Satan 1 Peter 5:8,9 be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world.
This is day three on this verse and part of a series of devotionals on Satan and purity. The focus today in on the simple command: ‘be watchful’.
In the Navy, when a person was on duty, it was called, ‘standing the watch’ or ‘going on watch’, or ‘I’ve got the watch’. This meant that you were to be alert, to stand or sit at your duty station, and do the duties that you were trained to do. It implied being rested and alert, and also trained for the duty. In my case, I worked in the engineering spaces of a nuclear powered ship. My ‘watch’ was sitting in supervision over men who were ‘watching’ gauges who were running the nuclear reactor. As needed, various valves would be turned, or switches flipped to accomplish the mission of making steam to turn the propellers or to make electricity or fresh water for the ship.
We were ‘on watch’. We were alert. We were ready to make adjustments as necessary to accomplish the mission.
Other ‘watch standers’ would look at various radars/ sonars and other equipment, looking for evidences of the possible enemy presences or tracking known threats. For a ‘watch stander’ to fall asleep or come to their duty station incapacitated, either too tired or drunk, they were derelict in their duties. They would face severe punishment and discipline by the ship’s commanding officer. He was putting not only his own life in danger but also the lives of every person on that ship. Scores have books have been written on the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and on the success of the 9/11 hijackers. The assumption was that someone was not ‘watchful’, someone should have known and alerted the proper authorities.
As believers, we are in a declared war. We have an enemy who wants to destroy us. He has proven himself a most formidable opponent. He is wily and patient and studies us for weaknesses. Hurling slanders and creating tempting situations, he sets traps and snares, trying to lure us into them. He digs pitfalls for us to fall into. He is evil and also knows the word well enough to deceive us by sprinkling a little truth with his lies. It is NOT a little command for the Lord to tell us: BE WATCHFUL.
We must be on guard and stay sober. WE must stay ON WATCH in the spiritual realm, alert to the enemy. We must stay on our post and fully clothed in the armor of God. We must not slumber or sleep spiritually. We must never let our guard down. It is so easy to become dull and tired. When we are least aware, Satan will be most active. Luke 4:13 says, “… The devil left until a more opportune time.” I pray that you will be perpetually watchful and that you would not fall prey to the evil one. Jesus prayed, “Father, keep them from the evil one” John 17:15
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