Be Alert

Main Idea: Believers are to be alert as they follow Jesus and resist sin and temptation.
1 Peter 5.8 (CSB): Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

Devotion: A few years ago, I was Geo-Caching with friends. We were in the middle of Cardiff and I was attempting to get a GPS location on the cache. I was walking along with my friends while I was also fixated on the my phone. Then, out of nowhere, a pole jumped in front of me and knocked me down. My friends helped me up...once they stopped laughing (We didn’t find the cache, either.)

As I have thought about this experience, I have thought about our spiritual walk. We know what we are pursuing (Matthew 6.33) and we know that there are difficulties along the journey (1 Peter 4.12-19). What we do not know is when the difficulties will present themselves. Therefore, we must be alert; we cannot be distracted. I would have seen the pole had I been more aware of my surroundings.
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Likewise, we can “resist” the devil (1 Peter 5.9) by humbling ourselves before God (1 Peter 5.6-7) and being alert. We remain alert by minimizing distractions, reading our Bibles, praying, and doing life with other like-minded, godly people. Take Peter’s warning to heart. Be aware of the devil’s schemes.

For Reflection...
-How do you generally handle temptation? Do you resist it or give into it?
-What are some practical ways that you can resist temptation and sin in your life?
-When we do life with other like-minded, godly people, we are held ac-countable. Do you have an accountability partner in your life? (An accountability partner is someone who holds you accountable as you walk the disciple’s journey.)

The dynamite is in place, the fuse is laid, the match is struck, you may be living high, wide, and hand-some, but he’s setting you up for a fall.
—Adrian Rogers

Be Alert PDF