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Humble Yourselves Under the Mighty Hand of God
1 Peter 5:5-14
Introduction: It is always interesting and instructive to see how a NT writer concludes his letter. It can possibly be one of the most important sections of the letter as he concisely brings together his final exhortation.
In light of the words of verse 6, consider how Peter has instructed us so far:
- Persecution is a part of living faithfully for Christ.
- Painful trials come as a test of faith and should not be surprising.
- These fiery trials are a beginning of God’s judgment and signal a much worse judgment on those who do not obey the gospel.
There are four imperatives or primary commands in the text:
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- Be subject to the elders, clothing yourselves with humility
- Be humbled under the mighty hand of God
- Be clear-minded and alert concerning the devil
- Take your stand against the devil and resist him
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- Be Subject to the Elders – Clothe Yourselves with Humility
- “Likewise, you who are younger…” In the Greek, “younger,” in contrast to the “elders,” simply refers to all the rest within the church. Since the elders have been charged with the awesome requirement of shepherding the flock within these trying times, it would be counterproductive to have a flock that did not submit to their spiritual guidance in things that have to do with keeping a Christian safe from the devil and from falling away during the fiery trial.
- Peter’s next concern is one that he addressed in the first chapter: “humility toward one another.” Those words are the key to unity among believers but also the key to caring for one another.
- Notice the words “clothe yourselves with humility.” These words imply the life of a person who has enveloped himself with humility. It is the signature mark of his character.
- But how can we recognize pride in ourselves? This is truly a challenge. How many people full of pride recognize that they are full of pride? That is fairly rare. Therefore, it is important for us to have a test by which we check ourselves on a daily basis. It is a simple test given by the apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 4:7, “What do you have that you did not receive?” Can you name something? Is there some ability, character trait, or possession that you have that you did not receive? Simple as that. When we realize that God has given us everything, we cannot think highly of ourselves, but instead desire to share what God has given. Cf. Deut. 8:17-18
- Consider also the words, “humility toward one another.” Humility is not simply a state of mind, it is exhibited through actions. Just as in the case of “love,” we don’t just think about it, we act upon it. Jesus acted on humility by washing the disciples’ feet. We think of others more important than ourselves.
- “God gives grace to the humble” – what do we need especially during trials? Grace!
- “Humble Yourselves Under the Mighty Hand of God”
- Peter turns from humility toward one another to humility toward God. However, the humility toward God is not what you might think. He is not talking about humbling ourselves in obedience to God but humbling ourselves in acceptance of whatever trial comes your way regardless of its severity.
- The phrase, “the mighty hand of God” is used repeatedly in the exodus story to refer to God’s power in delivering Israel out of Egyptian bondage (De. 4:34; 5:15). God expected Israel to accept the manner of God’s deliverance, which included the trials along the way.
- Therefore, this acceptance under the mighty hand of God will allow God to “exalt you at the proper time.” In Job 35:9-16, Elihu perfectly gives the concept of humbling ourselves under God’s mighty hand. We must “wait for Him.”
- “Casting all your cares on him” is the means to humility. The person with pride thinks he can do it on his own. He does not need help, and thus relies on himself. Pride says, “I am in control; I do not need God.” Consider King Saul. He never decided to truly seek God, repent of his foolishness, and humble himself. Even Ahab did that!!
- Be Clear-minded and Alert Concerning the Devil
- If a lion were loose in your neighborhood, would you just walk out your door as usual and casually walk to the mailbox? The NT repeatedly speaks of how dangerous the devil is. The word “devil” means adversary. He is not just a roaming being. His intention is to attack and kill everyone. He is not just in a particular location. He is the “prince of the power of the air.” If there is “air,” he is there. There is no question that we do not appreciate seriousness of the danger we are in. We are way too relaxed; way to casual.
- When you watch those nature programs and the part about the lions comes on, which animals do the lions attack? They attack the weak and the ones who are not watching. They attack the ones who are straying from the rest of the herd. That is a perfect parallel to what we need to do to “watch.”
- When we are not studying and praying daily, we are weaker than we think. We are vulnerable to the “lion.”
- When we are not closely connected to other Christians and our best friends aren’t Christians, we lose valuable accountability and strength and are therefore vulnerable to the “lion.”
- The devil has hundreds of millions armed forces working for him – “rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, spiritual forces of evil” (Eph. 6:12). They have a hatred for God and everything he created.
- Notice the remedy: sober-minded, watchful. In other words, it is important to always be aware of our surroundings, understanding the ways in which we are vulnerable. All of us know where our weaknesses are and therefore the need to avoid those temptations.
- Resist Him, Firm in Your Faith
- Notice first that in this text resisting the devil is connected with the same kind of suffering experienced by the brotherhood throughout the world. Suffering is a result of doing good (4:19), professing Christ (4:14), and not participating in the same sins they do (4:4). Just like us, these Christians would not have known “the brotherhood throughout the world,” but they should be encouraged to stand firm, united with them.
- Now other than sober-mindedness and watchfulness, what is the magic formula to defeating the devil? Resist! James 4:7 “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Oh but we often do not resist. We meekly say, “Oh don’t….stop….don’t….stop.” And then soon it is, “don’t stop!”
- Verse 10 is reminiscent of similar texts by Paul: 1 Thes. 5:23; Heb. 13:20-21. These are great texts assuring us that God is going to bring us through the difficulties of this life to the other side. The whole weight of our salvation does not rest with us, but with the power of the Lord.
- Concluding Remarks, 12-14
- “This is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.” In the midst of persecution and an abundance of false teachers (covered in 2 Peter), Peter assures his readers that he has given them the true grace of God. Summarized, Peter has stressed (1) the blood of Jesus, (2) salvation through water, (3) obligations in our social relationships, (4) the necessity of abstaining from sin, and (5) preparation for dealing with severe trial.
- “Greet one another with a kiss of love.” How easily we read over this, but how many times NT writers emphasized it, and how critically important. Obviously, I’m not talking about the kiss itself, but the greeting of love. Illustration: My son, Robb was frustrated with all the problems in their new house. It seemed endless. But after months of working on it, he said, “This house is really beginning to grow on me; I’m beginning to love it. Indeed, that is how love works. When we invest ourselves in someone or in something, love follows. Peter’s point is, if you don’t feel loving, act yourself into a new way of feeling.
Conclusion: We are elect exiles, chosen by God for a purpose. Therefore, we are not going to act and live like the Gentiles do!
Berry Kercheville