Stand Firm

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

1 Peter was written by the apostle Peter. It is a letter addressed to “God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the lands of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, the province of Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Pet. 1:1; 1). This letter addresses believers who were suffering under “fiery trials” (1 Pet. 4:12). Peter encourages these Christians to live lives of integrity, in a respectable and orderly way. He also encourages them to stay focused on their eternal promise of heaven and that Christ is returning soon. Some key themes in 1 Peter is that Christians are foreigners and aliens while on earth, their true home is in heaven. Another theme is that Peter addresses the believers as born again through the Spirit; they are redeemed by Christ’s blood. Peter also commands the believers to be holy, just as God is holy (1:15).

Chapter 5 is addressed to the Elders and their “flock” or congregations. Peter discusses how the Elders should lead their flocks just as the “Chief Shepherd” leads His heard of sheep. Then he addresses the “flock” in that they should submit themselves to their elders. All believers should “clothe yourselves with humility toward one another” (5:5) Matthew Henry discusses this specific passage of scripture in that this humility given to fellow believers “preserves peace and order in all Christian churches” (3). This peace is peace that means now quarrels between believers and all are united under Christ. No one is operating under selfish gain, but in the best interest of one’s fellow believers.

Read 1 Peter 5:6-11

        The first command in this passage is for Christians to humble themselves. In the Greek this translates from “tapeinoō” (pronounced tap-i-no’-o), which “signifies to make low or bring low” (2). This is also connected to the previous paragraph that discusses having humility with one another in the church. Not thinking higher of one’s self over another. The next command is to cast all of one’s anxieties on God. To cast comes from the Greek word “epirrhipto” (pronounced ep-ir-hrip’) which means to throw upon(2). The image that comes to mind with this translation is throwing away garbage. One doesn’t hold onto garbage while it is in a garbage can, nor does one normally go back to the garbage can to retrieve that garbage. Likewise, our anxieties or our cares should be treated the same way when they are cast or thrown to God.

        The next paragraph connects to allowing God to take control of our situation with humbling ourselves to His authority in our lives. Peter commands the believers to resist the devil and instead stand firm in their faith (5:9). Standing firm in our faith is the picture that Peter gave in the previous paragraph; humbling ourselves before God and casting or throwing all of our anxieties on Him. The consequences of doing this is peace from the Holy Spirit. We trust and rely on God to take care of all our worries and the things that cause us to fear and in turn He cares for us and soon He will “restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast” (5:11).

         How can you create a strategy to resist the devil that aligns with this passage in 1 Peter? Make a list of steps you can follow, in order, whenever the devil tempts you or causes you to feel anxious.

1. Schenck, Kenneth. Jesus Is Lord!: an Introduction to the New Testament. Triangle Publishing, 2009.

2. Strong, James (2001). The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible: Red-letter Edition. Thomas Nelson.

3. Water, M., Henry, M., Wesley, J., & Spurgeon, C. H. (2003). Parallel commentary on the New Testament: Charles Spurgeon, John Wesley, Matthew         Henry. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.