“Be On Guard” By: Jim Hill, Evangelist In Mark 13:37 we are made aware of the necessity of being always prepared, or on guard, in spiritual matters when the Lord said, “ And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” In another famous passage the inspired writer tells us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (I Peter 5:8). Since no one knows when the Lord shall come (Matthew 25:13), we have this constant reminder of I Thessalonians 5:2, “Watch, therefore!” Paul urged the Corinthians to be alert as they stood firmly in the faith of the gospel as fully armed men of God (I Corinthians 16:13). The Bible not only informs us regarding what to guard against, but it also shows us how to accomplish the task. We are provided, in the Scriptures, with all the power we need to successfully overthrow the fiery darts of the wicked one. Notice the provisions of the faithful soldier of the Lord as he battles the emissaries of hell: 1. The word of God hidden in our hearts (Psalm 119:11) 2. Seeking God with our whole heart (Jeremiah 29:13) 3. Help from heaven when trials come (I Corinthians 10:13) 4. Blessings in abundance when we do right (Matthew 6:33) 5. The power of prayer in our lives (Hebrews 4:16) 6. The reward promised the faithful (Revelation 2:10) 7. The example of Christ to guide us (I Peter 2:21) Now, what are we to guard against? Guard Against Spiritual Wickedness The apostle writes, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:11-12). With the armor of the Lord’s soldier firmly about us, we must energetically war against “the devices of Satan” (2 Corinthians 2:11). Realizing the power of evil in the lives of millions, we root out sin through proper handling of the sacred text (2 Timothy 2:15) and a personal allegiance to the spirit of, Proverbs 3:5 and 7:2, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. . .Keep my commandments and live.” Knowing that firmly resisting error (James 4:7) will overcome evil, we can thereby miss the snare of the devil (I Timothy 3:7) as we follow Christ regardless of where that takes us (Hebrews 12:2; Revelation 14:4). To be sure, such action will cause us to be victorious when the battle is over. Guard Against Human Pride The servant of the Savior must certainly guard against self-satisfaction. One of the most destructive sins is pride. “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). In listing three “things of the world” that separate us from God (I John 2:16), the apostle includes “the vainglory of life.” Exalting self is a certain path to ruin (2 Corinthians 10:18). Moses warned against the mistake of “doing right in our own eyes” (Deuteronomy 12:8). One of the most vivid rebukes in the Bible is the blunt memo in Lamentations 4:5, “Those raised in scarlet now embrace dung hills.” Truly, we all need to “take heed lest we fall” because of pride (I Corinthians 10:12). Guard Against Materialism’s Clever Disguise In Luke 12 Jesus tells the story of “the rich fool” who trusted in “greater barns” instead of God. Judas sold out future hope due to the same subtle evil. The rich young ruler “went away sorrowful” (Matthew 19) and the prodigal son (Luke 15) erred due to the power of mundane possessions. The first sin recorded in the first century church concerned love of money (Acts 5). Laying up treasures on earth is exceedingly futile, but still is tremendously popular (Matthew 6:19; Revelation 18:17). Only one thing is needful (Luke 10:42), but most folk miss the point completely! Paul reminded Timothy of the vanity of earthly pomp in a brilliant text contained in I Timothy 6:6-17, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” Guard Against Fleshly Lusts Whether it is impure speech (Matthew 12:34-37) or improper conduct (Galatians 5:19-21) proceeding from vain thoughts and shallow motives (Psalm 19:14), we must constantly guard against the wiles of Satan. When the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41) our sojourn on earth is apt to be detoured and we be directed on the wrong road that will lead to destruction. Remember, no matter how good it looks or how good it may feel, nothing is worth losing our eternal reward. So “flee the very appearance of evil,” lest we become involved in the plan of Satan and end up on the losing side. BEWARE!
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 12:48:22 +0000
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