1 Peter 1:1-9 | Galatians 5:16
Satan takes us very seriously because he fears the One who lives inside us. Satan wants to keep us from interacting and having an intimate relationship with God. Satan has no problems with religion or tradition but he has a major problem with our relationship with Jesus Christ. He does not want us to have an active relationship with Jesus which is ignited by our prayers. Prayer creates an atmosphere that deepens our relationship with God. Apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:1-9 about Salvation, Suffering and Satan. Peter explains that even though we suffer, we don’t suffer without hope. Peter begins explaining about suffering by talking about the Godhead first because before we even get to the suffering in our lives, God has already done the work to give us victory over suffering and our enemy, Satan. God’s work for us is so effective that no amount of suffering will ever separate us from Him.
One of the most powerful statements in the Holy Bible is found in 1 Peter 1:2, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”. Apostle Peter tells us that God’s election of us is rooted in His foreknowledge. Foreknowledge means that ‘God knows before’. Election means that God chose us. Therefore, God’s choice is rooted in what He knew before. God is omniscience. God knows everything and if He knows everything then that means that God knew us and knew what suffering we would experience before it actually happened. Although God knew beforehand what we would do in our lives, God still chose us to make sure that we would be under His protection. God demonstrated His love for us before we were even born on earth. While the Father was doing His work, the Holy Ghost was doing His part by making sure that we were set apart in the midst of our suffering through sanctification of the Spirit. Some say that Apostle Peter also implies by this passage that the way that we came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ is because the Holy Ghost was at work on our behalf even before we were saved. The Holy Ghost preserved us and kept us even when we had no knowledge about God.
The obvious question then is if the Lord took care of us when we were not believers then how much will He do for us after adopting us as His children and as a result of our faith in Him? Apostle Peter went on to explain the contribution that Jesus makes to our victory in this battle. While God the Father chooses us, God the Holy Ghost preserves and protects us, God the son saves us by performing the act of salvation, “…and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ”, 1 Peter 1:2. Peter also tells us that this life is not all there is for us. Even if we have suffered loss in this life, the loss we have suffered cannot compare to the inheritance we have waiting for us in eternity, “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you”, 1 Peter 1:4. God has specific things in heaven for us and it has our name on it. God also uses our circumstances as evidence of His keeping power. God keeps us sane through the midst of confusion. People look at us and wonder, how in the world are we surviving all that we go through? They don’t understand how we are making it in this wicked world. The reason why they don’t understand how we succeed while others fail is because they are not being kept by the power of God. God wants us to tell people the truth about our victory, “…be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”, 1 Peter 3:15.
God allows us to suffer in order to use us as examples to demonstrate His power. There’s no way we can overcome our sufferings and defeat Satan without Him. God allows our suffering to be public so that the world can see His power in action. It is by God’s grace that we have victory over our sufferings and victory over our circumstances. As a result, we are fighting our battles from a place of victory!
“Remember, there is nothing too hard for God!!!”
Submitted By Trustee Stanley Ridley