Why Is the Devil Compared to a Roaring Lion?

Zephaniah 3:3 “Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning.”

After seeing the multiple Scripture verses about roaring lions, we can conclude that a roar is used as a threat. A lion is often used as an example of a present predator, and rulers like lions are out to destroy.

The Devil prowls around. Webster’s Dictionary defines prowl as, “To move about or wander stealthily in or as if in search of prey.” Satan knows that Jesus defeated him already. However, this does not stop him from roaming all around on the earth (i.e., Job 1:7, Job 2:2). In the 1 Peter verse, the enemy is looking for someone to devour. 

The joy of being sealed by the Holy Spirit is that no demon can ever possess us. We can have full confidence that if we are attacked, we are not overtaken. However, the Devil is looking for those whom he can bully into doing his evil work. We can rest assured that Christ has the victory and the last say, but right now the Devil is roaming the earth like a lion. I would even argue that as we get closer to the return of Christ, that his roar is getting louder and his destruction is becoming broader (2 Timothy 3).

1 Peter 3:9 continues, “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.”

I do not know how the Devil is “roaring at you” today, but be encouraged by what comes after 1 Peter 3:8. In verse 9, God tells us that we can resist the enemy, stand firm, and know that we are not alone. This is not Heaven – this is the fallen world in which we live. But we can have the fullness of hope because of Jesus. We can rest in the assurance of our salvation in Him. The Devil can get hoarse over his roaring, because we will stand firm against him by the power of the Spirit and listen to the voice of God. 

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Emma Danzey’s mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry, she focuses most of her time in the home, but loves to provide articles on the Bible, life questions, and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021. Most recently, Emma released Treasures for Tots, (Scripture memory songs) and multiple books and devotionals for young children. During her ministry career, Emma has released Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness, two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, and ran the Refined Magazine. You can view her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com and check out her Instagram @Emmadanzey.