Stand Firm

We're going to jump into our sermon. We're at the end of a sermon series on the book of 1 Peter,

and if you want to turn there in your Bibles, it's 950-something, and that's close enough.

You'll be able to find it from there. And we're going to be looking at the very end of it.

And just as an introduction, if you want to talk to me about Silvanus and whether he's a messenger

or an amanuensis, you can come talk to me after the service. And if you want to talk about Babylon

and why Babylon is mentioned, come talk to me after the service. We're not going to deal with

those things because I think that at the end of this book and what I want to do as we tie up this

series is to hear from the heart of Pastor Peter to his church as he's writing the words of encouragement

that he wants us to hear. Because Peter is writing to a church that's struggling to figure out how do

we stand out as different? How do we navigate feeling odd and foreign and alien in this world?

What kind of distinctive life does God call us to? And how do we do that even in the face of suffering

and persecution and trial? Peter is writing this letter because he's afraid as a pastor that people

might be losing heart, that they might be in the face of the trials, in the face of the confusion

and dislocation of their situation, that they might falter in faith and fall away.

He's writing to a church that needs encouragement and truth and instruction on how to live.

He's writing to a church embattled. And I don't know about you, but if that doesn't sound familiar,

Amanda, thank you for your testimony as a testimony of the fact that this is an ongoing reality.

It's not just the first century. This has been the situation of the church for all ages, and it is a

situation for us today as we face similar challenges and trials and pressures. So that's what we're going

to look at today. We're going to read the end of the book. We're going to focus on verses 8 through 11,

but we're going to read from 8 to the end of the book, and then we'll pray and we'll dive in and look

at this for a few minutes. So 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 8. Be sober-minded. Be watchful. Your adversary,

1 Peter 5:8

the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith,

knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who's called you to his eternal

glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the

dominion forever and ever. Amen. 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.

She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, as does Mark my son. Greet one

another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for

your word and that you have spoken to us in it and through it. Lord, thank you that you have given us

your spirit so that we might understand it. And Lord, we pray now for minds to comprehend and hearts to

receive and wills to move, Lord, at your bidding. Lord, I pray this morning that we would be encouraged

and strengthened. Lord, I pray for your help that you might help me to speak your words and that

together we might sit under your word this morning. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

So, as Peter's writing this final exhortation, the central idea is this, stand firm. And he says,

stand firm because it's a real battle. And stand firm because God has got you in it. So, let's look

at those things. Verses 8 through 9, stand firm because it's a battle. Peter says, stand firm,

verse 9 says, because there is an enemy, an adversary, the devil who is prowling around seeking to destroy

you. Okay? Now, we need to stop for a second because we live in the 21st century and we stopped

talking about the devil a long time ago. Or, as C.S. Lewis says, he just shows up as a cartoon with a

pointy tail and red tights, right? So, this is what we tend to think. But if you haven't read the

Screwtape Letters, you should. It's a wonderful book with an imaginary correspondence between two devils

who are seeking to corrupt the world and corrupt the life of a particular man. And C.S. Lewis, one of

the things he does is exposes some of the different strategies that the devil has, some of the

strategies of the spiritual realities in which we live. And he says, sometimes the spiritual realities

the devil will work through obvious displays of power and intimidation in order to frighten and

dissuade people from following God because there's this power that's against them that they don't want

to have to face, right? Then there are other times when Satan wants to hide. And he goes underground and

he says, you don't want to think about Satan because you don't want to think about spiritual things at

all. You just think about materialism and the world right in front of you and all these things. And so,

the way Satan then works is very subtly and in a very underground way. Not to intimidate and overwhelm,

but to sabotage the church. And so, we need to recognize that we may live more in that second

category where we tend to be in a society that just dismisses the whole thought of this.

And yet, Peter reminds us what we see throughout Scripture, that in fact, there is a spiritual

battle. There are spiritual forces and spiritual beings, and that there is particularly one

repeatedly called the devil or Satan who stands against God and his people and is seeking to

destroy us. Like a prowling lion. Like, as Wayne Grudem says, a prowling lion is someone who attacks

suddenly, viciously, and often when its unsuspecting victim is engaged in routine activities.

