"Keeping Alert"

Scripture:

Mark 14:38
“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.
The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” (NKJV)

Observation:

Our Lord, Jesus, has just awoken His apostles, Peter, John and James, (who were asleep in the garden of Gethsemane while Jesus was alone in prayer) encouraging them to always remain alert and to discern when they were under spiritual attack (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus is telling them and us not to let our pride or self-confidence lull us into a spiritual sleep allowing the Enemy to sneak in.

Application:

Although our spirit may well be willing enough, our unredeemed flesh still remains attached and we cannot always refrain from doing what we know is wrong. In other words, as long as we live under the curse of sin we will always fall prey to Satan and our sinful natures. And in order for people to fight the good fight of being all that God calls us to be, we need His redeeming Power along with His unconditional mercy and grace (Colossians 1:13-14). The incredibly strong unseen forces that are relentless in their quest to drag us away from the Truth and the goodness of God are much too powerful for our human strength alone. We must, dear friends, remain alert at all times and realize that our flesh is weak and the only way to win the battles of sin is through the power of our Almighty Redeemer, Jesus Christ. It is also important to know that no matter who we think we are or how confident we may feel, everyone will always fall short and loose some of the battles in our fight against ungodliness. But the great news is; the only Living God, our Savior, will always be there to pick you up in forgiveness and give you the strength and confidence to continue on with your battles, for He, the Lord Jesus, has defeated sin and death once and for all time (Romans 6:10). So stay alert, my friends, and clothe yourselves with Christ, because only with His holy and saving covering will you be victorious!

Prayer:

Dear LORD, help me to understand when I am under spiritual attack and when I am, give me both the strength and wisdom to be victorious in my stand against ungodliness. Thank You for the hope that You give us, Lord Jesus, for without You we would surely fall prey to all those enemies that want only our destruction. The blessed hope that You have promised is what gives me the strength to win one battle at a time for Your Glory!
Amen