Lesson 19 – I Peter Chapter 5:6-14
As Peter opens up chapter 5, he has instructed the leaders in the church to make sure that they take very good care of the flock that God has entrusted to them. We can also take the application of this even further by being involved in the caring for and overseeing of our family, friends, and anyone else for that matter.
As a review of this characteristic let’s look at Titus 1:6-9:
“An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. An elder is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money. Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.” (NLT)
We can easily see from Titus that these qualifications are not only for leaders in the church, but for any disciple of Jesus Christ as well.
Peter also pointed out to us that as believers, we need to clothe ourselves with humility, that a prideful attitude has no place in God’s family. This now brings us to verse 6, which continues with the subject of us having humility.
I Peter 5:6
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,”
The first part of this verse can be translated as, “allow yourselves to be humbled.” We are trusting God to direct our lives and to work out His purposes in His time. This is about us forfeiting our right to govern ourselves and taking on the role of being an obedient servant.
James 4:10
“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
So far, Peter has given us some great lessons when it comes to us being submissive with the governing authorities, in the work place, and within the family unit, but if we are not humble before our Lord, then our submissiveness is all for nothing. The person who is fully surrendered to God will want to serve God and their fellow Christians as well.
Humility is therefore demonstrated by submission. It is the ability to willingly put away our own agenda for God’s, even if God’s agenda is expressed through another person. It’s important to remember that God will use family, friends, and even a complete stranger to speak to us in different ways. More often than not, God will use our spouse to humble us.
The mighty hand of God is a descriptive term of God’s sovereign power at work in and through the elders of the church, as well as in the experience of His people… again this includes all believers.
Isaiah 48:17
“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.”
If satan has his way, he wants to deceive us into thinking that God’s ways are just too restrictive, that it’s too hard to live for God all the time, when just the opposite is true.
When we align our lives with God’s will, it’s like us finding the perfect rhythm in life. Our godly humility seems to harmonize with what we read in the Scriptures, and our path becomes an easier way to travel. In our lifelong journey with God, we discover purpose, peace, and a sense of being part of His family. Each decision we make begins to resonate with God’s intentions, and even the challenges that come our way become opportunities for us to grow.
Ezekeil 36:26-27
“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”
Living for God may be difficult at times, but it’s not joyless. We will still face temptations and hardships, but when the glory of God is our focus, living for Him becomes the source of our joy rather than just a daily grind.
Psalm 100:2-3
“Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”
As Paul says in Romans 8:31b “If God is for us, who is against us?”
That He may exalt you at the proper time…
In the church’s time of persecution, suffering, and testing, this assurance would encourage Peter’s audience to continue and persevere.
Psalm 37:24
“Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” (NLT)
The key phrase here is “at the proper time” or we can say, “in due time.” God never exalts anyone until that person is ready for it. God’s timing is always perfect.
There might be times when we think God is dragging His feet, but that is never the case, God is always on time.
One commentary says, “First the cross, then the crown… first the suffering, then the glory.”
One of the evidences of our pride is the fact that we get impatient with God, this is why He allows us to go through certain things at certain times, so that we might learn humility and patience through it all.
Peter remembers hearing Jesus say, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)
At the proper time is to see it as the appointed time when God lifts His humbled and submissive children up out of their difficulties.
I Peter 5:7
“Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
Peter is quoting Psalm 55:22, “Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”
As believers work toward being humble and submissive, many times they find out that they have become stronger in faith in the midst of their trials.
Casting all your anxiety on Him…
Phil. 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Casting our anxiety on God and not being anxious about what we are experiencing, all involve us trusting God in His power and His sovereignty.
Casting our anxiety on God is a powerful act of surrender and trust on our part. When we recognize that we are not in control of everything and that God is at work, we can release all our worries and fears. It’s like handing over a heavy burden to someone who is stronger and wiser.
Not being anxious about what we are experiencing requires a shift in our perspective. Instead of dwelling on our circumstances, we focus on the One who holds the universe together. We acknowledge that God is aware of our every situation, and that He has a plan and purpose even in our everyday struggles.
Trusting God in His power and His sovereignty means believing that He is capable of handling any situation in our life. His power is limitless, and His sovereignty means that He is in full control over all things. When we trust in God’s character and His promises, we find peace even in the midst of uncertainty.
So, let us cast our anxieties on God, trust in His power, and find rest in His sovereignty.
Casting… means throwing something on someone else or something else. We cast our anxieties on God, things like discontentment, discouragement, depression, questioning, pain, suffering and whatever else comes our way. God can handle it. The problem is, we don’t always like the way God handles things, especially when it comes to our pain and suffering.
Matt. 6:33-34
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Even though “Each day has enough trouble of its own,” we are never alone, God is always with us to help us in our troubles.