We need to recognize, Peter's saying, there is a battle because there's an enemy who is

encircling your life, our church life, the church worldwide right now seeking to find ways. How can I

bring destruction? How can I bring death? Remember what Jesus said, he comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

How does he steal the blessing of God? How does he kill the life of the church and the life of faith?

How does he destroy the kingdom? That's what he's always seeking to do, right? And his goal, as you

see in verse 9, is that you might be devoured. That you might be literally consumed by him and his

devices, right? So, what does this look like? It might look like you being consumed by passion.

Passion for things that aren't leading you to God himself, right? A passion for pleasure, a passion

for the praise of others. You could think of many other things that your heart gets so captured with

that God is lost in the picture. Maybe it might be that you're consumed by distraction, right? That

thing in your pocket that's buzzing right now. We live in a world of distraction with screens and those

sorts of things. But there are other things too. Our busyness, our achievement, our hobbies, there's even

our families. Even good things can become distractions when they lead us not to, but away from God.

Similarly, we can be consumed by despair. This happens when things get hard. And I know enough of you have

walked through hard things to know the pull of this. When things get hard, those hard things fill the

screen and the hurt and the agony and the pain just seem to push everything, including God, out. And we

lose God in the midst of it. And we see actually that this is in fact part of what Peter's connecting.

The enemy is using the persecution of the church in the first century as a means of intimidation to

bring the church to despair of the hope of the gospel. And Peter's saying, don't give up to that.

One of the ways that Satan does this with despair is he says, you're alone in it. Whatever your battle

is, whatever is hard, whatever pain you're bearing, you are alone in it. That's one of the ways that

the enemy speaks to us. And so Peter says, listen, you're not alone. In fact, throughout the church

worldwide, they're suffering the same thing. And we can now say, and the church throughout history,

the same thing is true. These battles, the battles you are facing, the despair that you're fighting,

you're not alone in it. This is a common thing that the enemy has been working to bring this in.

So Peter is exhorting us to recognize that there is a real battle. What are some of the hallmarks of

when I feel like spiritual battle is at play? Well, there are a couple of different things.

One is unbelief. When I deny things are true about God that he has clearly revealed, I recognize that's

the enemy drawing me away from God, right? Sometimes it has to do with relational discord.

When suddenly relationships are filled with not trust and grace and kindness, but are filled with

suspicion and doubt and accusation, right? Sometimes discord and unity within a group of people,

the enemy is sowing these things. And I hope you've been here long enough to know there are times when

we have to fight with one another, fight for righteousness, fight for good things, bring ugly

stuff to light so that we can deal with it in the gospel framework. But that's not what the enemy does.

The enemy brings those things to light so that it will destroy and divide us, right?

So these are some ways that I look and see where there might be fingerprints of the enemy's work

in our lives. And Peter says,

there is a battle. It's real. And we need to be ready for it.

And he then goes on and he says,

there is a command that I have for you. Be sober-minded.

Be watchful. Resist and stand firm.

Now, these are not new commands that

Peter's tacking on to the end of his book.

And I'm going to spend a little bit of time in the rest of the sermon connecting what's

here to the broader themes of the book. So just be ready for that.

So in chapter 1, verse 12,

Peter's already said to us,

prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded.

Set your hope on Christ.

In chapter 4, he says,

the end of all things is near. Therefore, be self-controlled

and sober-minded.

And in chapter 4, verse 12,

he says, don't be surprised.

Don't be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you.

But instead, be ready.

Like a soldier standing at his post on the watchtower,

alert, awake, keeping his eyes on the horizon,

looking for where the enemy may be at work,

with his weapon at the ready so that he can't be taken unawares.

He hasn't left his post and gone down to the local bar

for a drink and a carousing, right?

