Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

~1 Peter 5:8 NIV

Lions are beautiful, agile, and strong, with paws the size of dinner plates. A roar of the lion can be heard up to five miles away. Interestingly, however, the roaring lions are not the most dangerous.

Lions roar as a warning to intruders, telling them they are entering claimed territory. Often, this role is delegated to old, slow, toothless lions who can no longer hunt. They act as sentinels, alerting the rest of the pride.

Roaring can also distract a lion’s prey. Think about it. Why would a stalking lion announce its presence when trying to sneak up on prey? When hunting, a lion roars to frighten prey, prompting it to run in the opposite direction, where the open maw of ambush awaits. A roaring lion often distracts from the actual danger that approaches.

But another lion is roaring that we need to hear. This roar comes from a beast whose teeth and claws have been removed by another Lion, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The roar seeks to instill fear, hoping to catch us by surprise from behind.

Our job is to sound the alarm and pay attention. Things are not always as they appear. We must arise from the slumber that disables us and shake off the fear that paralyzes us.

When we hear the roar of the lion and see dangers looming, we have no reason to fear. We can take heart because our enemy is no match for our God.

Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

~John 10:10 NIV

The help of Almighty God is a mere whisper away. Bring your fears before the Lord. 

Father, when I hear the roar of the lion, may I neither grow fearful nor fall prey. Please help me to stand firm, alert, and wise. Keep me safe.  In Jesus’s name, amen. 

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2026: Julie Souza Bradley Lilly: The Roar of the Lion: All Rights Reserved.