1 Peter 5 9

1 Peter 5:9 kjv

Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

1 Peter 5:9 nkjv

Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

1 Peter 5:9 niv

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

1 Peter 5:9 esv

Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

1 Peter 5:9 nlt

Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

1 Peter 5 verses

1 Peter 5 9 Meaning

This verse exhorts believers to actively stand firm against the spiritual attacks of the devil by being unshakeable in their conviction and trust in Christ. This command is bolstered by the knowledge that their specific struggles and persecutions are not isolated incidents but are part of a universal experience shared by all fellow Christians across the globe. This shared experience provides encouragement, fostering solidarity and resilience in the face of adversity.

1 Peter 5 9 Context

1 Peter chapter 5 concludes the epistle, moving from specific instructions to general exhortations and encouragement. Verses 1-4 address the elders concerning their shepherding role. Verses 5-7 then call for humility and trust in God's care amidst anxieties, contrasting the believer's humble submission to God with the devil's prowling. Immediately preceding verse 9, verse 8 warns believers to "be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." This direct warning sets the stage for the command in verse 9 to resist this very adversary. Peter emphasizes endurance in suffering, a prominent theme throughout his letter (1 Pet 1:6, 2:21, 3:14, 4:1, 4:12-19), providing practical advice and spiritual grounding for Christians enduring various forms of societal pressure and potentially escalating persecution in the Roman world.

1 Peter 5 9 Word analysis

• Resist him (ἀντίστητε αὐτῷ - anthistēte autō):
  • Resist (ἀντίστητε - anthistēte): This is an imperative verb, a direct command. It comes from anti (against) and histēmi (to stand), conveying a strong military image: to stand one's ground, oppose, withstand, or set oneself against. It implies an active, defiant posture, not a passive yielding. This resistance is spiritual and firm, not necessarily physical. It means not giving in to temptation, fear, or discouragement sown by the devil.
  • him (αὐτῷ - autō): This refers directly back to the "adversary the devil" (διάβολος - diabolos, meaning "slanderer" or "accuser") mentioned in 1 Peter 5:8. He is the specific target of their resistance.
• firm (στερεοὶ - stereoi): This adjective means solid, hard, steadfast, unyielding, stable. It speaks to the unshakeable and unwavering quality of their stance. It implies stability and strength against the devil's efforts to destabilize or move them.
• in your faith (τῇ πίστει - tē pistei):
  • faith (πίστει - pistei): This word signifies trust, conviction, reliance, and loyalty. In this context, it functions as the ground or instrument by which believers are "firm." It encompasses both their personal trust in God/Christ and the body of Christian truth (the gospel) which they believe. To be firm in faith means their foundational beliefs and their personal trust are solid, providing stability against satanic assaults of doubt, fear, or false doctrine.
• knowing (εἰδότες - eidotes): This is a perfect active participle from oida (to know). It denotes a certain, well-established, and often experiential knowledge, not merely intellectual assent. This knowledge serves as the encouragement and foundation for their resistance. It means they are acting on an informed conviction, not blind faith. This awareness motivates and strengthens them.
• that the same kinds of sufferings (τὰ αὐτὰ τῶν παθημάτων - ta auta tōn pathēmatōn):
  • the same kinds of (τὰ αὐτὰ - ta auta): Lit. "the same things," but in this context, idiomatically "the same kinds of," implying similar nature rather than exact identity of individual trials.
  • sufferings (παθημάτων - pathēmatōn): This noun refers to experiences of affliction, passions, or hardships. It directly connects to the recurring theme of suffering throughout Peter's letter (e.g., 1 Pet 1:11, 2:21, 4:13). These sufferings are generally those experienced because of one's allegiance to Christ – persecution, social ostracism, slander, temptation, or internal spiritual distress.
• are being experienced (ἐπιτελεῖσθαι - epiteleisthai): From epiteleō (to accomplish, complete, carry out). This present infinitive in the passive voice indicates an ongoing, continuous process. It emphasizes that these sufferings are not theoretical or past events, but currently active and being fulfilled within the lives of believers. The passive voice ("are being experienced") highlights that these trials are happening to them, indicating an external source (the world, the devil, other humans) causing them.
• by your brotherhood (τῇ ἀδελφότητι ὑμῶν - tē adelphotēti hymōn):
  • brotherhood (ἀδελφότητι - adelphotēti): This term signifies the collective body of brothers or believers, the Christian community, the universal family of God. It emphasizes the communal nature of their struggle. The dative case implies the sufferers are part of this worldwide family.
• throughout the world (ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ - en tō kosmō):
  • world (κόσμῳ - kosmō): This refers to the inhabited earth or the human race, implying the global scope. This emphasizes that Christian suffering is not confined to one locality but is a universal phenomenon. This knowledge brings comfort and solidarity, removing feelings of isolation or that one's struggles are unique and unwarranted.

1 Peter 5 9 Bonus section

• The imperative to "Resist him" is active and personal, contrasting with the devil's aggressive "prowls" (v. 8). This is not passive endurance but a proactive stand.
• The link between faith and resistance is crucial: true faith empowers resistance by grounding believers in God's reality and promises, making them impervious to the devil's deceptive and fear-inducing tactics.
• The shared nature of suffering highlighted by "brotherhood throughout the world" acts as a powerful source of comfort and encouragement, reminding believers they are not fighting alone but as part of Christ's unified body, experiencing the trials common to humanity, but particularly acute for those aligned with Christ.
• This verse subtly highlights the ongoing spiritual warfare against Satan, reminding believers that suffering often has a spiritual dimension stemming from the adversary's efforts to undermine faith.
• "Firm in your faith" implies that weakness or wavering faith makes one vulnerable to the roaring lion. Thus, spiritual health is paramount for effective resistance.

1 Peter 5 9 Commentary

Peter's command to "Resist him, firm in your faith" is a direct spiritual battle cry, a continuation of his warning about the devil as a roaring lion in verse 8. The word "resist" (ἀντίστητε) implies standing actively against the adversary, not retreating or yielding, rooted in a military stance. This resistance is anchored "in your faith," meaning believers must stand steady, unshaken, grounded in their personal trust in God and in the foundational truths of the Christian gospel. Faith serves as both the means and the immovable ground for their resistance.

The strength for this steadfastness comes from the knowledge ("knowing") that their sufferings are not unique or accidental. The "same kinds of sufferings" (not necessarily identical in every detail, but similar in nature – persecution, hardship, temptation) are being experienced continuously by the universal "brotherhood," the collective family of believers "throughout the world." This universal experience provides immense encouragement. It removes the isolating belief that one's trials are unusual or a sign of God's disfavor. Instead, it frames suffering as a shared, expected part of following Christ in a hostile world, solidifying their place within a global community of faith. This solidarity encourages perseverance, transforming individual pain into a collective endurance against a common enemy. The call is thus not merely to endure but to actively oppose, doing so with an unwavering commitment to Christ, bolstered by the solidarity of fellow sufferers.