Monday, February 22, 2021
by Dr. Paul Chappell
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
1 Peter 5:8-10
In February of 2014, an Ethiopian Airlines 767 was hijacked by the co-pilot. His plan was to fly to Switzerland and request asylum there. Once it became known that the plane was no longer on its original flight plan, Italian Air Force jets responded and followed it as it made its way north. At the border, French Air Force planes took over the escort task. But when the hijacked plane crossed into Swiss airspace, the French planes had to stay with it. It turned out that due to budget cuts and noise regulations, Swiss Air Force planes were only operating during daytime business hours—leaving the nation undefended and forced to rely on others for protection.
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, we have an enemy who is active and committed to our destruction. He doesn’t work only during business hours. He doesn’t take days off. We must be constantly and continually on guard so that we are not taken by surprise. Jesus warned Peter that Satan was after him in a special way, but when He returned, Jesus found Peter sleeping instead of praying. He warned, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
The devil is looking for opportunities to take us down. If you were strong against temptation yesterday, he will still come back today. Through the power of God, it is possible for us to have victory over sin and the devil, but it requires us to be alert and vigilant to resist his temptations.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Victorious Christian living requires constant attention to guarding against the temptations of the devil.
