Watchful and Ready

"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

Preparing for battle begins with peace that is rooted in God. A warrior does not go into battle anxious about the outcome, but confident, knowing that everything has been done to prepare, that he possesses the skills to complete the mission, and ready for whatever may come. This is the foundation, and peace allows for watchful readiness.

The next instruction is to "be on the alert". The word in Greek is grēgoreō, and it means to watch, actively giving strict attention, taking heed that no destruction overtakes you due to ignorant carelessness. This word is used by Jesus in parables that pointed to His second coming, and it points to an active watching that is not caught off guard or taken by surprise. We live in a world at war, and we must exercise constant vigilance so that we are ready for the attacks when they come.

It is time to share part of this, I'm working on a book that will further develop this thought as well as the thoughts in my future posts around this third topic of 1 Peter 5.1-11.

In Judges 14, Samson is on his way to Timnah and as he nears the vineyards a young lion charges him. God empowers him in a mighty way, and he tears the lion apart with his bare hands. I don't know if Samson was ready for the attack; he was on his way to his wedding, so I'm guessing his mind may have been else wear, but the lion saw him and attacked.

Lions are out there. I shared these verses in my Vision Quest 2017 series, Proverbs twice points out that lions are outside, waiting to attack.

"The sluggard says, 'There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!'" -Proverbs 22.13

"The sluggard says, 'There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square!'" -Proverbs 26.13

There are lions out there, they are hungry and looking for a meal. Without the peace and confidence that comes from a sober spirit, we would never take the risk of going outside. Without a watchful and ready attitude that comes from being alert, we cannot hope to survive for long.

The lions are real, and we must be watchful and ready.


Fight the lion 1 Peter 5.1-11

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!