Be Sober! Be Watchful!

Be Sober! Be Watchful!

M. E Unger

ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE of freedom, a familiar maxim of the political sphere, is not a whit less appropriate in the spiritual realm. The element of surprise”attack without warning”is an important factor in military warfare. One belligerent must surprise, the other must be surprised, said General Waldemar Erfurth. Only when the two commanders play these respective roles, will a battle lead to the annihilation of one army
  Christian, seek not yet repose,
"Hear thy guardian angel say,
Thou art in the midst of foes,
Watch and pray!
Principalities and powers
Mustering their unseen array
Wait for thy unguarded hours,
Watch and pray!
Charlotte Elliot

In Gideon epic victory over the Midianite hordes, the surprise element played a prominent part. With a paltry 300 men, Gideon surprised their 135,000 warriors and annihilated them. Pearl Harbour is another example. But in that case deception was an added factor, for Japan's envoys were seated at the negotiating table at the very moment the attack was launched.

May we suppose that our resourceful adversary will neglect to use this obvious and effective tactic? A cursory review of Bible history demonstrates how often and successfully he employed it. The only effective counter-strategy is the exercise of eternal vigilance.

But to face the attacks of Satan, the believer should always bear in mind that Satan is a created being and therefore is neither omnipotent nor omniscient. His apparent inability to foresee the divine strategy cost him victory in the battle of the cross. We speak Gods wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, wrote Paul, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:7-8). No commander would knowingly bring about his own destruction.

In his conduct of spiritual warfare, Paul did not neglect the intelligence service. We are not ignorant of his designs, he could say He was not battling a foe of whose strategy and tactics he knew nothing. In his Principles of War, James L. Wilson points out that intelligence of the enemy ensures knowing who he is, his intentions, and his methods of operation. The opposing commander gains this information by listening to all the enemy says and reading all he writes.

One of the purposes of this book is to confront the reader with the body of relevant biblical teaching on the subject, so that he will no longer be spiritually illiterate on this crucial theme, and will be able to combat the adversary intelligently

WATCHFULNESS A DUTY

Twenty times in the New Testament, watchfulness on the part of the Christian is enjoined. In the majority of cases it is Jesus who commands it. Failure to heed His injunction involved the eleven in tragic failure in Gethsemane .

Is there no significance in the fact that Jesus placed watching before praying in His counsel to them? If we fail to watch, and thus are caught off guard, the result is a foregone conclusion.
On another occasion Jesus said to them, What I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch! Although those words had primary reference to watchfulness in view of His return, the warning is no less applicable to our spiritual adversary, the devil.

A review of areas in which a lack of watchfulness can afford the enemy an advantage in achieving his aims can be of profit.

Ignoring his existence or Ignorance of his methods and great power gives him an enormous advantage. If we are uncertain whether such an antagonist really ex­ists, or if we do not seriously take him into account, he has a flying start. How many days are there, for example, when we do not give our supreme enemy even so much as a thought? Could you conceive of such a situation in earthly warfare? Let us retake this lost ground. Let us review the past to discover the successful methods of attack he has adopted in our own experience, and set a watch at that point.
  Uncontrolled anger will cost a high price in lost territory

BE ANGRY AND YET DO NOT SIN

do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity (Ephesians 4:26-27). When we allow even justifiable or unselfish anger to simmer for too long, we give the devil an opportunity to defeat us. And how much more so when our anger is self-centered and therefore sinful. Are we watchful in that area?

A resentful or unforgiving spirit concedes yet more territory to our adversary
Whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; . . what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ,in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:10-11, italics added)   An unwillingness to forgive gives him another opportu­nity to overcome us. We are not to yield him an inch. Are we careful to watch our heart attitudes?

A flippant jesting about the devil may sound smart, but really is very foolish. Both Peter and Jude give strong warnings on this point which we should heed. Peter speaks of those who despise authority Daring, self-willed, they do not trem­ble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgement against them before the Lord. (2 Peter 2: 10-11)
Jude adds:

But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgement, but said,

THE LORD REBUKE YOU

(Jude 1:9) Whatever else those mysterious passages mean, they surely convey a warning against the presumption of su­perficial Christians who make light of our ancient foe. The more intelligent and powerful angels refrain from this folly The injunction Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary the devil, prowls about like a roar­ing lion, seeking someone to devour is sufficient warn­ing that conflict with the devil is serious business (1 Peter 5:8).

Being mismated with unbelievers is likened by Paul to Christ being linked with Belial (or Satan), an unthinking association. What harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? The believer must not tolerate association with unbelievers in their characteristic activities (2 Corinthians 6:15). To do so is an open invitation to the devil. Although the reference here is primarily to marriage, its scope is wider and includes any voluntary binding associations.

The leaders in the church also need to exercise care in the appointment of men to hold office, lest they give vantage ground to the devil, which he will be fast to exploit. Paul indicates two areas in which special watch fullness must be exercised.

A bishop (or overseer, as the word may equally be rendered) must be above reproach, - . -He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil (1 Timothy 3:6, authors paraphrase).

Caution here is especially relevant today In a laudable desire to gain and retain the interest of young people, there is a widespread tendency to rush them into activities or responsibilities for which they do not yet have either the spiritual maturity or experience. It can damage their own spiritual experience and be disastrous for the work of God. By all means, we should give our young people all the responsibility they are qualified to bear. But the Spirit of God indicates there is a spiritual apprenticeship to be served.

The condemnation of the devil probably refers to the judgement that the devil incurred as a result of his unholy ambition and pride. The wisdom of this counsel has been demonstrated so often that it needs no emphasis. There is a very real danger in pushing young converts into prominence too early
Then too, He must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil (1 Timothy 3:7). If a potential church officer has a questionable reputation in the world, both he and the church are open to easy attack by the enemy

UNHOLY CURIOSITY

In this day when morbid curiosity about all aspects of the occult has reached incredible proportions, we would be culpable not to draw attention to the dangers of dabbling in occultism. A rapidly growing range of literature on this subject may easily lure an unwary uninformed person into situations that can have sinister consequences. Scriptural warnings against such unholy curiosity are plentiful and should be taken seriously:

There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
 

Note how exhaustive and comprehensive that command is, and how categorical the prohibition. Those practices have their modem counterparts in the Satanism of today Asks A. T. Pierson:

Will anyone show us one substantial benefit accruing to the human race from any attempts to invade this forbidden realm, even scientifically which begins to overbal­ance the sad wrecks of body and spirit that lie all along the shores of this Mare Tenebrum?

He goes on to add this caution:

To meddle with this awful realm of spirits may bring us under the sway of malignant supernatural agents and forces. Not only God, but wicked spirits wield weapons which, to us, are superhuman and supernatural, because alike beyond our knowledge and control. In Revelation 16:14, the spirits of demons are represented as working miracles. The devil, belonging to created intelligences of the highest order, can sway man by powers which belong to a higher realm; and to dare to invade those hidden precincts is to venture into an unknown territory and run corresponding risks; risks which are proportionate to the success of the experiments!

Be sober! Be watchful!

Watch, as if on that alone
Hung the issues of the day;
Pray that help may be sent down,
Watch and pray