The topic of today isn't a piece of advice that can be disregarded; rather, it is an express command to be treated in a serious way if we need to cross the finishing line of our Christian faith. A speedy illustration here is that enticement is a truth of life. The main way out of it is to watch and appeal to avoid the seducer and his representatives.
Temptation is something we will always experience as long as we are alive. The Bible reveals to us why we should be careful and vigilant: our enemy, Satan, is busy searching for whom to devour. The Lord Jesus described him as a thief with a threefold task: to steal, kill and destroy.
Although we have an unconquerable Ally in the person of our Lord Jesus, He Himself demonstrates an example for us by watching and praying. We can in this way not manage without being vigilant and prayerful in our Christian calling.
What are we to look out for? We need to be vigilant of the enemy's trick, some of which can appear as the lust of the flesh.
Samson didn't observe enough to see the ditch his flesh was driving him into. Even when his parents cautioned him against the Philistine ladies, he didn't listen to their words of reason, picking rather follow the leading of his flesh.
Something else we should keep an eye out for is the lust of the eyes. The world is full of evil scenery these days. We must be careful about what we view and what we see around us.
Interestingly, these awful pictures are crawling into the church these days – first to the pew and presently the altar. Finally, we must be vigilant of the pride of life.
Pride destroyed Satan and he is bringing it into people's lives today to annihilate them. The church is turning out to be too flashy nowadays, and this is diverting us from our center task. Please do not be trapped in this snare of Satan.
Let all your activities be directed by sobriety and watchfulness, so you don't turn into a champion of yesterday.
