How Should Believers Live, Knowing the Devil Is Real?

We are not walking through a neutral world. We are walking through a battlefield.

The Bible does not speak of Satan as a symbol or metaphor. Scripture speaks of him as a real spiritual enemy with a clear intent. He is not a distant figure in a cosmic drama. He is active. He is calculated. And he is hunting.

The Bible urges believers to be sober-minded and alert. This is not a casual suggestion. It is a command that calls every Christian to wake up and pay attention. We are to think clearly and live with our eyes wide open.

This warning appears more than once, and repetition in Scripture is never without reason. When the Bible repeats a message, it is shining a spotlight on something vital. Being spiritually alert matters. It is a mark of maturity and a shield of protection.

The danger facing believers is not only physical persecution or opposition from people. There is a deeper threat. The Bible reveals that the true enemy is not flesh and blood, but the one who works behind the scenes. It is the devil who wages war against the followers of Christ. The men and women who come against us are not the main threat. The spiritual force behind them is.

The Bible describes the devil as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. The original Greek word used in this context means to swallow whole or to drown. It is an image of total destruction. Satan wants to consume everything he can. Not because he has power over eternity, but because he wants to cripple our faith.

The believer’s salvation is secure in Christ. The devil cannot undo the finished work of Jesus. He cannot pull us out of the Father’s hand. But that does not stop him from trying to shake us, distract us, and weaken our walk.

He aims to poison our thinking with fear. He wants to distort our view of God’s goodness. He plants lies that make us question whether God is really for us. His mission is to make us ineffective, to drain us of joy, courage, and conviction. He wants to silence our witness and dull our edge. If he cannot touch our soul, he will do everything he can to cloud our mind and crush our spirit.

Still, the Bible does not tell us to be afraid. It does not instruct us to ignore the devil, but it also does not call us to live in fear of him. We are not told to retreat or to hide. We are not called to pretend he is not real, nor are we told to give him more attention than he deserves.

Instead, Scripture calls us to stay alert. To stay sober-minded. To remain rooted in truth. The Bible tells us to resist the devil, standing firm in faith, knowing that we are not alone in this fight.

Spiritual warfare is real. The devil is real. But so is the power of God that protects us. So is the victory of Christ that holds us. And so is the calling to live boldly, not timidly.

The devil wants to devour. But Jesus came to deliver. And because of Him, we are not helpless. We are not prey. We are watchmen, soldiers, and sons and daughters of the Most High.

Stay awake. Stay grounded. Stand firm in the truth.

You already belong to the One who has overcome.