Which lion do you serve?
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Faith Fitness
Bro. Sam Kaufman
The internet defines the lion as being a large cat of the genus Panthera, native to Africa and India.
It has a muscular, broad-chested body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the tip of its tail. Adult male lions are larger than females and have a prominent mane.
The male lion is also said to be “the king of the jungle.”
If you read your Bible regularly, you know that the devil is compared to a roaring lion. But there is also a greater lion – the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who is Jesus.
Did you know we serve either one of those or the other?
In other words, you can’t serve two masters, according to the Bible.
To those who serve God, don’t think the enemy isn’t lurking in the shadows to try and trip you up.
Remember, Peter wrote the following God-inspired words to the church, not to those unsaved in the world: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (I Peter 5:8)
But I thoroughly like the next verse, which provides our victory through the Lion of the Tribe of Judah over the lion that is the enemy of our souls.
“Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (I Peter 5:9)
We can resist the devil. It requires submission to God’s Word. Submit yourselves to God, then resist the devil, and he (the devil) will flee from you.
When we walk in the Spirit of God – as the Bible tells us to do – we can defeat the lion (enemy) and thwart his every attempt to derail us.
A couple of Old Testament figures did just that.
Sampson was as strong as they come – but not in himself. It was the Spirit of God that gave him his uncanny strength.
In fact, there was power in God to destroy the lion. God showed that to Samson.
“Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.” (Judges 14:5)
The roar was meant to intimidate. Its intent was to strike fear into the hearers.
In the natural, that loud sound would cause reason for concern. Most would look to see where it came from. Then, the sight of the nearby lion would make most run from it.
But the Spirit of the Lord produced a different reaction from Samson. The Bible tells us not to fear.
We can stand our ground against the enemy – just as Jesus did when He was tempted in the wilderness. Jesus used the Word of God (Sword of the Spirit) to dismantle the enemy’s efforts. Note that in Jesus’ temptation, it was a serpent that came to him. But the serpent couldn’t prevail over the Lion of Judah, as it did so many years back with Eve yielding to the serpent’s temptation.
Samson revealed a boldness that only comes from God when confronted by the young lion.
“And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him (the lion) as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mothers what he had done.”
The power of the Lord’s might is a force to be reckoned with. Absolutely nothing can withstand it. We have that authority in Jesus, who has given us power to tread on serpents and scorpions and power over all power of the enemy.
We can’t achieve that strength in ourselves. It comes from God’s Spirit.
Samson tore the lion apart with his bare hands. He had nothing in his hands – no physical weapon of that day. The Bible tells us the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strongholds.
An excellent Spirit was found in Daniel of the Old Testament. The Spirit of the Lord in Daniel led to his holy lifestyle and consistent prayer life.
Additionally, the Spirit of the Lord kept the lions at bay when he was thrown into a whole den of lions that were chomping at the bit. God ordered the mouths of the lions to be shut.
