1 Peter 5:8 (ESV Strong's)
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Truth: Giving your cares to God does not mean we are passive and careless in our walk with God and against Satan.
Peter, in the verses just prior to the one above, has just told the believers he is writing to, that they are to refrain from anxious behavior and turn their cares over to God. Why? Because He cares for them! However, that does not mean that we become passive passengers on the arms of God's grace. In the above passage we are told that Satan is like a lion, a roaring lion, who is stalking us as his prey. We are not to allow him to devour us, simply because God is taking care. We are to have a part, through faith, in our own defense. We do that by being aware of his wilily tricks and by keeping our minds upon Christ. Peter has already told the believers in this letter on the need to be "sober-minded" (1 Peter 1:17; 4:13). He repeats the command once again, here, and implores them to be also, watchful. God is at work in our lives to protect us from the Evil One. That work of God, however, is engaged for us, as we are watchful and sober-minded, in faith, to allow God to be at work. Our being careless and carefree and not realizing the avenues Satan uses in our lives is lazy. Peter is warning us that being lazy and unaware of Satan's ploys can result in our being devoured by him.
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