"The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion." (Proverbs 28:1)  The same verse in The Message reads, "The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off even when no one's after them.  Honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions."

The Strong's Concordance translates the word wicked as condemned, guilty, ungodly, a man who did wrong.  The word lion is translated as a young lion covered with a mane - or - a village, covered in by walls!

So, let's paraphrase that verse to read like this:  "The condemned man, who did wrong and is edgy with guilt, flees when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are as bold as a village covered in by walls."

Now, instead of just thinking of the wicked in that verse as a condemned "man," I want you to expand it to include our greatest enemy, Satan.

1Peter 5:18 tells us to "be sober and vigilant...", because "our adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking who he may devour."  So, we have two contrasts: the enemy - as a roaring lion, and the righteous - as a bold village.

When our girls were still living at home, we enjoyed many wonderful times together camping as a family.  We started out with a small "pop-up" and were eventually able to move up into a larger unit.  Since we were active in our church and did not want to miss Sunday services, we would be more apt to go out in the middle of the week rather than on weekends. 

We really enjoyed camping then because there weren't the crowds that you would encounter over the weekends.  But at the same time, it could be pretty isolated at night when you were the only ones in the campgrounds.  It's amazing the sounds one hears coming from the woods when the lights go out!

It was also amazing how much "braver" we were in the middle of the night, knowing we were shut up safe and sound in our camper.  We experienced many mornings of opening our camper door to find that some animal had been exploring our campsite while we were sleeping. 

This is the promise that God is giving us here in Proverbs.  When we enter His Kingdom, we are entering His protection.  Because we are righteous, He encloses us in His "walls" with His love.

See, it doesn't matter that the enemy is prowling around on the outside.  When were were camping, those forest animals could do all kinds of mischief to the surrounding area, but they were not touching us.  We were sleeping peacefully - we knew we were safe.

The enemy can be roaring all night long, doing all kinds of evil around us, but he cannot get through God's walls to harm us, no more than those creatures could have gotten into our camper.  The only way they could have is if we would have left the door open.  And the only way Satan can get into the village is if we leave the gate open.

The devil walks around, roaring, looking for those whom he may devour.  He can only do what he has been permitted to do.  But HERE IS THE KEY!  He may be out there looking, but he's skittish!  He knows he's been condemned.  He knows his boundaries.  He knows his time is short. And he knows his enemy - the name of Jesus!   (Philippians 2:9)

Now's it's time for us as believers to get the same understanding.  We must not allow the enemy to have access to our "campers."  We are as lions...not roaring, but righteous and safe within God's "village," surrounded by the walls of Jesus' arms.  BE BOLD!