1 Peter 5:8 (DRB)

Passage

Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour.

Nearby Context

1 Peter 5:6 Be you humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in the time of visitation:

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him, for he hath care of you.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour.

1 Peter 5:9 Whom resist ye, strong in faith: knowing that the same affliction befalls, your brethren who are in the world.

1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will himself perfect you and confirm you and establish you.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sober", "watch", "adversary", "devil", "roaring", "lion", "goeth", and "seeking". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sober" and "watch", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Casting all your care upon him for..." into verse 9's "Whom resist ye strong in faith knowing...", so "sober" and "watch" belong inside that flow. In 1 Peter context, the local focus is hope in suffering, holy conduct, submission, and grace.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sober" and "watch" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.