Resurrected Living in a World of Biting Lions
The power of Christ’s resurrection! That’s like Daniel delivered from the lions’ mouth, his friends in the fiery furnace with the Son of Man, an earthquake breaking the chains of Paul and Silas, or Jesus’ report that the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear and the dead raised.
BUT, the questions scream: What about Christians who were literally eaten 
by lions? We rejoice when God provides miraculous resurrection, but what about those burned alive on a stake or who died in chains? Or the blind, lame, sick, deaf and dead that missed healing in this life?
If you’ve been a Christian longer than a few years you know the answer: Jesus never promised a life free of problems, but He walks with us in the lion’s den and through the flames.
The resurrected life means power to yield to the Trinity’s will and grace—within the lion’s den.
Peter has an interesting take. He describes our “old” lives as “natural brute beasts” (2 Peter 2:12)—reacting to life with animal instincts—no different than the lions that bite us. Beasts fight, hide or kill in order to eat and survive (no offense to your puppy or kitty).
If we allow the natural instincts of this world to rule our reactions and behaviors, we’re no better than brute beasts. But as “new creations” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), we have the Lord’s resurrection power to intentionally choose life the way the Creator designed us to thrive—hand-in-hand with our Trinity God and His strength, holiness, creativity, attitude and community.
Walking in the resurrected life means being fully human—as the Creator designed—rather than yielding to animal-like instincts.
“Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour…” But we don’t need to be devoured by roaring sin. Instead we die to sin so we can be raised with Christ. Resurrection life is the power to “…resist him [the devil], steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Sin and Death vs. Resurrected Life
Such a contrast—do we choose animal-like compulsion fueled by sin and death? Or surrender to Christ’s resurrection life?
Surrender is easier said than done! How do we grow into resurrection life in real life?
Actually, it’s impossible in our own willpower. The Bible gives no step-by-step formulas or shortcuts. There’s only one way to transformation, and that’s by spending time in fellowship with Christ through His Spirit, word and body. It’s that simple.
- Listening prayer and worship.
- Studying and applying the word.
- Spending time in transparent fellowship and service with other believers.
It’s hard, sometimes messy and takes some trial-and-error discipline. But the deeper we know the Lord the more He transforms us into His character, and the more we live the resurrected life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Galatians 5:22).
In his letters, Paul often contrasts the pathway of death vs. the resurrected life. Review this example from Colossians 2:20 – 3:17. We find Christ in the center of everything. He is ALL and in ALL (Colossians 3:11)—life and goodness exists only within Christ, His reign and grace.
References for further study: Daniel 3, 6; Luke 7:22; John 12:23-26; 16:33; Acts 16:25-26; Romans 6:3-14; 8:1-11; Galatians 5:16-26; Philippians 2 & 3; Revelation 3:21
*Scripture quotations taken from NKJV.