Chatsworth Lions

At the end of the Chatworth House tour, and immediately prior to the inevitable giftshop, one is able to enjoy the Duke of Devonshire’s collection of sculptures. What they lack in antiquity that make up in skill and beauty. Towards the end of the gallery are a couple of lions, famous around the world. They are large and skilfully crafted. Even though they arre obviously replicas and not living cats, I briefly hesitated upon seeing them. They looked real, you see. They did not breathe, or move, or even have the correct golden colour of an organic lion. But they still looked real, even for just a moment.

Peter likens Satan to a roaring lion seeking ones to devour. He is real and would dearly love to harm and destroy a redeemed follower of Jesus Christ. Yet He is weakened and under sentence of death, unable to separate us from the love of God, whom he despises and rages against. So is he a danger or is he not? Churches must not give him footholds, and nor individuals for that matter, and yet Jesus promised to build His church in spite of hell’s gates’ sorties and raids.

In full confidence that God will deliver us and aid us, we should still seek to avoid him and fear his menace, lest he catches us unaware. He might appear weak, and still, and quiet, but, unlike the Chatsworth lions, he might awaken and swipe that dreadful paw with its iron claws.

Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:11