- Notes from Nathan
- Posts
- 1 Peter 5:8-9
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
Is there any better reasoning for being connected to church than what Peter offers here?
First, we gain alert, sober thinking - Individual thinking and reasoning is subject to the whims, impulses, warm fuzzy feelings, and false narratives that come with the human experience. In the body of Christ, we’re held accountable, sharpened, and seen clearly by the spirit of Christ in our brothers and sisters.
Nothing makes us drunk like pride, and nothing guards against it like Christ-centered community.
Second, we’re strengthened to resist the enemy and stand firm - There’s power in suffering together. We don't rejoice in one another's suffering, but we're sharpened and galvanized by one another's experience of it. When I hear your experience of Jesus in the midst of your suffering, I gain eyes to look for him in mine.
The strength Jesus had individually against our enemy, we take part in together as his body.
Go to church!