“Keep your mind clear, and be alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion as he looks for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 GW).
An apex predator (also known as an alpha predator), is an animal that occupies the highest position in a food chain. As a result, these dangerous animals have few, if any, predators of their own. To a limited extent, we might also view the devil, our spiritual adversary, as a type of apex predator who possesses no other enemies, except One. This passage thus utilizes the imagery of a roaring lion to illustrate the violent, aggressive nature of this foe.
While the devil may employ various strategies (like stealth, camouflage, or entrapment) to achieve his objectives, 1 Peter 5:8 portrays this formidable enemy in his natural state: a ferocious, predatory animal that seeks to terrorize potential victims with a fearsome roar. With this in mind, it’s interesting to note that the Scriptures also link Satan to another formidable creature…
“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:9).
When taken together, these images portray a vicious, savage adversary that seeks to devour potential victims. Thus, we have Jesus’ characterization of the devil from John 8:44: “…He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”
However, this menacing enemy has an opponent who is even greater in power. The Biblical epistle of 1 John identifies that adversary and highlights His objective…
“For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8 NET).
Jesus further defined His “seek and destroy” mission with the aid of a parable…
“No one can break into a strong man’s house and take away his belongings unless he first ties up the strong man; then he can plunder his house” (Mark 3:27 GNT).
Satan represents the strong man within that parable, while Jesus represents the one who binds him and seizes his possessions. Jesus began plundering the enemy’s possessions through His earthly ministry and substitutionary death- and He will ultimately conclude that work on a permanent basis (Revelation 20:10).