"The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered awhile, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you." (1 Pet. 5.10)

Peter who, after years of experience in the Master's service and under His discipline, wrote those words as one established, strengthened and settled. Through much tribulation he had reached that blessed experience in the faith and in the practice of the principles of the gospel. Peter had much to suffer and endure in his continuous effort to overcome. In common with all our Lord's disciples, he had much to bear from without, in the way of reproach, and sometimes of persecution, for the Word of God. He probably had much more to contend against from within. His disposition was naturally impulsive, wavering and difficult to bring under restraint, even when truth was clear to his mind and when his affections were fastened upon the Lord.

It should be the aim of every truly consecrated saint to reach this condition of strength and settled establishment in the faith. It cannot be reached at a single leap; it is gained by a gradual steady growth under the discipline of suffering; as the Apostle says, "after you have suffered awhile." As Hebrews 12. 11, 12 (NRSV) has it, "Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed"

Are you weary and disheartened in the journey; discouraged at your slow progress and almost overwhelmed with the cares and various besetments of this life? Is a lethargy and indifference creeping over you, cooling your ardour for the Master's service, relaxing your energies in that direction, and enlisting your interest more and more in other matters? Then beware! It is high time to wake up. "Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5.8 NRSV). Sometimes he goes about as a roaring lion, and sometimes as a skulking serpent in the grass. Sometimes, lion-like, when we are off guard he springs upon us unawares, stirs up the devil of the old nature, and unless desperately resisted he will take full control and drive us on to ruin. Or he will endeavour at least to turn us off the track of the narrow way. Sometimes, serpent-like (2 Cor. 11.3) he assumes a pleasing and seemingly reasonable aspect, and endeavours to beguile us from the way. If we permit ourselves to be off guard we may be sure that our ever vigilant adversary will gain an advantage over us which we may not be able to resist. This may occur either by neglect to feed upon the Word or by indifference to the reception and cultivation of the Spirit.

Our only safety, then, is in giving earnest heed to the Apostle's counsel. Be sober, be steadfast in the faith, be vigilant, and resist the adversary. We find foes within as well as foes without with which we must not deal too gently. The human nature that we covenanted to crucify must not be too sensitively regarded by ourselves, though we should be careful and thoughtful in our dealings with others.

We must let the human nature die, and rejoice to see the new nature triumph over it. We must look our old nature squarely in the face, thankful for a brother's or a sister's kindly showing us a fault or even the heartless rebuke of an enemy. Even the impatient criticism of an unwise but well meaning friend, should be soberly considered and profited by, though it may severely wound the sensitive flesh. All this is a part of the crucifying process, a part of the humbling under the mighty hand of God, under the discipline of His truth. If we study it carefully and cultivate its spirit day by day, seeking constantly to purge out all that is contrary to it, our characters will mature, ripen and grow more and more like the glorious model given for our imitation. Our convictions of the truth will become more settled and clear. Our faith in God and in the power of His love and grace will be more and more established; and our constant effort to learn and to do the will of God will harden into habit. Thus we will grow strong in the Lord and be able to strengthen and confirm the faith of others.

If we have cares, we are invited to cast them all upon the Lord, knowing that He cares for us. We have the encouraging assurance in the midst of present trials that we shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away. First in steadfast sobriety and humility we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ and through faith have gained the privilege of working it out. We are comforted in the midst of trials with the blessed assurance that while God resists the proud, and they also resist Him, He gives grace to the humble. Let us humble ourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt us in due time. Let us bear in mind that not all the suffering and cross-bearing comes from the world's oppression of truth but from faithfulness in not excusing and cultivating evil propensities of our fallen nature. These must be humbled and subdued. "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself goes away and forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he had heard; but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does." (James 1.23-25 NRSV).