Be Welled Balanced, Be Vigilant

An adversary is an opponent, one seeking to defeat you in a cause. We have an adversary in the devil who has had a whole lot of experience in deceit and seduction. He is always poised to subvert men from God’s will.

It is particularly easy to slack in vigilance when faced with a crisis. It is why people, when angry, tend to say and act in ways that they would later regret. Words they would dare not utter they speak, things they would dare not do, they do. This is not limited to times of anger, but also in times of great emotional upheaval, people tend to act more from emotions that from good reasoning.

God is reminding us today to take heed and be vigilant. Don’t relax your grip on God’s word and on your faith. Be well balanced. Keep your emotions in check. Don’t join the bandwagon, don’t act or speak flippantly. Don’t cast off restraint. Apostle James had very useful instructions to this end. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19).

This is the time to meditate much more on the word of God, to fill your mind with godly messages and faith-filled words. This is the time to stand strong in the faith. Remember that faith only exists in the presence of God’s word. Romans 10:17 says that ‘faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’. Build yourself in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost.

Here is how the Message Bible puts it, “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.” (1 Peter 5:8-11).

Pray like this: Thank you Father for your word is true. I am kept and preserved by your word. My heart is fixed on you and my lips kept from guile. Amen.
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—Ikechukwu Mpama

Bible in one year: I Corinthians 1-2 (In Devotional Audio)