Be Alert

Driving home, I saw a chipmunk run across the road. When I glanced up to the sky, there was a hawk in pursuit flying through the air.

This makes me think of our time here on earth. We are the chipmunks going about our daily business. Our enemy is the hawk seeking his pray. The Bible tells us in 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. If we are not careful, taking care of our spiritual well being, we, too, could be devoured by the predator, our enemy, the devil.

In Genesis, the story of creation, it tells us that God created the heavens and the earth, He created light and divided the light from the dark, he created the seas and the land, He brought forth grass, herb, seed, fruit trees, and more. He created every living creature according to its kind, and finally He created man in His image. After all of these things He said it was good. Later in Genesis is the fall of man, where Satan, in the form of a serpent, deceived Adam and Eve. This caused the fall of man. This is where the enemy brought darkness and despair into the world; man now knew good and evil. But God, in His loving kindness that draws us near, did not give up on us. He intended a second Adam to come, Jesus.

When Jesus came, he fulfilled a new covenant. This covenant purchased us with the blood of Christ. Jesus came to earth as a man but fully God, to establish His church. He then followed the commands of our Father by obediently going to the cross, defeating death, hell, and the grave, and was raised to life again and sat at the right hand of our Father. You see, in Genesis, God had given authority to Adam and Eve. By the deception of the serpent, Adam and Eve had given up that authority. Christ died to redeem that authority, to redeem us, to make a way for us to be reconnected to our Father.

Without Jesus, we would be doomed to a life of misery, pain, sickness, defeat, and slavery. Our sin separates us from God, but Jesus died as the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 2:2 (NLT) says, He Himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of the world.

I am by no means supporting once saved always saved. The Bible clearly tells us in Hebrews 10:26-27 (NIV), If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Willfully sinning against God makes you an enemy of God. So I encourage you to live up to the calling God has placed on you. The callings of God are not always easy, but be encouraged, because He is always there with you, never giving you more than you can handle.

Ephesians 1:1-6 (NIV) says, As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

So what am I saying? I am saying to pay attention. Be aware. Stay in the word of God. If you don’t know God’s word, how will you be prepared for battle? How can you renew your mind? How can you know what God says about you? How can you know the truth? Don’t rely on your pastor or what people tell you or even what I say. Go to the Bible yourself and read. We are all human and make mistakes. God does not make any mistakes. His word is complete truth. Jesus is the word and He is the way, the truth, and the life. Ephesians 6 reminds us that our battles are not against flesh and blood. It encourages us to put on the armor of God. What is the armor of God? I know it may seem lengthy, but I feel the need to share this with you.

Ephesians 6:13-18 (NIV), Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, BE ALERT and always keep praying for all the Lord’s people.

Remember that our enemy, the devil has been in the business of deception for thousands of years. He knows the word better than we do. He was God’s “right hand man” at one point, until he wanted to be God. When Jesus was being tempted in the dessert, the devil used God’s word wrongfully, but Jesus knew that man shall not live by bread alone but by the word of God that proceeds from His mouth. He knew that you were not to test the Lord and that you were to worship God only. How did He know? He spent time in prayer with God, our Father. He only did and said what the Father said. John 5:19 (NIV) says, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all He does.

I want to encourage you, pray. Continue to pray. Continue to seek God in all you do. Stay in His word and put on the armor of God so that you are prepared for battle. Again, I will share with you one of my favorite scriptures. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV), Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. My brothers and sisters, BE ALERT!

© 2021 Leslie Wittenmyer—All rights reserved