Scripture Study
The Humble Battle and Beautiful Blessing
Reflections on 1 Peter, Chapter 5
1 Peter 5 provides insights on what it is to be humble but also to be ready to fight the devil.
Humble leaders and humble people
Peter reminds us of the need for humility. He directs this both to the leaders and to the flock.
The leaders are to be humble shepherds, gently guiding them. They are not to lord it over them, and they are to serve eagerly because God has entrusted this job to them.
This is a really beautiful picture of leadership, where the leaders are compassionate, joyful, wise, and understanding.
The humility, however, is not just for the leaders. The younger people in the church are to submit to their elders. The motivation for this humility is interesting: because it is what God wants, and God delights in the humble.
What is humility?
Often, we equate humility with modesty, a playing down of our achievements. But I think there is more to it than that.
There is an inherent knowledge that God is King and that we are sinful and fallen. When Paul writes that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of who I am the worst”(1 Timothy 1:15, NIV), that is an expression of humility.
When we recognize our dire need for God, we will be eager to find leaders to guide us; we will refrain from thinking of ourselves as better than those we lead.
Therefore, when Peter tells us to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, it is this. It is us recognizing that God is in control, he is mighty, and his purposes prevail; whereas we are weak, poor, and not in control of our surroundings.
But, in this comes blessing. God will lift us up.
When we recognize that our situations are beyond us, it becomes easy to cast our anxieties on God. He cares and he is capable of helping us. I know that the act of letting God take control of my life and my problems requires a great act of willpower.
I arrogantly assume I can handle it, but it quickly becomes obvious I can’t. I need to remind myself of my need for God before I even try to do it in my own strength.
The battle ahead
The next few verses, perhaps, then give us cause for anxiety: the devil is on the prowl. My list of worries often excludes this one. (It’s usually thoughts like, “Where did I put my passport?” or “Will I get there on time?”)
Are we, then, called to think about this reality more often? We are meant to be in a state of readiness, prepared to go into battle. I don’t know about you, but I don’t often feel that way.
Another interesting thought is that we are to stand firm in the faith but with humility and grace. We are to have absolute confidence in our faith. But this is not born out of our intellectual capabilities or knowing the right answers.
It’s the opposite.
We know we can’t fathom the acts and purposes of God. They are far beyond our reason. But because of that, we can be confident in something greater than ourselves.
We are, therefore, called to fight, knowing that we have the victor on our side.
Reflection
Here are some questions to provoke thought. Feel free to write your responses in the comments.
- What does humility look like? How do you remain humble?
- What causes you anxiety?
- Are you ready to fight the devil? How do you get ready to do that?
Justin Marsh is a missionary who has served in Asia for over six years. He is the country leader of a team of missionaries and has just completed an MA that looks at missional practice. Whilst his team works within a range of contexts across the country, Justin’s focus is the Muslim minority groups. He is the owner of the publication THE CO-MISSION.