Beware of Satanās Plans for Believers: The bottom line is that if we are going to be on guard against our adversary, we need to know how to recognize his presence, face his onslaughts, and overcome his attacks against us, in the ways that God through His Word instructs us.
In Revelation 9 we will be taught an immense amount about the unseen and horrifically powerful kingdom of darkness that is shaping everything around us, more each day, against the God we love, serve, and belong to. But, before we dive into all that, we need to see why we even need to know all this.
Each of us face a very dangerous, clever, and powerful foe. He is the smartest, most powerful, and highest of all the angelic creatures God ever made. He is fallen, and wants only to damage anything that is attached to God.
Peter here warns us that Satan can devour us. Like a lion he pounces and swallows us up. Peter knew that from personal experience.
Jesus had warned Peter to watch (be vigilant) and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane using this very same word (gregoreo, āvigilantā) three times (Matthew 26:38, 40, 41). Peter heard, did not obey, and ended up denying Christ three times.
Peter got devoured. If Satan canāt devour us, he also tries to attack us like he did Eve when she listened to the serpent whispering lies, that Paul describes in 2 Cor. 11:3, 13-14 as the āangel of lightā. Remember Satanās Playbook