“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; And so does Mark my son. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:8-14)
Peter’s final words of this letter provide a striking recap for the persecuted Christian. All their sufferings are part of an all-out assault from our archenemy, the devil. Like a hungry lion on the prowl, Satan zeroes in on his prey—God’s people. In deceiving and frightening them, he has one goal—to devour them, to destroy them spiritually and eternally.
Sound terrifying? Hopeless? Not if believers employ the weaponry with which God has equipped them (Ephesians 6:10-17); not if we remain vigilant, trusting in the Lord’s strength and promises of an already accomplished and assured victory over Satan; not if we remember the many believers who have resisted him and remained faithful.
“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) While we are no match for Satan, he is no match for God. He wasn’t when he led the doomed angelic rebellion in heaven (Revelation 12:7-9) and, because of Christ, he ever remains an eternal loser who can only cower and cringe before the might of the Lord (James 2:19).
Peter’s closing doxology (verses 10-11) takes us through our life’s struggles to their eternal outcome. Not only will God’s grace “perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle” us in the here and now, that same grace that called us will deliver us safely to eternal glory. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18) Yes, even though the storm clouds are gathering (treated in our upcoming 2 Peter study), those clouds will soon give way to the light and glory of Paradise. “To Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever.”
Peter concludes by acknowledging the role of Silvanus (likely Paul’s missionary companion Silas) as his scribe or messenger of this letter to all the scattered and persecuted churches and souls throughout Asia Minor. “Babylon” (the mighty Old Testament enemy of God’s people and the Revelation name for Satan’s kingdom) may symbolize the spiritually hostile environment of Rome itself, in which Peter and his fellow Christians labored for Christ.
How precious are the Apostle’s closing greetings of spiritual “peace in Christ” and the “kiss of love.” Do we not also cherish our own many expressions of Christian fellowship and peace in our homes, in our church families and yes, also within our CLC fellowship (Psalm 133)? In spoken and written words (including the Lutheran Spokesman, Daily Rest devotions, The Branches women’s fellowship, as well as digital forums), in personal messages of comfort and encouragement, in the face to face faith-strengthening fellowship of our churches and synod, in our joint and joyful gifts and support for the Lord’s work—in all of this we are truly greeting one another in “peace” with a “kiss of love.” May such customs ever flourish among us!
“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
is a retired pastor and a member of the CLC Board of Doctrine. He lives in St. Paul Park, Minnesota.
