"Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith..."In other words, you are in his sights. The devil is lurking in the tall grass waiting to pounce. I do not say this to create fear (per se), but to encourage watchfulness; exactly as St. Peter did. He wanted his people to be prepared for the attack so that they could "resist". This is what I seek for every one of those under my care. Sometimes they understand that, and sometimes they do not, but I always work to help people be on their guard. Are you on your guard for the devil as he "prowls around"?
The best way to do this is to expect that he knows your weaknesses and is seeking to exploit them. Are you of a melancholy spirit? Then he will likely try to make you grumpy or discontented. Are you one who becomes easily suspicious of others? Then he will likely sow seeds of doubt about those who are closest to you. Do you have trouble controlling your eyes? Then he is going to send someone (or something) into your line of sight that will tempt you. Whatever may be your tendencies, he will "prowl around" until sees you "limping" and then will run to attack. This one fact, taken to heart, can make a great difference in our spiritual health.
Those who easily forget about the works of evil that come after them, will more easily fall to those works when they encounter them. It is like the difference between the driver who is constantly on the watch for potential problems, and the driver who goes along presuming that there is nothing to worry about. Which one do you think will more likely be able to avoid an accident? No, I am not trying to make you live in fear, but if we live complacent and presumptuous, then we are not faithful to God.
When the Apostle says to be "firm in the faith", he is telling us that we need to be spiritually healthy. Are you working on your faith? Or are you like that weak gazelle in the herd who is going to be taken down next? Do you read good books (and especially the Scriptures) regularly in order to build up your trust in God? If you find yourself without that joy and spiritual vigor that Christ offers in the gospel, then your faith is likely hurting. Are you ready for the fight? Or is your faith weakened and vulnerable to attack?
So then, as the devil seeks "someone to devour", you should know that he does not aim only at those who are the weakest. He also aims at those who are a threat to him. If you are attending a reverent Mass regularly, seeking penitence and going to confession, then you can expect that the devil is upset with you. In doing these things, you are more likely to remain on the path to Heaven, and you might even help a few others along that path as well and this is exactly what he does not want; therefore, the devil is going to try to harm you. Have you been living faithfully, and then recently found your faith under attack? This is exactly how he works.
If there is a parish that is growing in faithfulness to our Lord and His Mother, and holds fast to the traditions handed down to us by the Church, then that parish is going to be the target of the attacks of the devil as well. The more true to the Catholic faith a parish is, the more it will be attacked (and especially will its priest be attacked). Sometimes those attacks are obvious and can be seen by any casual observer. Other times those attacks are more hidden, and are only noticed by a few. Either way, the devil appears to be more active today than in years past, and we must be serious about dealing with him.
This is not to say that Catholics who are "wishy washy" in their faith are not going to be under attack. In fact, in some ways they will be attacked more severely because they are the "weak" members of the "herd" who are easier to destroy. Most often, however, the attacks against the weaker members are more subtle. They often do not look exactly like attacks, but more like the typical trials of life. The reason for this is so that the weaker members will not have their minds drawn to consider spiritual matters. The evil one does this because he knows that if a weak member starts thinking about spiritual matters, his faith may be revived.
Therefore, what are you doing to watch for the "devil hiding in the tall grass"? Do you know your own weaknesses that he is seeking to exploit? Are you aware of the attacks he has sent against you most recently? Has your mind been clouded to his attacks so that you do not respond to them with the strength Christ offers you? It is the responsibility of each one of us to do exactly like the Apostle Peter says and "be sober" and "watchful". In this day and age, we can never let our guard down; we must always be ready for the fight. If you are not ready, you have already lost the battle.
