Residents of Muskingum County, Ohio, woke up to a pre-Halloween nightmare on Wednesday morning. Terry Thompson, resident and owner of a rural exotic animal sanctuary, released all of the wild animals that he owned before reportedly killing himself on Tuesday night. According to news reports, the animals included 18 tigers, 17 lions, three mountain lions, eight bears, two wolves, and one baboon.
Public safety was of first concern to county officials. School was canceled so children could be kept at home. Residents stayed indoors. Motorists driving on Interstate 70 were warned of the danger with emergency signs which read "Caution Exotic Animals." Although attempts were made to tranquilize and recapture some of the animals, remarks made by County Sheriff, Matt Lutz, indicated that the safety of citizens took precedence over the survival of the animals. "We could not have animals running loose in this county. Public safety was my number one concern. I gave the order that if the animals looked like they were going to get out, they were going down." Although Lutz and other officials have drawn criticism from animal rights groups for killing the animals, the officials stand by their decision.
I do not believe that anyone can criticize the officials or residents for the way that they have reacted to this situation. Real animals, which had the power and instincts to kill them and their loved ones, were loose in their area. Everyone realized the danger, took it seriously, and acted accordingly.
The Holy Spirit sounds a similar alarm in 1 Peter 5:8, which reads, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." According to the Bible, there is still a lion on the loose. The devil is described as a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour. The devil is real. He is our adversary. He does not fight fair. He roars to frighten us. He preys upon the weak. He seeks to destroy us spiritually.
How should we react to this warning? We must take it seriously. We are to be sober and vigilant. We are to be watchful and alert. We are to be on our guard, because an enemy is near, lurking in the bushes, waiting to attack! The moment that we let down our guard, he will spring forth and assail with temptation and doubt. He will throw everything at us in an attempt to frustrate us and cause us to lose our faith. Our souls are at stake! We must take precaution.
The Bible tells us to "Resist him, steadfast in the faith" (v. 9). We are not to run and hide from this enemy, but we are to stand our ground and resist his attacks. We are to "put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:11). This armor consists of the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes prepared with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (vs. 14-18). Every piece of this armor is connected to the word of God, which is to be read, studied, meditated upon, and applied to our daily lives. Yet, how many times do we willing walk into the field of battle without our armor? Instead of resisting the devil, how many times do we welcome his advances with the shows that we watch, websites that we visit, jokes that we listen to, company that we keep, etc.? We are not acting like there is a lion on the loose.
We know how lions hunt their prey. We have watched the nature programs in which the lion watches the herd from the cover of the tall grass. He picks out the ones who are weak and straggling behind because they are easy prey. If the stragglers are the ones who are targeted, then the best place for you and I to be is right in the middle of the herd! Get involved in the work of the church. Immerse yourself in it. Get your family to all the services of the church. Help your children get their lessons ready for Bible class. Surround yourself with faithful Christians who can encourage you throughout the week. God intends for us to draw spiritual strength from our association with other Christians. "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb. 10:24-25).
The people of Muskingum County taught us a good lesson this week. They knew how to respond to a dangerous situation that threatened their lives. Do we know how to respond to a threat to our souls? We would take the warning of a wild animal seriously. The last thing we can afford to do is to be careless about the devil. He is still walking about, seeking the opportunity to devour your soul!