I Peter 5:8
“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert… We touched on this way back in chapter 1:
I Peter 1:13 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
The primary way we do this is to live “the Spirit-filled” life, allowing God to be the main influence in our life, and not following the ways of the world.
Why?
Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour…
Our enemy, satan, and his demons are perpetually on the alert, waiting and watching, looking for a moment when we are tempted or weak. Satan is not only the adversary of God and His holy angels, but he is the venomous, nasty, cruel, relentless enemy of every believer.
The devil… (dee-ab’-o-los) takes this to the level, speaking of a “malicious enemy who slanders or attacks.”
A New York Times article from 1997:
“The Barna Research Group, who reported last week that nearly two-thirds of Americans do not believe in the Devil as a living entity. In a nationwide telephone survey of 1,007 randomly selected people earlier this year, Barna’s pollsters asked whether they agreed that Satan is ”not a living being, but is a symbol of evil.” Sixty-two percent agreed with the statement, while 30 percent disagreed; the remaining 8 percent had no opinion.”
We can only assume that in 27 years those numbers have increased dramatically.
Even as we cast our anxiety on God, know that satan is out to get you, he wants to destroy you. Satan is indeed very real, three times Jesus referred to him as the ruler of this world, which shows the impressive stage from which he launches his malicious attacks upon us.
It’s foolish to dismiss satan and the unseen world. Understand that satan commands the whole demonic realm, and he governs all of humanities fallen world systems. Knowing this makes it easy to realize the condition that the world is in today.
Prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour…
When we think of a lion, we might have past experiences of seeing them in a zoo or in an animal preserve. But Peter would have had a totally different perspective, seeing the gory executions of Christians in an arena, merely just for the entertainment of the Romans.
The imagery is sobering. To devour has a sense of “to gulp down,” emphasizing the final objective… not to just hurt someone, but to destroy them. This can be hard for us to grasp at times, that’s because we can’t see what’s going on behind the scenes in the spirit world.
As believers, we’re in a constant battle, facing temptations and deceptions of every kind, with the realization that we’re up against satanic diabolical forces, that satan and his demons are orchestrating world events as it spins out of control.
Eph. 6:12
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
So when Peter uses the imagery of a lion in reference to satan, don’t think of a big wild beast taking a nap under a tree, but rather an animal that wants to tear you apart limb from limb, so there is nothing left of you… spiritually speaking of course.
I Peter 5:9
“But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”
Satan can be and should be resisted! Resist means to take a stand against someone or something, and then to be firm is to make sure you’re standing strong in the Lord.
James 4:7
“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
As the saying goes, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything,” and in this case, we are to stand firm in our faith for Jesus Christ. As Christians, we stand on the firmest of foundations… Jesus our Lord and Savior.
Peter gives us the command to resist satan, to do this we must have a mind that is resolute, meaning to be unyielding or unwavering in our faith. The way we do this is to know and believe in sound doctrine and to be able to recognize truth from lies. The pathway to get there is through reading your Bible and praying… all the time.
Jude 3
“Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to His holy people.” (NLT)
Faith is important, faith is what gives us the ability to trust in Jesus for our salvation, and it’s this “once-for-all-time” faith that gives us the strength through the Holy Spirit to resist and stand firm against satan, the liar and deceiver.
Knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world…
We’re not alone in our faith. There are countless numbers of believers who have gone on before us, as well as all the believers of today, who experience the very same suffering we have. And if the Lord tarries, there will be many more after us who will experience suffering… for those in Christ, it comes with the territory.
James 5:10-11
For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.” (NLT)
God allows us to be tested in various way, sometimes it can be painful… but it’s all to accomplish His perfect work in the lives of His children.
I Peter 5:10
“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”
After you have suffered for a little while…
By now we have been amply familiarized with the fact that as believers, suffering will come into play in our lives. And in the grand scheme of things, Peter says it’s only for a little while. This can be easy to say if you’re not suffering in that moment in time… this is not to say that Peter didn’t suffer or wasn’t suffering.
At the end of his life Peter was crucified upside-down in Rome. Tradition says that when Peter was put to death, he requested to be crucified on an inverted cross. The reason for his request was because he had denied his Lord, he did not consider himself worthy to die as Jesus had.
Peter knew what it meant to suffer for Christ’s sake. As a leader in the early Christian community, Peter faced persecution from both religious authorities and the Roman Empire. Peter’s life was marked by both personal failings and remarkable courage. His experiences taught him that suffering, when endured with faith and hope, can lead to transformation and a deeper connection with Christ.
When we do suffer, especially if it’s physical suffering, it can seem like a lifetime. Christians need not fear suffering, knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. When we are through with this life on earth, we can have the confidence that God will glorify us in heaven. Until then, we know that God will continue His sanctifying work in us through any suffering we might endure.
