As we go through Peter’s first epistle to the church, he’s been teaching us to be “battle ready”. We need to be spiritually awake and sober for the struggles we’ll face. He tells us that the enemy is stalking us like a lion.
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
1 Peter 5:9 NIV
This word, resist, means to stand against. And not just to stand, but remain stiff, solid, and unmovable. But, how are we to accomplish this?
The apostle qualifies it by saying that this standing is in faith. We are firmly trusting God that His way is the only option. But what exactly does it mean to “resist the devil”?
Unfortunately, many Christians have no idea what this means. They think it’s simply talking about resisting temptation. The fact is that resisting temptation is against your own natural tendencies.
James 1:14 tells us that temptation happens when we’re dragged away by our own desires. There are times that the Scriptures teach us to flee the place of temptation.
Here, Peter is telling us to resist the devil – the accuser. Don’t fall victim to the cartoon where the devil is sitting on your shoulder trying to get you to sin. He’s not going to waste his time trying to accomplish what your flesh is already doing.
The devil is actually out to destroy your calling.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10 NIV
He wants to steal. He is attempting to take what’s not his. He wants to steal your children, money, or health.
The enemy also wants to kill. That word specifically means to sacrifice. He doesn’t want to take your life, but to sacrifice you on the altar of the world. He’ll distract you with everything the world has to offer.
His end-goal is to destroy you. That word means to destroy fully and totally. His plan is to absolutely abolish your witness for Christ. To do so, he’ll attack your family, your health, or anything else important to you.
He’s not trying to get you to say a white lie. He’s trying to destroy your God-given mission. Yes, you have mission from the Lord.
That’s why in the Gospels we’re told that his attack on Jesus started with the words, “If you are the Son of God…” The enemy directly comes against your calling.
That’s why we’re told to “stand firm in faith”. You need to be rock solid in what you believe. You’ve heard from God. You know what you’re called to do. Don’t let the enemy undermine it.
Questions: How has the enemy tried to nullify your calling in Christ? How are you resisting him?
© Nick Zaccardi 2026
The Spirit and the Word 