There are two lions that are revealed to us in scripture. Revelation 5:5 states, (behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book). I Peter declares that your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour). Joel 3:16 says that (the Lord also shall roar out of Zion).
What is the significance of the lion analogy? What do they represent?
Let’s take a look at what this teaches us. What of the roaring?
There are four reasons that lions roar. They are as follows:
- Identification
- Territorial establishment
- Warnings
- Satisfaction
Identification
A lion’s roar is identifiable to lions just as human voices are to humans. As the male lion gathers lionesses, his roar becomes a call to his tribe. His voice becomes a beacon and a safety.
Territorial Establishment
The lions roar in an area declares his lordship or reign in the region where he resides. All who hear the roar understand that to dwell in that region there must be an acknowledgement of that rule and a corresponding submission is required.
Warning
When rule is established the roar is a warning to any intruder or current subject that to defy the ruling lion will provoke a fight for dominance. No shared dominion will be tolerated by the ruling, roaring lion.
Satisfaction
When all is well the lion may roar after a feast with contentment.
When The Devil Roars
When the devil roars he is seeking to establish these four areas of his dominion in your life. He seeks to cause you to identify with his authority, submit to his rule, cower at his warnings, and bring him satisfaction.
We see this at work in David’s life in I Samuel 17. The devil roared against him to devour his call, his purpose, his faith and his life. David went to the battle in obedience to his father. While there, Goliath appeared and roared against Saul, Israel and Jehovah. Saul and his army were devoured by the roaring of the devilish Philistine. David was not! He began to hear what the king offered to anyone that would kill the roaring giant. David then encountered three different roars from the devil that sought to swallow up the anointing of the Lord upon his life. These were the roarings against him:
- I Samuel 17:28 His eldest brother representing family authority rebuked, belittled and accused David. Roar!!!!
- I Samuel 17:33 Saul declared that David was unable to fight the giant. Note that David was described in I Samuel 16:18 as a mighty valiant man and a man of war before he was brought to Saul’s house to play his harp. That was David’s reputation. Roar!!!!
- I Samuel 17:42 Goliath disdained David and declared that he would feed him to the birds. Roar!!!!
What do you do when the devil roars like a lion to devour you? There is only one response that will work. It takes a roaring lion to defeat a roaring lion. When the devil roars over your life The Lion of Judah must respond! The Lord will roar out of Zion!
David responded to each roar with a corresponding roar.
- I Samuel 17:29 What have I done? Is there not a cause? Roar!!!!
- I Samuel 17:34-36 I am able and God will deliver this uncircumcised Philistine into my hand. Roar!!!!
- I Samuel 17:45 I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts whose armies you have defied. Roar!!!!
The roar of Zion’s Lion must come from your mouth. Your faith in declaring his word will come forth as a roar from Zion’s Lion.
Have you been devoured? Feel swallowed up? Cowering at the devil’s roar? Let the roar of Zion’s Lion declare your allegiance, your refuge, your protector and your resting place.
Let the Lion of Judah roar through your life!!!