Psalm 33:18
“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness,”
The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ…
Spiritual growth always comes through God’s grace. Our salvation is because of God’s grace. As we submit to Him, God gives us the grace we need. Where would we be if we didn’t have His grace? If it wasn’t for God’s grace, we would be totally lost and without any hope. His grace is the unmerited favor and love He extends to us, even though we don’t deserve it. And to beat it all, it says, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ…
God called you, this is the wonderful inheritance that we have been born-again into.
I Peter 1:4
“To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,”
We are called by God to salvation. After salvation, we are further called to grow in Christian virtue and serve God by our good works, [not that good works saves us]. God saved us and called us to be holy [we saw this in chapter1], not because of what we had done, but because of His own plan and kindness toward us.
We are called to God’s eternal glory through and in Christ. Whatever begins with God’s grace will always lead to God’s glory. The road to glory might be difficult at times, but for those who are in Christ, that’s all that really matters.
Will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you…
Phil. 1:6
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
It’s important to know that the believer’s glory will be made like Jesus’ glory.
Phil. 3:20
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”
And to God’s objective of us being made like Jesus, God will Himself [personally] achieve this. Even though we’re experiencing suffering and being attacked by satan… through it all, God continues to mold us into the image of Christ.
When Peter says that God will perfect us, it means to bring us to wholeness… we are to be settled in Christ.
James 1:2-4
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (NLT)
God perfects us by:
• Purifying us by the blood of Jesus Christ the Lamb, for nothing with sin can ever enter into the kingdom of heaven.
• Giving us a new and glorious body, and restoring all of His creation to its original state… perfection.
• Working all things for our good, having a perfect plan for our lives and moving heaven and earth to accomplish it.
• Making a way for us to live free and clean from sin by accepting what Jesus has done on the cross.
When God confirms us, this means He will: make stable, place firmly, set fast, or fix [as in a fixed position].
Psalm 90:17
“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.”
I Cor. 1:7b-8
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
God will strengthen us: this means to make sturdy. God’s strength given to us to meet the demands of everyday life.
II Thess. 3:3
“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”
Establish or settle: means to lay as a foundation.
What good is it to stand on the foundation of Christ if we don’t have power to act… this all comes by faith.
Psalm 7:9
“O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; for the righteous God tries the hearts and minds.”
We are established in God through Christ, He is our firm foundation. It’s the finished work of Jesus Christ that completes us. It’s the belief in what He has done for us.
Col. 2:6-7
“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”
As Paul says here, we should have an overflowing gratitude toward God for all that He has done for us. God reached out to us through His Holy Spirit when we needed Him the most. God did all the work for us, He offers us complete salvation through His Son Jesus… all we have to do is receive Him into our hearts. And now Peter relates to us that we are most certainly not all on our own, but that God is always there for us. Peter finishes his salutation by saying that God will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you… God’s blessings to us are never-ending.
I Peter 5:11
“To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
John MacArthur; “Contemplating all the aforementioned divine grace and overwhelmed by the thought of sanctification and glorification, as well as wanting to illustrate a mindset of worship, Peter bursts out in a short doxology rejoicing that God has dominion over all things forever and ever.”
This should give every believer in Christ a great sense comfort and peace to know that God is in control of all things, both in this world and throughout all eternity. Then, Peter gives a hearty Amen, which echoes a Jewish practice of declaring that everything that has been said is true and that the hearers were committed to putting into practice that truth.
I Peter 5:12-14
“Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ.”
Silvanus (aka, Silas) traveled with Paul and sometimes appears in his letters. By the time Peter is writing this, Paul is dead and gone on to glory with Jesus. Silas helped write this letter as Peter’s secretary. Peter declares him to be a faithful brother.
I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God… meaning that all he has written in this letter is true. We see this in II Peter 1:20-21:
“But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
Therefore it is safe for us to “Stand firm in it!”
She who is in Babylon…
You might think this to be an odd phrase, but Peter had great love for the believers in Rome, from where he wrote his letter. She who is in Babylon is an implied reference to that church. Babylon is possibly Peter’s code word or alias for Rome. Peter is merely being careful not to put his brothers and sisters in danger. Peter just didn’t want his letter to fall into the wrong hands, thus resulting in further persecution to the church.
Peter mentions Mark sending his greetings, this is the same John-Mark who was with Paul. He was Barnabas’s cousin.
Greet one another with a kiss of love… this is the brotherhood of believers, speaking of us having the same attitude toward one another. If you’ve ever gone to some kind of Christian function or a retreat, and you notice that a commonality exists… that’s the love of Jesus in the Body of Christ.
Peace be to you all who are in Christ…
There’s no shortcut when it comes to the principles Peter has presented to us in this letter. They will be perfected only as believers regularly and faithfully place themselves under preaching, teaching, and the study of God’s truth and obediently allow His Word to change their hearts and shape their characters.
James 1:22-25
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” (NLT)