Sunday, 4 August 2024
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.
Be on the alert!
When you are watching a military movie and the command comes over the loudspeakers to the soldiers, “Alert! Alert!”, everyone springs into action. They know that the enemy is near and they need to be watching for any attack, ready to respond.
Likewise, the Lord wants you to be alert — to recognize that you have a spiritual enemy who would love to weaken your faith and destroy your spiritual vitality. He may do it through attracting you with worldly things, or distracting you with hobbies or activities, or shaming you with ridicule, or any other of his tactics.
Don’t let your spiritual guard down. If things are going well, then deepen your relationship with God, look for ways to speak about Him to people around you, make your life count. If things are going badly, your enemy will be trying to take advantage of that and make you discontent or resentful toward God.
“Resist him,” and keep trusting God. Praise God’s goodness in the middle of your battle. You will come through that experience a seasoned spiritual soldier with a much more mature faith.
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