Be Watchful!

    As children of the most High God, we are placed on earth to be watchmen. We are to be people who can spy out the plans of the devil. We are people who must be able to discern right from wrong.

    While being all of this and more, we should daily check ourselves. We should be watchful and careful in all that we do because we are not ignorant of the devices of the enemy.

    1 Peter 5:8 says; “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”(KJV)

    This verse highlights two strategies for spying out the devil; soberness & vigilance.

    To be sober means to not be intoxicated or drunk. Rather, you should be clothed in your right mind. It means to be modest, realistic and serious in character. It means to ways be cool!

    Soberness is not an easy task, believe you me. Having to remain cool and collected at all times? Even in the face of trials and temptations? Even in the face if an extremely exciting circumstance? It’s not easy!

    However, we are helped by His spirit. Even the journey in Christ is a hard one. The guidance of His spirit makes it so much easier, not 100% easy. That’s why the place for enduing trials is there.

    The person of the Holy Spirit is one that has to be included, yielded to and submitted to be faire He can effectively help you. Help doesn’t mean He does it. Conscious efforts are very much required.

    Although He isn’t our major point of discussion today, I just explained a little for clarity. Being the only one that can help us maintain soberness, we should have an understanding of how He works.

    A sober man has a ninety percent (90%) chance of hearing God clearly. This is die to the fact that His soul is relaxed, not excited. An excited mind or soul is always carried away by emotions. In that case, your mind is clouded with false knowledge.

    Every christian knows better than to be carried away by emotions. Emotions are feelings of the flesh. If you follow emotions, you will land yourself in trouble.

    Vigilance is another way to keep spying on the enemy. To be vigilant is to ways be alert. It means to keep your spiritual antenna active. It means to ways walk in the spirit.

    Remember, Galatians 5:16 says; “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”(KJV)

    Invariably, when you are vigilant, you tend to glorify the spirit over the flesh thereby keeping yourself away from fleshy lusts and opening yourself up to receive from God.

    When you perform spiritual activities regularly, you are edifying your spirit. Thereby giving it upper hand in all operations.

    A good example of this is when Jesus fasted for 40days and nights as recorded in Matthew 4:1-11. The bible recorded that He was by the spirit to be tried by the devil.

    Yes, vigilance will include temptation to prove your level of drunkenness in the spirit to the devil. The good news however is that you have been prepared for it by spiritual activities ie. fasting, prayer, studying and meditating on the word.

    St. Matthew 4:3-4 says; “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”(KJV)

    Because of His soberness and vigilance, He was able to outsmart the enemy using a great tool, the word. Tools(the word, prayer)  must be carried along when being vigilant and sober.

    Beloved, do not think you have arrived anywhere. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:27;  “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

    Through spiritual activities, Apostle Paul keeps his flesh in control. He doesn’t for any reason allow for over familiarity with God. Till his last breath, he did all that was needful to be sober and vigilant.

    Soberty is one of the most untalked about necessities in the kingdom today. Many people have died, not because God didn’t speak to them but because thay were occupied with excitement.

    Excitement is ok but never let it tarry. Excitement lifts the spirit but never let it lift it away from the God consciousness. If that happens, serious problems may occur.

    Happy New Month!
    #GrowingInGrace.