Peter advises the younger men to emulate the elders by walking in humility and to realize that often, our path to the glory of God involves walking through suffering.

Here is the video link:

1 Peter 5:5-11 Advice to the “youngers”

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Here is today’s transcript:

5:5-11… Those Who are Younger ( not elders )

5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”[a]

“Clothe yourselves” is a rare word that refers to a slave putting on an apron before serving. So Christians are to imitate their Lord, who girded himself and served (Jn 13:4-17). The “youngers” or “elders in training” are to adopt a servants attitude – placing others needs ahead of your own. This is the very depiction of “Agape” love – the servant’s heart. Our servanthood is not based on our emotional attachment to those we like/love. Our servant’s heart is an act of the will – the very thing that separates Agape from other forms of love.

Any other attitude than humility-based Agape is pride and selfishness. Peter reminds them about God’s attitude towards pride. Submitting to the elders – i.e. recognizing their position in the Church and deferring to them, and walking with humility are the orders of the day for the younger men.

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 

In the OT, God’s hand symbolized discipline (Ex 3:19; 6:1; Job 30:21; Ps 32:4) and deliverance (Dt 9:26; Eze 20:34). Both meanings are appropriate in view of the sufferings of the Asian Christians. Once more Peter ties his exhortation to humility to the end times. 

The “due time” could mean the time God has set for Christ’s appearing – but it could also mean that when you walk in obedience during a time of suffering, God will lift you up when the time of suffering is completed. When the time was right, God gave Moses to lead the children of Israel out of their suffering in Egypt. I went through a terrible time between January 2002 and the beginning of 2003. When that time of suffering drew to a close, God lifted me up, and moved my wife and I out of Conyers to Dallas, Georgia for our next chapter in our lives. Times of blessings, times of suffering, and times of deliverance are all under the Hand of God. He is sovereign over ALL circumstances. One of my favorite names for Him is only found once in the story of Hagar – Sarah’s maidservant. When Hagar called out to God and He answered her, she called Him “El Roi – the God Who sees.” God is the God of ALL my circumstances – He is the “God Who Sees…ME.” If you can truly embrace that God SEES you – SEES your circumstances – SEES your suffering, then you can wait for Him to deliver you… because He will. He sees you.

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Anxiety is based on fear. Casting our anxieties on Him will require an act of the will, even in the face of mind-numbing anxiety. Faith is not truly understood until there is a need for it. I remember in the 7th grade I had acquired a bully. He taunted me, hit me, humiliated me every chance he had. The day I stood up to him and fought him was the most frightening day of my life. But I did it. I won that fight, and the bullying stopped. When anxiety hits, it is much like that. Fear/anxiety is a bully. You must NOT let it have its way. I was terrified when the moment came to fight that bully. But I stood up as if I was NOT afraid (even though I was)… and won. Someone described faith as “If you were NOT afraid, what would you do?” In other words, “If you were NOT afraid of this thing that is front of you… how would you respond?” THAT is casting all your anxiety on Him. 

8 Be alert and of sober mind. 

νήφω nēphō, v. [6] [→ 392, 1729, 3766, 3767]. to be self-controlled, clear-headed

The word “Be” is an action word, a verb. We are not to be passive. We are called to be continually alert.  As my brother-in-law (a soldier) would say… “Keep your head on a swivel.” God’s sovereignty does not preclude peril to the Christian life. Be alert. Alert means to be clear-headed. Vigilant. Be prepared for what God is going to do next. Why? Because the enemy of our soul is vigilant, let there be no doubt. YOU be vigilant a well.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 

ἀντίδικος antidikos, n. [5] [√ 505 + 1472]. enemy, opponent (in battle or in court):– adversary (3), adversary who is taking to court (1), enemy (1)

The word “enemy” meant an opponent in a lawsuit who is taking you to court(cf. Job 1:6ff.; Zec 3:1; Rev 12:10). This enemy is actively pursuing your prosecution. “Devil” is the Greek translation of the Hebrew “Satan” (1Ch 21:1; Job 2:1), which means “slanderer.” According to Scripture, he has great power on earth, “being the prince of this world” (Jn 14:30) and “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Eph 2:2). The devil attempted to destroy the infant church by persecution. His methodology and plans have other changed. He seeks to destroy.

9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, 

ἀνθίστημι anthistēmi, v. [18] [√ 505 + 2705]. to resist, oppose, rebel, withstand:

“Resist” is the same word as that found in Eph 6:11-13 and Jas 4:7 in contexts of struggle against hostile spiritual forces. This is not a passive hold-your-hands-up and saying “stop!”. This is an active word, encouraging us to rebel against the king of this world, by standing firm. Satan is a bully – and must be resisted. 

The word  “faith” can mean the Christian system of belief and lifestyle or it can mean our active trust in God to deliver us. In either case we are encouraged to be firm in our faith.

because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Here in the United States (currently) persecution of the Church has been mainly only name-calling. But in other parts pf the world, the enemy of our souls has displayed his hand – Christians are being murdered, jailed, maimed, and otherwise destroyed because of their faith. In America, we have a distorted view of what real persecution is because we have yet to experience the full fury of our enemy, the devil.

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 

καλέω kaleō, v. to call, invite, summon. The authority of the speaker dictates the nature of the calling (friends invite; kings summon).

This word can mean an invitation, or a summons, depending on the authority of the one who is speaking. In this case it is God – and this is a summons. You do not defy a summons. The King calls, you go. 

This summons will occur after we have suffered a little while. You will suffer, Peter is telling his readers, but then afterwards, you will be called to His glory. Contained in the calling is the coming glory… through suffering. 

I see the picture of Israel going through the Red Sea. The one thing I almost never hear spoken about was how terrifying it must have been to see literal walls of water on either side of them as they made that trek. They literally walked through terror to the salvation that waited on the other side. Consider Noah and his family… we always focus on the glory of his hearing God, obeying and building that ark. But what those last few moments before the ark began its mission of floating above the waters? The boat, standing alone, the earth shaking with the cataclysmic earthquakes, the roar of that wall of water racing across the land, hitting that ark, knocking it off its supports, the bouncing of the ark as it began to fulfill its purpose. Through suffering, deliverance. Through fear, glory.

11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

In His Grip, and aiming for Glory,