He hasn't carelessly assumed

that because it all seems good right now,

he's just going to take a nap

or pull out his phone and watch a movie

while he's on guard.

He's not going to carelessly assume

that he doesn't need his weapon

and leave it at home.

But he's going to be prepared,

vigilant, ready at all times.

This is the picture that Peter is saying,

this is how we must be, church.

This is what we are called to be

in the middle of this battle.

And so often we are not that way.

So often we are unprepared.

We are unaware and taken by surprise.

When suffering comes,

rather than trusting God's hand in it

and seeing it as an opportunity to walk with him,

we deny his goodness and doubt him.

When persecution comes,

we feel like God has abandoned us.

When things go wrong,

we blame God and others.

We are unaware of how much the enemy

is prowling around,

seeking in different ways

to affect us.

So how do we live then?

How do we actually be prepared?

What does that look like?

Well, I think Peter has actually

given us all sorts of commands

throughout the whole book

so that we might live

this watchful, prepared life.

So in chapter one,

if you remember,

in the second half particularly,

he says,

how do you prepare?

You live holy lives.

That is,

seeking to do

what God would want

above all other things.

And to love one another

deeply from the heart.

To recognize that

our battle

is not against flesh and blood.

And so we are called

to love one another.

This is what he says

in chapter three too

when he says,

I call you to live

with a unity of mind,

with a sympathy,

with brotherly love,

with a tender heart,

with humility,

not repaying evil for evil

or reviling for reviling,

but on the contrary,

blessing.

Do you see,

friends,

that the way

that we stand guard

against the enemy

isn't by saying

no to the bad things,

it's by filling our lives

with good things,

right things,

things that we're supposed

to pursue.

And as we fill ourselves

with those things,

we are ready

and we see

when the enemy comes in

and seeks to divert us

and seeks to diverge us away.

Chapter two

gives us a different equipment

where Peter has reminded us

that our identity

is grounded

in being God's people,

called by grace,

living distinctly

and differently.

When we know who we are,

then the lies

and the temptations

that the enemy

puts before us

to put our identity

in other things,

they have no power over us

and we are able to fight

and to resist his schemes.

In chapter four,

Peter reminds us

that when we suffer persecution,

we walk with Jesus doing so.

We walk with him

who endured the scorn

and the shame

of so many

while he walked this earth

as he headed to the cross

for our salvation.

As he did so,

he did good

and he blessed

and served others.

And so we're called

to follow in that pattern.

And when we fix our eyes

on Jesus,

suddenly the alternatives

that the enemy

will put before us,

you can fix us

by doing this

or you can do this,

suddenly have no power

because we're following Jesus.

What else would we need

when we have his example?

This is a hard

but a good road.

One of facing the battle,

knowing there are enemies,

knowing there's hardship ahead,

knowing that the desire

of the enemy

is to destroy our faith.

But Peter says,

though the battle is fierce,

stand firm.

You cannot lose God

because God

has got you.

And that's what we'll talk about

in the second one.

But I do want,

before we go on,

this is a great book,

Precious Remedies

Against Satan Devices.

It's a Puritan.

If you haven't read

the screw tape letters,

that's good too.

This is free

for the first person

who comes and asks me

after the service.

I'm giving it away.

We're putting skin

in the game today.

So,

but it's a wonderful book

to help just strengthen

your faith.

All right?

As we move on,

you cannot lose God

because God has got you.

This is what verses 10 and 11 say.

Here's the wonderful thing.

This battle is not

our battle to win,

but we are fighting

in a battle

that God is already winning.

And what we want to do,

what Peter does

in verses 10 and 11

is he says,

look at who God is

because this is how

you will endure

in this battle.

This is how you will fight.

Look to who God is

and remember,

it's not because

your great faith

or because you're

going to fight well,

but because God

has got you

that you will make it through

and endure

and stand firm.

There are five things

that we learn about God

in these two verses

that we're going to look at.

Verse one,

number one.

Actually,

let's read these two verses first.

10 and 11.

