We stopped dead in our tracks as the lion began to roar. My toddler grandson was just a few steps ahead of us, closest to the huge animal. The majestic lion, with his gorgeous, black-tipped mane, towered above Liam, who had his nose pressed against the wall of protective glass. Liam was enamored by the animal’s mighty roar echoing throughout the zoo.
Liam stood tall and brave, as he tapped on the safety glass with a challenging, “Hey, you!” as if to say, “Be quiet, you don’t scare me!” The video we took of the brave little boy scolding the roaring lion will remain a family favorite.
The lion’s roar over Liam may not have been heard five miles away, but it was loud enough to make us stand in awe and wonder at that magnificent creature and grateful for the protective glass between us.
God’s Word tells us that we have an enemy intent on our destruction. He is likened to a lion that is far from good and not safe. First Peter 5:8 tells us: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Sadly, we often choose to live in fear and defeat, with little understanding of how to stand in the courage and victory Christ has already purchased for us through His death, resurrection, and ascension. We can get overwhelmed by the enemy’s roars to the point that we no longer hear the loudest roar of our mighty God and the truth of His Word. We can easily forget that God is our refuge, our mighty fortress, our strong deliverer.
Recently, I’ve heard some followers of Christ talk about how it seems that Satan’s power is increasing and he is winning. Many are living in defeat as if the roar of the enemy is louder than the roar of the Lion of Judah. They seem to be forgetting all that Jesus has won for us.
Others haven’t thought much about the enemy’s roars or haven’t discerned his attacks on their lives. Some Christ-followers choose to ignore the importance of understanding our position of victory over the enemy because they think if they ignore him, he’ll leave them alone.
Then others doubt that the enemy even exists and view him as a silly fictional character in horror movies. God’s Word teaches us that the enemy is a formidable foe and that we need to know how to boldly stand against him. He wants to lull us into complacency or ignorance about his schemes and tactics and not take him seriously. I wonder if the apostle Paul had similar concerns for believers when writing to the church in Ephesus, a city steeped in the worship of false gods.
As followers of Christ, we battle the enemy, our sin, and this clamoring-for-our-attention world that can threaten to overtake us with fear, distraction, and even doubt about the power, protection, and nearness of our God. But our Most High, Almighty God is the Victor. He is the Lion of Judah with the loudest roar. And because of Him, we can “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”
As followers of Christ, thankfully we are given the mighty weapons of God’s Word, His armor, and the roar of prayer in order to stand firm and daily live in the victory that Jesus has already won for us.
Adapted from The Loudest Roar: Living in the Unshakable Victory of Christ by Judy Dunagan. (©2022). Published by Moody Publishers. Used by permission.
