The Lion's Game Plan

Photo by Emily Kindervater

I have always grown up believing the lion to be the king of the jungle. I mean, how could he not be? With his mane, his roar that can be heard up to 3 miles, and the way he carries himself, how could anyone mistake him for "just a common animal." There are so many places that remind us of this animal's royal connections. The royal crest of England, for instance, are two lions. Growing up one of my favorite movies growing up was a movie about the royalty of lions. It is everywhere. No one can escape it!

Because the lion has been such a cultural icon, it's hard to think of the lion of anything but what culture has come to believe about it. After all, this ferocious animal doesn't really present itself as weak. Quite the contrary. Of all the animals I could run into in the wilderness, I would be most terrified of this beast. Even as I write this, I shudder to think what horrors might await me if I accidentally disturbed him in the wilderness. I could imagine the ripping and the gnawing at my bones as he partakes in a midafternoon snack. It's hard to imagine any other view of him.

Despite my imagination of the danger of this lion, this king of beast, there are things I have learned about the lion that have changed my perspective on his kingship. I have seen the lion be overwhelmed by a bunch of wildebeest as they protected their young from destruction. I have seen the lion chased off by a pack of wild hyenas (I feel betrayed Disney!!!). But the one thing that I have found the most interesting is how they hunt.

I have always thought that the lion was strong enough to take on a herd of animals and pick off whomever he wants to "invite to dinner." This is simply not the case. What is so interesting about the lion is that instead of picking up "fast food," the lioness hunt in packs and try to isolate their prey before going in for the kill. A lion cannot attack dinner head on, it must first surround them, isolate, and then kill.

The lioness hunt in packs and try to isolate their prey before going in for the kill.

The Apostle Peter tells us to be "soberminded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Pt 5:8). The lion is used throughout the Bible to describe the kingship of Jesus. But, in this instance, Peter is using the lion to describe the devil. So why the switch? The key phrase in this passage is "to devour."

Peter is describing the game plan of the enemy. Satan and his workers know that they cannot take on a community of believers. The only way he can get to a believer and make him or her stumble, destroy their witness, or prevent them from doing what God has called them to do is isolate them. Satan's goal for the believer is to separate them from community to turn lies to truth, and peace into fear. His goal is to make you believe his lies and paralyze you with fear. And Satan is very good at his job.

The only way he can get to a believer and make him or her stumble, destroy their witness, or prevent them from doing what God has called them to do is isolate them.

There have been times in my past that I have completely isolated myself from community. I may have felt wounded, unable to speak, or not sure what to think. Confusion can do some major damage. These are times where the lies were the most intense. Lies of worth in performance, worth in who I am, or even the possibility of hearing God's voice I began to believe because I was not in community to counter the lies.

When the Church was the most vibrant, and growing leaps and bound was, at it's heart, foundational based in community. We see in Acts 2:42 the first thing the disciples did was dedicate themselves to "teaching and fellowship." The translation of that is truth and community. The only way to prevent the enemy from isolating you is to have a strong community to join you in the fight against the enemy.

There was a period of time when I completely cut myself from community, and I was starved. I was believing the enemy. Worst still, I began to shut down. We were made to be in community. We were made to be surrounded by people to pray, encourage, and challenge us in our walk. We were not meant to be isolated.

Don't misunderstand. Though the lion isn't the greatest hunter in the world, he still is very dangerous. He can still attack and devour. We now know his game plan to isolate. The question we have to ask ourselves each day is whether or not we will surround ourselves with other believers to help ward off his attacks.