I am not a great athlete, but there are some activities that I’ve enjoyed over the years. As a kid, I played a lot of baseball, mostly sandlot stuff in my neighborhood. While in college, a friend got me interested in golf and I played for several years. I have enough experience to know one thing most people need to remember as they participate in these sporting events, keep your eye on the ball (or puck or target, etc.) I was always told to watch the bat or club hit the ball. This watchfulness is also vital to many occupations or hobbies we enjoy.
But have you ever thought about the necessity of being watchful in your spiritual journey? In Matthew 26:41, Jesus gives us this command, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” In Matthew 24:4, he warns us to, “Watch out that no one deceives you.” To leaders, God commands them to, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:1, Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. The young man, Timothy, was told to, Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
This may seem like a lot of examples of one simple truth, but in reality, this just scratches the surface of the warnings giving in Scripture to be watchful. This is an important instruction and God doesn’t want us to miss it. The Apostle Paul expands this thought with some explanation in 1 Corinthians 16:13, Be on your guard (watchful); stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.14 Do everything in love. To be watchful in our relationship with God means that we must work at it. I guarantee you that Satan does not simply throw up his hands and walk away when a man commits his life to Christ. He digs in his heals and does all he can to get us to either turn from the truth or to be so wishy-washy in our faith that we are totally ineffective. For this reason, God’s message is clear, be men of courage. Stand strong in your faith. Stay watchful.
Obedience to this call of God requires guts. We must be willing to say no to those things that take time away from the spiritual disciplines that are so necessary for a consistent spiritual life. We must be brave enough to take a stand against co-workers or friends who would try to get us to compromise our obedience to Christ. We must not flinch in the face of temptation that Satan heaps on us. We must be men of courage.
The importance of this admonition has many important factors. Our own eternal future is at stake. But also, many of us have the responsibility of leading a family. As the God appointed spiritual leader of our home, our courage to stand for Christ will affect the spiritual future of those in our care. This is a huge responsibility. God understands this and so he says, “Stand up, be watchful for the attacks of Satan, and act like the men God calls you to be.