The devil is an adversary who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. How can we remain unappetizing to a predator like this? Peter concludes his letter by giving us direction on how to stand strong against a defeated devil.
The “Who Am I?” list referenced in the sermon is available below.
1 Peter 5:6-14
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. 13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with the kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Who Am I?
One of the greatest ways to help yourself grow into maturity in Christ is to continually remind yourself who you are in Him.1
- I am the salt of the earth- Matt 5:13
- I am the light of the world- Matt 5:14
- I am a child of God- John 1:12
- I am part of the true vine, a channel of Christ’s life- John 15:1, 5
- I am Christ’s friend- John 15:15
- I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit- John 15:16
- I am a slave of righteousness- Rom 6:18
- I am enslaved to God-Rom 6:22
- I am a son of God; God is spiritually my Father- Rom 8:14, 15; Gal 3:26; 4:6
- I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him- Rom 8:17
- I am a temple—a dwelling place—of God. His Spirit and His life dwell in me 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19
- I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him- 1 Cor 6:17
- I am a member of Christ’s body- 1 Cor 12:27; Eph 5:30
- I am a new creation- 2 Cor 5:17
- I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation- 2 Cor 5:18, 19
- I am a son of God and one in Christ- Gal 3:26, 28
- I am an heir of God since I am a son of God- Gal 4:6, 7
- I am a saint- 1 Cor 1:2; Eph 1:1; Phil 1:1; Col 1:2
- I am God’s workmanship—His handiwork—born anew in Christ to do His work- Eph 2:10
- I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God’s family- Eph 2:19
- I am a prisoner of Christ- Eph 3:1; 4:1
- I am righteous and holy- Eph 4:24
- I am a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven right now- Eph 2:6; Phil 3:20
- I am hidden with Christ in God- Col 3:3
- I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life- Col 3:4
- I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved- Col 3:12; 1 Thess 1:4
- I am a son of light and not of darkness- 1 Thess 5:5
- I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling- Heb 3:1
- I am a partaker of Christ; I share in His life- Heb 3:14
- I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house- 1 Pet 2:5
- I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession- 1 Pet 2:9, 10
- I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live- 1 Pet 2:11
- I am an enemy of the devil- 1 Pet 5:8
- I am a child of God and I will resemble Christ when He returns- 1 John 3:1, 2
- I am born of God, and the evil one-the devil—cannot touch me- 1 John 5:18
- I am not the great “I am” (Ex 3:14; John 8:24, 28, 58), but by the grace of God, I am what I am- 1 Cor 15:10
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- List and quotation taken from, Neil Anderson, Victory Over the Darkness: Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ, Regal Books, Ventura, CA, 2000, pgs. 51—53.