The Lion Outside

[Tcvancoops]

(An illustration my bible study teacher taught me when I was studying)

 

Breaking News!  A dangerous and ferocious lion has escaped captivity!  It is attacking anyone it gets a hold off.  You're told to stay inside, but you can't!  You have no food or water!  Your neighbors have no means of knowing about the lion and you must warn them!  Or maybe you have children that you need to pick up at school!  No matter what you have to go outside.

 

You decide to do some research.  You have a big encyclopedia on the shelf, and you look up everything on lions.  You study about how they hunt, where they like to hide, what attracts them, and how to protect yourself.  You learn as much as you can until you're ready.

 

You go outside.  You do the things you need to do.  And you encounter the lion.  But you are prepared, and you get back home safely.   Later, you learn that the lion was finally captured, and you have a sigh of relief!

 

"The lion" is Satan.

"The encyclopedia" is the Bible.

"Outside" is the world.

 

Satan the devil is a figurative lion causing chaos and fear in this world.  Unfortunately, we have the live in this world.  We can't hide.  We have to live, go to work, go to school, fulfill our needs and wants, and so on.  But Jehovah God has given us a guidebook so we know how to protect ourselves from Satan and survive being in this world.  We learn what methods Satan uses to attack us, how he tries to scare us, what attracts him, and how we can stand up against him.  We know how to protect ourself, and our children.  And we go out in service, to warn our neighbors about him and to get them in Jehovah's protection. 

 

Satan is the lion in this world, but we will not be afraid.  We are prepared!  And soon, Jehovah with his son, Jesus, will capture this lion, and we will be safe forever!  Study hard!  Be prepared!  And keep moving forward!

(1 Peter 5:8)