Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
In an age in which manhood has seemingly been vacated, the Bible still remains that finest and best source for instruction on living a full and meaningful life. And for men, the study of scripture is essential if husbands and fathers desire to lead their families in spiritual growth and vitality. Today we find Paul concluding his letter with some simple, concise, and clear instruction on the attributes that should flow from the life of a Christian man.
- Be alert
The idea of being alert is to be clear headed. Our culture today seems to promote the opposite. We often see men getting together with the purpose of drinking, laughing, and becoming slightly inebriated. And this seems to be the accepted practice of many. But for the Christian man, maintaining clear thinking on all occasions is not only beneficial but protects us from spiritual harm. Consider the words of Peter:
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8
The admonition to be alert is not without cause. We have a spiritual enemy and his desire is to devour anyone that he can. To be sober in spirit is to keep a clear head. It is the ability to see what is going on and to protect oneself by being vigilant in our thinking. So Christian men should always be on the alert!
- Stand firm in your faith
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free!” That is Paul’s declaration for all believers. But our spiritual wellbeing must be guarded and the way in which we accomplish that is to stand firm in our faith. And in whom do we place our faith? We trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross as the means by which we enjoy salvation, reconciliation with God, and redemption. But there will be those who will seek to destroy what God has already accomplished within us. Sometime those individuals come from within the church. Consider Paul’s instructions to guard against religious complication of the gospel:
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1
The “yoke of slavery” that he refers to is nothing more than the religious attitudes of his day. Those same attitudes exist today but, as believers, we stand on our faith, guarding against being subject again to the restrictiveness and vitality draining demands of those who have not received the gospel. Christian men should always stand firm in their faith!
- Act like men
If there is one instruction that needs to be passed along to the next generation of boys it would be this: “Act like men!” The efforts in emasculating today’s man cannot be denied. But the good news is that no one can accomplish this by force. This is something that is voluntarily surrendered. For years, it seems that the men in the church vacated their responsibility as the leaders and with that came a weakening of the church. Women play a vital role in the declaration of the gospel but God designed men to play the role of leader in the church and in families (Ephesians 5:22-33). To “act like men” is to claim our rightful place in the church and in our families and to be the examples for our children. Christian men should act like the spiritual leaders that God has called us to be!
- Be strong in the Lord
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
Ephesians 6:10-11
Trusting in God means walking in the strength that He provides. In this passage, we see another reference to our spiritual enemy and the need for us to put on the full armor of God. This armor, although figuratively described, is spiritually real and is effective in protecting us against the devil’s schemes. Truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and the Word of God work in unison to keep us protected from spiritual harm. We need to instruct our sons and daughters on how to be “strong in the Lord,” reminding them that everything that they need for life now and life eternally is found in the Person of Jesus Christ. Christian men need to be strong and operate out of the strength of the might of God!
- Love should be the motive behind all that is done
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:7-8
As we see throughout scripture, love is the ordinary mode out of which a Christian operates. Our culture often frowns upon men becoming too emotional. But it is in our ability to give and receive genuine love that makes us qualified to affect others with the gospel. In addition to loving our children, we should make the demonstration of loving complete strangers with the love of Christ a norm in our children’s experience when observing our lives. Christian men need to operate out of a love for God and a love for others!
Be on the alert, stand firm in our faith, acting like men, being strong in the power of God, and doing everything out of love…sound advice for men today! Let’s walk in the solid admonition of scripture today!
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