1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
One of the most important things a soldier learns in his training is to be alert. He must constantly watch and be on guard for any attack of the enemy. If he fails in this first objective, it could mean a major defeat or even death.
As soldiers of Christ, we must also be on the alert as we cannot afford to allow the enemy to take us by surprise. Here are three ways to stay alert:
1. Through prayer. To stay alert is to pray without ceasing. As believers, we cannot afford to lose guard in our prayer lives. Jesus has commanded us to watch and pray (Matthew 26:41). We must utilize our weapon of prayer.
2. Through fasting. Fasting, to a large extent, kills the propensity for food. It helps the body to say “No” to the inclination for comfort and food, thereby helping to develop one’s self-control. 1 Corinthians 9:27 (NLT) says,
“I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
Fasting, coupled with prayer, makes you alert spiritually.
3. Through feeding on the Word of God. The Word of God will cause you to be spiritually awake and alert. The Psalmist reveals his key to avoiding sin when he says,
“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalms 119:11, NLT).
When you immerse yourself in the Word of God, the Spirit of God will prompt you whenever there is a temptation. Also, without the Word of God, we cannot discern when the Devil is on the move to steal, kill and destroy anything of ours.
Precious one, as soldiers of Christ, it is imperative we stay alert and be sober. Our spiritual alertness can be heightened like never before when we pray unceasingly, fast, and feed on the Word of God.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, as I do my part to be alert at all times, let me never fall prey to the enemy, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Related Topics : Charles Agyinasare, Prayer And Fasting,
