"Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. You know that all over the world the Lord's followers are suffering just as you are." (CEV)
What is God saying?
God's followers need to pay attention to the fact that the devil is trying to destroy their faith, so they must defend their faith against his attacks. They are to take courage in the knowledge that all believers around the world are also fighting the good fight against the devil.
What is God saying to us today?
In our modern western society, many - if not most - of us fall into the extremes of either thinking the devil's attacks are no big deal or thinking that everything is an attack of the devil. Christians that are dismissive of Satan's efforts can find themselves caught up in the things of this world. Christians that see Satan ready to attack behind every nook and cranny of life can find themselves isolated from the world. Both extremes result in a victory for the devil, because both groups become unable to share the true gospel with a world that desperately needs it. Being a good guard doesn't mean that you allow everyone to enter, but it also doesn't mean that you shoot everything that moves. That is why we need to be appropriately on guard and awake, so that we can continue to share our faith with the world and not lose it in the process.
What is God inviting us to do?
Do you give too little consideration to the devil's attacks? Too much? God invites us to have a living and active faith that is aware of the spiritual dangers out there, but remains focused on Him.