GREEK
WORD WITH ENGLISH TRANSLITERATION: γρήγορευω (gregoreuo)
PRONUNCIATION:
gray-gore-YOO-oh
STRONG’S
CONCORDANCE #: 1127
MEANING:
to be watchful; to be on the alert; to remain awake;
ENGLISH
WORDS DERIVED FROM: Gregory
BACKGROUND
OF WORD (ETYMOLOGY):
This word was a military term used primarily to
denote the watchful attitude of one who is on the lookout to make certain no
enemy or aggressor can successfully gain entry into his life or place of
residence.
HOW
TRANSLATED IN KJV, NASB AND/OR ESV: watch; vigilant; alert
#
OF TIMES USED IN THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT: 24
KEY
VERSE IN THE BIBLE WHERE GREEK WORD USED:
1
Peter 5:8 -
"Be sober-minded; be watchful
(γρήγορευω). Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour."
THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY:
Has the devil ever tried to use your
past against you? Maybe he's told you, “You're in this mess because of your own
actions! Don't even try to ask God to help you because you got into this mess
by yourself, and now you're going to have to get out of it by yourself! God
won't help you, because you're reaping exactly what you've sown!”
If you've ever heard these kinds of
accusations from the devil, then 1 Peter 5:8 is just for you! It says,
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
The word “vigilant” comes from the Greek
word gregoreo, which means to be on your guard, to be watchful, or to be attentive. This word primarily
denotes the watchful attitude of one who
is on the lookout to make certain no enemy or aggressor can successfully gain
entry into his life or place of residence.
This tells us that we must be on high
alert against an enemy who is seeking to gain access to our lives. The Greek
tense for the word “vigilant” means to be
continually, perpetually vigilant. That means this is not a one-time act of
vigilance, but the attitude of a person who is unwavering in his commitment.
This person has resolved that he will never let up in his pledge to be watchful, wide awake, and on the lookout to make sure some
sinister force doesn't successfully sneak up to attack and overtake him.
The fact that Peter uses the word gregoreo lets us know that the devil
can be pretty sneaky in the way he attacks. Therefore, we must be constantly observant to keep the devil
out of our affairs.
Peter goes on to say, “Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary....”
That word “adversary” is from the Greek word antidikos. This word was used in New Testament times for a lawyer who argued in a court of law.
This was the picture of a prosecutor who
brought offenders to court, argued vehemently against them, and then sent them
off to prison. Now Peter uses this word to depict the way the devil may try to
overtake us!
Peter is telling us that when the devil
strikes, he often acts like a lawyer who tries to bring us down by prosecuting
us with the facts of our past sins and mistakes. The enemy drags up facts from
the past and reminds us of our former failures; then he vigorously tries to
convince us that we deserve to be in the mess we are in. If the devil is
successful in his prosecution, he will persuade us to believe that we are
unrighteous and unworthy and that we deserve as just punishment whatever
difficulties he is throwing our way.
It is unfortunate that many believers
assist the devil in his efforts to prosecute them by being irresponsible or
negligent in key areas of their lives. For instance, many people have money
problems because they have spent too much money or used their credit cards way
beyond the limit of what they could afford. Others get sick in the wintertime
because they go outside without proper clothing. Marriages get into trouble
because the spouses never spend time together or do anything to nurture their
relationships. Christians like to blame the devil for everything that happens,
but the truth is, people usually help out the enemy a little along the way!
Praise God, when we sin and do wrong,
His grace is there to forgive and to restore us! But the devil is also there.
The enemy remembers every innocent mistake made along the way, and like a prosecutor or “adversary” (the Greek
word antidikos), he comes to accuse
you. Like a lawyer, he argues his points in your mind, saying:
·
You're in this
mess because of your own dumb mistakes!
·
You're reaping
what you sowed, and there's no way for you to get out of this mess!
·
You're paying
for your past!
·
Your kids are a
mess because you failed as a parent!
·
You're going to
go bankrupt because you spent too much money on worthless things!
·
You've destroyed
all your friendships because you weren't a faithful friend!
Sometimes the devil is accurate in what
he tells you. It may be true that you
created this mess! You really may have messed up your friendships by not
being a faithful friend. You may have spent too much money, and the financial
trouble you're in now may very well be your own fault! All the devil's accusations may be true. Believe me, he isn't going
to make up some absurd fantasy that won't affect you. The devil is going to try to use facts and arguments that make sense to
you so you'll agree with him!
But you must never forget what David
told us: The Lord is the One who redeems our lives from destruction (Psalms
103:4). He is a restoring, delivering, redeeming God! He wants to snatch
you out of the power of darkness and get you over into His realm of life and
light where past sin won't continue to exert its influences upon you (Colossians
1:13)! You just need to genuinely repent of past mistakes, get your heart
right with God, and then tell the devil to flee!
If you keep dwelling on the accusations
that the enemy is speaking against you in your mind, you'll find yourself in
trouble pretty quickly. Peter goes on to tell you why this is so: “...The
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
Have you ever heard lions when they are
hungry? They roar so loudly that the sound is nearly deafening. Peter says that
this is what it's like when the devil starts attacking your mind. Your mind is
so filled with the roars of the enemy's accusations that you can't hear
anything else but those lies. He
tells you over and over, “You're going to
fail...fail...fail...fail...FAIL!!!” Even when people try to tell you the
truth, it's hard to hear what they're saying because those lies are roaring so
loudly in your mind and ears!
CHALLENGE
FOR THE DAY:
If you keep giving ear to the devil's
accusations, he will keep you all torn up inside and in a constant state of
turmoil. In fact, Peter says he will “devour” you. The word “devour” is the
Greek word pinœ, which means to drink, to lick, or to slurp up, as a lion might lick the blood
of his prey off the ground. The devil wants to turn you into a mess of
liquid emotions and then lick you up until there's nothing left of your life.
That's what he wants to do with you —
but you don't have to let him do it!
When
you put all these words together, 1 Peter 5:8 could be interpreted:
“You
must be constantly alert and on your guard! The devil, like an accusing lawyer,
will try to charge you with all kinds of arguments and accusations. You need to
know that he is like a lion on the prowl — constantly walking around, roaring
with a deafening sound, earnestly seeking the kind of person he can completely
consume and slurp up!”
You
don't have to fall victim to the devil's attacks! Peter tells us,
“Whom resist stedfast in the faith...” (1 Peter 5:9). If you'll resist
the devil, you can run him clear out of your mind and your life. He doesn't
know how to deal with those who stand up to him, so he runs in fear when a
believer challenges him! And if you feel too weak to resist the devil by
yourself, I would advise you to find people who know how to pray and let them
help you!
Has the devil been harassing you about
anything in particular? Are you tired of this constant harassment? If so, it's
time for you to stand up, throw back your shoulders, and command him to leave
in Jesus' name! Then determine to stay alert and watchful, constantly on your
guard. You can be sure that the enemy will try to come back to accuse you again
— but next time, you'll be ready for him!
PRAYER
FOR THE DAY:
Lord,
I am asking You to help me take authority over the accusations that the devil
has been speaking in my mind. He's been telling me all the reasons that I
shouldn't have any hope and that I deserve to be in this mess. But Your grace
is greater than any mistake I've made or sin I've committed in the past! I know
that You have forgiven me and redeemed me from any mess I've created by my own
actions. I thank You now for Your forgiveness and mercy, and today I lay claim
to the power of restoration! Devil, right now I command you to leave me in
Jesus' name! I refuse to listen to your accusations any longer! I pray this in
Jesus' name! Amen
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