Notes of Faith April 23, 2026
Pastor’s Pen Pulpit
September 1, 2002
“LIVING FOR GOD IN A GODLESS WORLD”
I Peter 5:6-9
There is no question but that we are living in a Godless world. Our society gets worse each day. The passage before us tells us how believers can live successfully in spite of all that is going on around us. Here are four principles:
1. Renounce human pride (verse 6).
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time (see also James 4:6).
There is no place for pride in the Christian life. The Bible condemns it. This means pride in ourselves.
2. Rely completely on God to sustain you.
Casting all your care upon Him, because He cares for you.
Notice the incentive to trust, “He cares for you!” What a comfort! Our almighty and all-powerful God cares for us as a loving father cares for his children (Ps. 103:13).
3. Restrain your impulse to take what seems the easy route and go with the flow.
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
How does Satan seek to devour Christians? By luring them back into the ways of the world. How easy it is to become desensitized to things that once were an offense to us.
4. Resist the devil.
But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.
The Means – We resist by standing firm in our faith – faith in truth as revealed in God’s Word. The only way believer’s can resist the devil is through the Word of God. Know what God’s Word says about our adversary (I John 4:4) and stand firm in that promise.
The Mindset – Knowing that our Christian brethren are experiencing like struggles and gaining victory. Afflictions are the common lot among believers. There is something intensely comforting in knowing that we are not in the battle alone. The Christian constituency is going through the same afflictions. It is our lot in life. Note that it does not say the same kind of suffering but the same experience of suffering. We don’t all suffer the same kinds of things but we all go through experience brought about by Satan.
So, beloved to live for God in a Godless world we must renounce pride, rely completely on God to sustain us, restrain from temptations the world offers and resist the devil. Philippians 4:13 is the key to accomplishing this! God bless.
Love to you all,
Pastor Charles Covington
We are twenty-four years further into a more godless world. We experience more “wrong” things in the world that it calls right and more “right” things that it calls wrong. Satan is actively leading people into this decay and destruction. Choices seem to make no logical or moral sense but they keep increasing in intensity.
This was happening before the world-wide flood that destroyed human life except those that God saved within the ark that He had Noah build. We seem headed quickly toward another judgment time of God. Scripture speaks of Christ’s return often (to come for His bride, believers in Jesus, YEAH!), and then bring judgment on an unbelieving world, the seventieth week of Daniel, the time of Jacob’s trouble, the seven-year tribulation. We may be very close to these days. Do not be surprised at the evil in the world but stand firm in your faith, knowing that these days are coming and that the Lord has promised to keep you, His child, from suffering His wrath against this evil.
Humble yourself before God. Trust Him with your care. Be aware of the devil and his lies and schemes of deception. Resist his temptations, knowing that you have many brothers and sisters going through the same experience and are being victorious in Christ through the battles!
Pastor Dale