And after you have suffered

for a little while,

the God of all grace

who has called you

into his eternal glory

in Christ

will himself restore,

confirm,

strengthen,

and establish you

to him be the dominion

forever and ever.

Amen.

Five things that Peter says

briefly about this.

One,

God knows there's a battle.

After you have suffered

for a little while,

God is not surprised.

He's not taken off guard.

He knows that there is

a battle that you are in

and he's with you in it.

And he says,

and by the way,

I want to give you

some perspective on it.

It's only for a little while.

That's not to diminish

the reality

or the severity

of what you're walking

through right now,

because it might be

really hard

and really overwhelming.

But compared to

the span of eternity,

your life of suffering,

even if it were

a whole lifetime,

is just a little while.

And God says,

look at the bigger picture

of a world

that I rule in

and take heart.

Don't be surprised.

God has sent this

to test you,

but the testing,

if you remember

from chapter 4,

verse 12,

the testing is not to say,

hey, are you going

to make it or not?

The testing there is,

I'm going to send you

through this fire

to prove to you

the quality of the faith

that I have given to you

so that you can see

and know

in a richer and deeper way

my faithfulness to you

and the sufficiency

of my work for you.

So the first thing

that Peter wants us to see

is God is not unaware,

but He knows

that the battle is real

and He's with us in it.

The second thing

is that He is the God

of all grace.

Grace to save

undeserving sinners,

grace to support us

in our weakness.

Grace has a breadth here

where it's not just

that we are undeserving

and that the forgiveness

of sin

and the new spiritual life

that God has given us

that will last for eternity

is completely undeserved

and only on the merits

of Christ.

We know that that's

His grace to us,

but I think that Peter here

also uses grace as

He's going to give you grace

to get through it.

He's going to give you

supporting grace

and helpful grace.

And here's the wonderful thing.

Just like the grace

of our salvation,

this grace of supporting us

isn't because we've earned it,

isn't because we've deserved it.

It's not because

we're fighting hard enough

or because we know enough.

And the wonderful thing

about it not being deserved

is it means

we can't lose it.

We can't blow it

badly enough.

And God looks at us

and says,

forget you.

You're a lost cause.

I'm done with you.

But the God of all grace

is with you.

He will never leave you

nor forsake you

because He has set His love

on His people in Christ

and He will never forsake.

So He knows there's a battle.

He's the God of all grace.

Thirdly,

He has called you

into His eternal glory

in Christ.

John reminded us earlier

about what it means

to be in Christ,

that by faith

we are joined with Him.

And being joined with Him

means we enjoy

the fruit of all

of His work of redemption,

the greatness

of the salvation,

the restoration

of being with God

and in His kingdom

in a beautiful way.

And Peter has reminded us

over and over again

and instead of trying

to explain it,

I'm simply going to remind you

what Peter has said

about this glory

and grace,

this glorious position

of being in Christ

that we have.

So in chapter 1,

he writes,

according to His great mercy,

He has caused us

to be born again

to a living hope

through the resurrection

of Jesus Christ

from the dead

to an inheritance

that is imperishable,

undefiled,

and unfading,

kept in heaven for you

who by God's power

are being guarded

through faith

for a salvation

ready to be revealed

at the last time.

And later in chapter 1,

knowing that you

were ransomed

from the futile ways

inherited from your forefathers,

not with perishable things

such as silver and gold,

but with the precious blood

of Christ,

like that of a lamb

without blemish or spot.

He was foreknown

before the foundation

of the world,

but was made manifest

in the last time

for the sake of you

who through Him

are believers in God,

who raised Him

from the dead

and gave Him glory

so that your hope

and your faith

are in God.

Jesus Christ died

on the cross,

the righteous

for the unrighteous

to bring you to God.

This is what He has done

for us.

This is the glory

that He's called us into.

It is an eternal glory

that comes from our position

of being in Christ.

And Peter says,

when the battle is fierce,

when you think

that you're going

to be overwhelmed,

when you think

that you can't go on

in following Christ,

He reminds you,

this is what's awaiting.

