be like our teacher, ultimately Jesus.
SECOND, HE WILL MAKE YOU STRONG.
In Luke 16:19-31 we find the history of the Rich Man and Lazarus. A rich man was dressed in fine cloths and lived in luxury. At the gate into his estate was a beggar covered in sores. He ate the food that fell from the rich guy’s table and the dogs licked his sores.
The beggar died and was carried to Abraham’s side, meaning heaven. The rich guy also died and was buried. The rich man was in hell and looked far away and saw Abraham. The guy was in Hell and cried out to Abraham to send Lazarus to him to dip his finger in water and cool his tongue!
The rich man was in agony in the fire and wanted help from the beggar, Lazarus!
Abraham reminded the rich guy he got all his comfort in his lifetime, but Lazarus just received bad things. Abraham told the rich dude Lazarus was being comforted, while he was in agony.
Abraham says this in verse 26, “And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.” (NIV)
The word translated “great chasm” is the same word translated “strong in 1 Peter 5:10.
The idea behind this kind of strong is so strong and established it can’t be penetrated or moved.
God will make you so strong while you’re in the battle with Satan that you can’t be moved or penetrated by Satan’s attacks.
I’m told the Presidential Limousine has armor that makes it so strong that some bombs can’t penetrate it. You get a similar kind of “strong” from God’s grace and glory while doing battle with Satan at the last days.
THIRD, HE WILL MAKE YOU FIRM.
This is the only place this word pops up in the New Testament and the idea behind it is your soul, or your life is so firmed up it’s unlikely to change!
It’s the strength of character that’s firm and unchangeable. My wife and I were close to her grandpa White, her maternal grandfather. His name was Tom White. He was born in 1900, as I recall and was a red neck from Missouri. He was a no nonsense, hard core Southern Baptist.
Grandpa White came in to visit us in late 1980 right after I became Pastor of the Christian Church of Lemon Grove. He sat in a class that was taught by one of our elders and I sat in with him.
Someone said something about the Baptists during the class. Grandpa raised his hand. The teacher called on him. It has been more than 42 years and I can still quote Grandpa White from that day. This is what he said, “By grab, from the tip of my toe to the top of my head I am a Baptist. Hard shell.” That was all he had to say.
That’s the firmness we’re talking about. It’s the kind of thing in life or death situations you affirm, “Jesus is Lord!” It comes from God’s grace and glory and is what’s required for the battle with Satan.
FOURTH, HE WILL MAKE YOU STEADFAST!
In Matthew chapter 7 Jesus talked about the person who hears His word and puts it into practice. He said such a person was like the man who built his house on the rock. When the rain came down and the river rose, the house was immoveable because it was founded on rock.
Steadfast is to have your life founded in rock and immoveable. Such a quality is required for the battle with Satan. It comes from the grace and glory of God in Christ.
God’s grace and glory will restore you, make you strong, firm and steadfast for the battle with Satan. He has the needed help we need in the battle.
My friend Gerald had his fight with Eddy. Under the lights of our cars at a park in Flagstaff, Ariz., Gerald was in dire need of help with Eddy. Eddy beat the tar out of him!
I helped him clean up and get put together in a bathroom at a service station after he lost the fight. He had to get medical help the next day.
But, help with the Devil’s fight is there for the Christ-follower. His grace and glory kicks in providing the needed help. He will restore you, make you strong, firm and steadfast to defeat Satan in the war we’re waging.
Trust Jesus, He will give you help battling Satan!