Be Alert and of Sober Mind to Defeat a Dangerous Enemy

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

1 Peter 5:8

Dear Family & Friends,

All of us have certain habits. Some of these are good and some are not so good! One habit Christians need to kick to the curb as quickly as possible is the tendency to get lazy in our outlook on life. The Bible reminds us we must be alert and have a sober mind to all of Satan’s schemes. He is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Those who habitually ignore the warnings are most likely to fall!

My Strange Habit

I have a strange habit. When under a lot of stress I take a walk to let off steam. But sometimes when the pressure is strongest I will close my eyes while I am walking. Now, while this is usually not a good decision in most places, I have been able to pull it off because I live on a back country road.

Just this morning I headed down my lane and when I reached the road, the sun warming my face, I closed my eyes to soak in the rays, block out the bright light and relax my racing mind. Of course, I peek every once in a while to make sure I don’t end up in a ditch but the feeling of walking and relaxing at the same time is amazing – until it’s not!

I moved forward at a good clip enjoying life when all of a sudden I hit a patch of ice. Thankfully I caught myself before I landed flat on my face, but that could have been a huge disaster. I decided then and there that I needed to kick the habit of walking with my eyes closed, despite the comfortable and relaxing feeling. It’s too dangerous!

Reasons Why We Close Our Minds to Danger

Often God’s children walk with their eyes closed to the dangers around them. We like the false sense of security we get when we ignore temptations and dismiss God’s warning to always stay alert. There are many examples throughout the Bible of godly people who lost their edge and found out the hard way that losing focus can cause costly mistakes.

One area of temptation that can creep in on us is pride. When we think more highly of ourselves than we ought, we run the risk of falling hard. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”  Peter reminds his readers to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God so that He may exalt them at the proper time.

Times of suffering also present a risk for believers. In the midst of our pain we may be tempted to lose faith or search for answers apart from God. Instead, our Father calls us to cast our anxiety on Him and not to forget that He cares for us. He reminds us that after a little while God will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. These benefits are often the very purpose of our trials.

There are so many other areas where Christians close their eyes and take the easy path: laziness in regularly reading the Bible, putting off prayer for a more convenient time, and skipping opportunities to meet with others who can keep us accountable are a few. All of these put us at risk of slipping or landing in a ditch.

A Warning – Be Alert and Of Sober Mind

So Peter warns us to be of sober mind and to always be on the alert. We have an adversary, the devil, who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. What easier prey is there than someone with their eyes closed?

I know that I have a few bad habits, and walking with my eyes closed is one of them. But I’ve decided to forego this fleeting pleasure. When walking down a country road or the road of life it’s much better to stay alert and keep your eyes wide open every step of the way. With that proper focus, there will be less risk of slipping on the ice.

Love,

Mama

If you have been blessed by Verses from Mama consider buying me a cup of tea to help with the costs of this ministry. Thank you!