Be Vigilant!

 Be Vigilant! JesusChrist says in Matthew 24:42-44: Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. How awake are we? Our Savior commands us to watch and to be ready. How are we doing? Those serving in the armed forces carry a great responsibility to be ready to act or react at a moment's notice to possible danger. They must be prepared to protect their homeland, fellow citizens and soldiers, and themselves from attack. Theirofficers train them to "have their heads on a swivel"—awake, alert, and aware of everything around them because their enemies could create terror, chaos, destruction, and death at any time. Soldiers cannot become complacent, remaining vigilant for the populacethey serve and protect. In his epistles, the apostle Paul calls God's elect "soldiers" (Philippians2:25; II Timothy 2:3). Our hymnal even contains a song, "Onward Christian Soldiers." A chief characteristic of soldiers is vigilance. Like physical soldiers, we are to be alert, aware, and on guard. A Christian must always be watching, cognizant of his circumstances,and prepared to withstand attacks from those influenced by the Evil One. But are we letting down, permitting wrong attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs into our lives that could compromise our hope of salvation? Are we letting things slip (Hebrews2:2-3)? Each individual needs to answer these questions for himself. It is a matter of self-evaluation. As Paul writes in (Philippians2:12), we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. This need to stay vigilant has been a long-time teaching in God's church, but hearing it frequently and over a long period sometimes dulls its force. Have we let up? Have we become complacent? Have we lazily compromised our values? Have we progressedor regressed on our spiritual journey to God's Kingdom? We live in physically and spiritually dangerous times (IITimothy 3:1-4). Our society has degenerated considerably over our lifetimes, becoming more perverted and immoral, and Paul assures us it will only get worse (IITimothy 3:13). These are the days when people are bringing woe on themselves, calling evil good and good evil (Isaiah5:20). We cannot afford to ease off our vigilance because that is when we become vulnerable. It is challenging to stay awake and aware of all the false and anti-Godissues, big and small, that we face daily, but that is the job our Lord has given us. Vigilance is a top priority for every Christian. The apostle Peter warns, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (IPeter 5:8). Satan's influence over humanity seems to intensify every day. The prince of the power of the air broadcasts his wicked attitudes into the minds of millions (Ephesians2:1-3), and they wholeheartedly accept them, believing the lie (IIThessalonians 2:9-12). Evil rises, leaving carnage in its wake. Satanand his spiritual forces could attack us at any time or place. If we are not vigilant in keeping our guard up, staying in contact with God, obeying His commandments, and donning the whole armor of God, our weak, carnal minds can more easily tune into his wavelength. Once that happens, we will likely lose the encounter, heading down a path we should not take. So, Peter advises in I Peter 1:13, "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind [preparing your minds for action, ESV], be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." God has given us His Holy Spirit, which allows us to develop vigilance. By it, we can be prepared for action, having used it to keep in contact with Him, understand His truth, live righteously, do His will, and obey His commandments.In this way, we can win the encounter, resisting and overcoming the forces of evil around us. Jesus tells His disciples, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew26:41). Along with staying vigilant, we must pray constantly (IThessalonians 5:17), keeping in touch with the great God. He is the Source of our strength to remain vigilant and to stand when the attack comes. Jesus is our prime example of vigilance. He fought battles similar to what we must fight in this world. We can see what He did in His skirmishes with the Adversary, the Devil (Matthew 4; Luke 4). Having experienced what we experience in the world, Jesus knows how we feel and what we go through daily. Hebrews 2:17-18 says of Him: Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. Every day, we are to walk down our respective paths in watchful readiness. We see this world rushing toward the end of this age, toward a crisis so extreme that none like it has ever happened before or ever will again (Matthew24:21-22). This coming calamity should motivate us to ask God for a clearer vision of where we stand before Him, ensuring we are not compromising our values. It should spur us to set Him and His way as our priorities and to overcome our human nature, thepulls of this world, and the Evil One. During this time of trouble, we must, in humility, think soberly and move forward in faith (Romans12:3). Jesus Christ, our High Priest and King, will be returning soon. As His disciples, brothers and sisters, and co-heirs, we must watch vigilantly in anticipation of His return. With only so much time remaining, we must diligently follow in Hisfootsteps. We should let nothing hinder our development of righteous, spiritual character, replacing ungodliness with goodness. So, as Paul writes in I Thessalonians 5:6, "Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober." Most people have wholeheartedly embraced the suggestions of the Evil One: self-concern, self-satisfaction, sensuality, and pride. Little do they know that theirwilling submission to him has blinded them to God and all the good He wants them to have. But God has called us to know better. We know Satan's broadcasts are lies, and we must not surrender to them. Instead, we must increase our vigilance—awake, alert, steady, and prepared—to keep our hearts and minds clean and focused on our walkto God's Kingdom. Only in this way can we avoid the dangers of the times and remain uncontaminated by this world. The glorified Jesus warns, "Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown" (Revelation3:11). Be vigilant! - Gary Montgomery