A Good Defense

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of spiritual defense and being alert to resist the devil's temptations.

On the basketball court, our grandson’s seventh-grade team did their best to score. Offense was their passion. But after each basket, their coach urged them to hurry back downcourt and play defense, which they were sometimes reluctant to do. Everyone wanted to score, but no one seemed eager to put in the hard work of defending. The key to the game, the coach taught them, was in anticipating the movements of the opposing players. Stepping in front of a pass or shot would thwart the other team’s scoring and help the team win the game. A defensive strategy that anticipates the moves of our enemy can also help in our spiritual lives. And who is that enemy? Peter’s letter to believers in Jesus reminds us. “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). So “be alert and of sober mind,” Peter wrote. Indeed, we’re called to “resist” our spiritual enemy, “standing firm in the faith” (v. 9). Living out an active defense leads us as believers in Jesus to be more effective in our lives and in the productive work we seek to do for His kingdom. Then, if we…

Topics covered

• spiritual defense
• faith
• overcoming temptation
• Christian living
• spiritual warfare

Keywords

• spiritual defense
• 1 Peter 5:8
• resist the devil
• Christian faith
• basketball analogy

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: 1 Peter

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