This eternal glory

that is yours,

that you've already tasted,

that you've already

stepped into

and will become

in its greater fullness

all of yours.

So stand firm

and don't give up.

Peter goes on.

The fourth thing He says

is at the end of verse 10,

He Himself will restore,

confirm, strengthen,

and establish you.

Four verbs.

God tells us

what God will do.

He Himself will do it.

The emphasis is that

God is with you in this.

He says He will restore

all the honor

and privilege

and the places

that you have lost,

the cost that you have borne

for following Christ.

He will restore

all those things

in His kingdom

and He will give you

a place of honor

as His child.

He will confirm you.

He will say,

yes, this one is mine,

though the enemy

may accuse

and whisper

all sorts of lies.

He will say,

because of the blood of Christ,

this one is mine

and I confirm that

and I will not let Him go.

And He will strengthen us.

He will strengthen us

with the example of Christ

who went before us,

enduring the cross,

despising the shame

for the joy set before Him

so that we might be His.

Strengthening us

with the examples

of the church

throughout history

and throughout the world

that are suffering even now

that we might hold firm together

because we're not alone in it.

Strengthening us

with the knowledge

that He's given us

His Holy Spirit

to dwell within us,

the Spirit of God

and of glory

so that we might not

have to rely on ourselves

but rely on Him.

Strengthening us

with the hope

of this future grace

that His promises are sure.

So He will restore us,

He will confirm us,

He will strengthen us

and He will establish us.

We are,

as He said in chapter 2,

people,

living stones

that God is building

into a living temple.

This is what it means

to be His church

in this world.

It's to be the place

where God Himself dwells

and manifests Himself

in His glory

in this age

as He prepares us

to be His people forever

in the new heavens

and the new earth

where we will worship Him

in fellowship with Him

forever without any sin.

You are a chosen race,

a royal priesthood,

a holy nation,

a people of His own possession

that you may proclaim

the excellencies of Him

who called you

out of the darkness

into His marvelous light.

Once you were not a people

but now you are God's people.

Once you would not receive mercy

but now you have received mercy.

And finally,

in verse 11,

He's a God who's with you

in the battle.

He's the God of all grace.

He's a God who has called you

into this eternal glory.

He's a God who Himself

has promised

that He will do

all these things for you.

And finally,

Peter says,

to Him be dominion

forever and ever.

Amen.

The persecution

of the Romans,

God has dominion.

the trials you are facing,

God has dominion.

The enemy who threatens

to destroy you,

God has dominion

over all these things.

Just as He has

throughout all of history,

He does today

and He will forever.

God's dominion

as the Creator

and as the ruler

of the world

has never,

ever been usurped.

And so Peter says

at the end of chapter 4,

let those who suffer

according to God's will

entrust their souls

to a faithful Creator

while doing good.

So Peter says,

stand firm.

Stand fast in your faith.

God is equipping you

and giving you

all of these things.

Be aware

that the battle is fierce,

but know that God

has got you in it.

And when the battle

is fierce

and when the enemy

sneaks up on you,

when you feel unprepared

and when you're overwhelmed

and when following looks

like it's going to be

too costly,

remember the gospel.

You won't hold firm

because you are strong enough

to withstand these things.

But look to the cross.

Remember Jesus

dying for you,

rising from the dead.

He has won

the ultimate victory

over sin,

over death,

over this enemy

that's prowling around.

And one day,

all of those enemies

will be fully defeated

if we cling to the cross

by faith.

Let's pray.

Lord, we...

we...

we admit that we are weak

and there are days

when we are ready

to give up.

Lord, when the battle

seems too hard,

Lord, when the enemy

seems to have won,

when it seems too costly

to stand firm,

oh, Lord Jesus,

we pray for your help.

Lord, help us

to stand firm in you

that the glory

that you have wrought

in Christ

might be displayed

in us to this world.

Lord, I pray for hearts today

that are discouraged

and despairing.

Lord, that you might

encourage us today.

We pray these things

in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.