Calm and Collected

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." -1 Peter 5.8

Before we begin to fight the enemy, we must prepare ourselves and enter battle with the right mindset. Verse 8 begins by telling us to be of sober spirit. The word in Greek is nēphō, and it means to be calm and collected in spirit. This is a call to serenity and confidence in God. The sober spirit does not live in anxious fear of the enemy, but it rests securely in God. The sober spirit does not have a blood lust longing for battle, but is ready to fight when it must in order to defend what is good, true, and beautiful.

This is the attitude God calls His warriors to posses. In the opening verses of Joshua, Israel is on the verge of conquest. They are on the eastern shore of the Jordan preparing to enter and claim the land that was promised to Abraham centuries earlier. Moses has died, Israel has a new leader, and they are about to enter a new land, a land that is possessed by nations who are powerful and live in well defended cities (Numbers 13), and have no intention of going anywhere.

God speaks to Joshua, reassuring him of His presence and promise, He gives instructions for Joshua to live by, and ends with a command for Joshua to be of sober spirit, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1.9)

God calls Joshua to be strong and courageous, ready for the battles that are coming. These are battles that must be fought for God's promise to be fulfilled, but it is battle for a purpose, not battle for the sake of battle. God commands Joshua to not be afraid or discourage, to be calm and at peace, because God is going to be with him every step of the way. Joshua can move forward sober in spirit because of the confident assurance of God.

This is the same attitude we are called to live with. Let us be at peace, God is with us, God is in control, the cross and the tomb are both empty, and Jesus has conquered sin, death, and hell. There is nothing to be afraid of, let us be calm and collected as we face the enemy; he has already been defeated. Let us go into battle ready to fight, confident in our training and ability, but brokenhearted that war is the reality. This is not what God intended, and it is not the ultimate reality; the war will end, and that is what we are fighting for, the end of the war and eternal peace.

God is in control, and we can face the enemy with a sober spirit, calm and collected, ready to face the enemy as we fight for the Kingdom.


Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!