Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. I Peter 5:6-9

Peter teaches us in verses 1-5 about the responsibilities of elders as shepherds and congregants who they lead. We are to be "subject one to another". This is for our own safety, as verses 6-9 make clear. A lone wolf will sooner or later be taken out by a roaring lion. Together, we can resist the devil. 

So he is walking around "as a roaring lion". He is saying, "This is my territory". Back off. Stay away. They can be heard five miles away. In the same way, the devil uses our sufferings. "If God is good, why then are you in this mess". Etc. We might fight him off in the short term, but he never gives up. If we are standing alone, in our own strength, we will eventually fall. 

Fellowship. "Fellows in the same ship" says brother Watchman Nee. The afflictions we are enduring our brothers are also experiencing. We can take comfort here: Our sufferings are making us perfect. They are TEMPORARY. There is an end. In the meantime, we walk with our brothers and sisters, encouraging and supporting each other. AMEN.