Night Stalker ∙∙∙

Night Stalker ∙∙∙

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8

Job 1:6-12

6 One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them.
7 “Where have you come from?” the LORD asked Satan. Satan answered the LORD, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

8 Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless in his property you have made him prosper in everything he does not look how rich he is but reach out and take away everything he has he will surely curse you – a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”
9 Satan replied to the LORD, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God.”
10 “You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is!”

11 “But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
12 “All right, you may test him,”

The Night Stalker

On January 11, 1972, ABC captivated audiences with its Movie of the Week, “The Night Stalker.” This made-for-TV film featured Darren McGavin as an investigative reporter pursuing a merciless serial killer in Las Vegas. The movie’s success was unprecedented, earning it the title of the highest-rated original TV movie in the United States at the time. Its popularity sparked a sequel and eventually led to the single-season series Kolchak: The Night Stalker, which aired between 1974 and 1975.

Beyond its immediate success, “The Night Stalker” left an enduring legacy, inspiring Chris Carter’s iconic creation, “The X-Files.” Rooted in pure fiction, “The Night Stalker” was designed to thrill and entertain viewers. Yet, in the quiet recesses of our world lies a real night stalker, far more dangerous than anything portrayed on screen.

The Enemy in the Shadows

There is an adversary who moves within the darkness—not a mythical figure but a spiritual reality. The Apostle Paul calls him “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), underscoring his fleeting dominion and pervasive influence on human affairs. This enigmatic figure is the relentless enemy of our souls. His aim is singular and sinister: to bring ruin, chaos, and ultimate destruction to human lives. The children of the King, those who have committed their hearts to God, are his preferred prey.

The Apostle Peter paints a vivid image of this spiritual predator. He likens him to a prowling lion, one of the most fearsome creatures known in his time. A lion on the hunt is methodical, moving slowly, with a predatory gaze that surveys the surroundings. He is not careless; he is calculating, waiting for the precise moment to strike. His roar, mighty and bone-chilling, spreads fear before his claws even make contact.

Like the lion, our adversary roams stealthily, his presence intimidating even when unseen. He does not merely seek to frighten or distract, though those tactics are often part of his approach. His ultimate aim is far more devastating. Peter warns us of his true intention—to devour, to utterly destroy. He is the original night stalker, the prince of darkness himself.

Devoured Without a Trace

The word “devour” draws from the Greek katapiomai from kata – down and pino – drink. It has the sense of “gulping down, swallowing hurriedly or greedily.” Here, it implies more than a simple act of eating. It refers to “complete destruction, the swift and devastating act of swallowing someone or something whole, leaving nothing behind,” “to destroy, to ruin completely” (UBS). Consider the urgency and relentless hunger of a predator that consumes its prey without hesitation or care.

A simple picture can help us grasp the sense of this danger. Imagine two dogs at a barbecue, eyeing hamburgers that fall from the grill. One drops in the direction of a small Yorkshire terrier. He takes careful bites of his fallen burger, chewing as quickly as possible while keeping watch for threats. Meanwhile, the other hamburger heads towards a Rottweiler. He snatches his burger mid-air and swallows it in one greedy gulp. He devoured the burger, demonstrating not just hunger but a consuming, destructive force.

This is what the adversary seeks to do to his victims. He doesn’t linger or handle his prey delicately. He moves with brutal efficiency, aiming to devastate and destroy completely.

REFLECT & PRAY

1 John 4:4 Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Father, thank You for reminding us that we have a real adversary: the original night stalker, the enemy of our souls, and the prince of darkness.

INSIGHT

The Battle We Cannot Ignore

An unseen war rages constantly around us. It is a spiritual battle, dark, foreboding, and relentless, led by an adversary who neither tires nor sleeps. The devil, with subtlety and cunning, studies us closely. He spies out our fears, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities, meticulously crafting his attacks. His strategy is precise and often catches us off guard, striking where we’re most exposed. That is the nature of an enemy—to attack when unexpected and exploit every opportunity to cause harm. That is what enemies do.

It begs the question: where is the adversary most likely to attack you? Think about your moments of doubt, fear, weakness, or weariness. Those are the very places he targets.

His agenda mirrors the terrifying relentlessness of the machine in “The Terminator,” the 1984 science fiction movie. Kyle Reese’s warning echoes the reality of our spiritual struggle: “Listen and understand! That Terminator is out there! It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear! And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead!”

“That’s what he does! That’s all he does! You can’t stop him!”

That is precisely the devil’s mission. But as the children of the king, we are not left without guidance or defense.

Vigilance in the Midst of War

The Apostle Peter warns us of the enemy’s prowling nature and offers us a battle strategy in 1 Peter 5. He commands us to stay alert, to keep watch, and to be ready. We are called to resist the enemy, stand firm, and root ourselves deeply in faith.

1 Peter 5:8-9

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
9 Resist him, firm in your faith,

The Greek word nepho translated as “be sober” means “to look at the battle with clear eyes, take a serious, realistic approach to life, and be intelligent concerning the stratagems of Satan”(MacDonald).

Too often, casualties occur because we forget that we are living in a war zone. We mistakenly believe we’re in a time of peace when, in reality, the battle never ceases. We live in a perpetual war zone. Even when life seems to be going smoothly, we cannot afford to grow complacent. As Charles Stanley pointedly writes, “How many casualties occur because we think we live in a time of peace?”

But here’s the truth that changes everything. Our enemy may mimic the nature of a ferocious lion, but he is no match for The Lion.

The Lion Who Has Already Won

The Lord Jesus Christ is The Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5), not an imposter or a counterfeit. He is unrivaled in power, unmatched in authority, and unstoppable in victory. While the enemy roars and prowls, The Lion reigns.

What’s more, our greatest weapon is as unexpected as it is extraordinary. Victory comes through blood—not just any blood, but the blood of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. His sacrifice on the cross was the ultimate triumph over sin, death, and the devil himself. Through His death, the Lord Jesus Christ conquered once and for all the enemy of our souls.

Revelation 12:11 declares this truth with boldness, “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.”

Through Christ’s victory, our adversary is reduced to a shadow of his former self. What once seemed like an untouchable, roaring lion prowling in the dark is now nothing more than a powerless kitten in the eyes of heaven.

Heaven’s headline on the day of Christ’s crucifixion could only have read, Lamb Conquers Lion!

Our enemy, a cross-crushed foe, has been defeated by the blood of the Lamb!

Victory Is Ours

Paul captures this triumph in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58, reminding believers of the hope we carry into the battle daily.

“But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

We are called to live in the confidence that the enemy, though real and relentless, is a defeated foe. The blood of Jesus ensures that his power is limited, his roar muted, and his doom sealed.

Stand Firm

The spiritual battle may be unrelenting, but we are not without hope or weapons. Through vigilance, faith, and the victory won by Christ on the cross, we stand equipped to resist and overcome. The Lion of Judah is with us, and in His strength, no weapon formed against us will prosper (Isaiah 54:17).

The devil is not invincible. He is a conquered enemy. And we, through Christ, are overcomers. The war may rage on, but the outcome has already been decided. The Lamb has triumphed, and in Him, you, too, stand victorious. Be bold. Be strong. And know this truth with every fiber of your being: the battle may belong to the night, but the victory belongs to the King.

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© Dr. H 2025