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

Living the Christian life is not for the faint of heart. We often use this phrase, “faint of heart,” to describe someone who lacks the courage, stamina, or determination to face something difficult, risky, or dangerous. We tend to use it when the work or endeavor requires serious grit. “Give it your all,” “put your best foot forward”, and “have a great work work ethic,” are all things widely used in business, sports, and other worldly endeavors, but do we see this kind of language being used when it comes to our commitment and walk with Jesus Christ? We should. While doing our best, in all that we do, has lasting benefits and demonstrates great commitment toward something, our dedication to honoring God and putting Him first should be met with an even greater enthusiasm. After all, the Bible reminds us that the temporal will pass away and everything that we accomplish on this earth is only that, temporal, and will ultimately be eclipsed by the importance of following Christ and pursuing His will over ours. That is why two things are required for living the Christian life: (1) Salvation, a born again relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ and (2) Receiving the Holy Spirit to come and live within our hearts. Once saved and spiritually transformed by the power of the Spirit of God, we are ready to walk with Christ everyday, focusing on things above rather than things of the earth. But even as we enjoy fellowship with God and the presence of His Spirit in our lives, we need to understand that living the Christian life is most definitely not for the faint of heart. That’s why we see Paul reminding us of five (5) things, vital for us if we are to see spiritual victory in our lives and influence others around us with the gospel. 

1. Be On The Alert! 

How many people do we see today that are anything but alert? There is an entire culture built around numbing the senses. Whether it’s the drug scene, constantly increasing the alcohol content in our bloodstream, or just immersing ourselves in all forms of distractions, amusement, and entertainment, it all seems to be designed to lead us into a world of escapism. But God is calling out watchmen, people that will stand guard over their communities, their own families, and even stand guard over their own hearts. But today, it seems that fewer and fewer people are taking this calling seriously. Could it be that the majority of this world are living apart from Christ and are actually void of the Holy Spirit? That is a pretty easy argument to make given the cultural rot that is currently taking place in our society. But just when we think that the darkness is progressing, we see the next generation, those young men and women who are willing to “be on the alert,” to stand as a watchman over their families. These are people willing to live dignified, somber lives, free from the levity that most would prioritize as bring of greatest importance. 

Paul, knowing that the majority will balk at this idea, is reminding us, as believers, just how important it is to be spiritually alert at all times. Peter even reminds us of this vital characteristic for those living godly lives in an ungodly world:

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

        1 Peter 1:13

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith…

        1 Peter 5:8-9a  

 Notice that these instructions involve the mind. This is why we cannot afford to be numbing the senses like some who seem to have everything yet cannot go a day without physically deadening their minds and emotionally detaching from the world around them. Something has gone terribly wrong in lives lived this way but this is wholly inappropriate for those who love God with all of their mind (Matthew 22:37-38). 

Furthermore, we are to be sober in spirit. Can we be in a state of readiness, being sober in spirit, if we find ourselves physically drunk, being detached from sobriety? Of course not! That would be a ridiculous argument. “I may be completely wasted, but I’m staying sober in spirit and keeping my mind alert and ready for spiritual action.” Of course, these two things cannot be true at the same time. We are either loving God with everything that we have, including keeping our minds clear and ready for action or we are not. 

Peter gives us the reason for being in this physical, emotional, and spiritual state of alertness and the reason…well, it’s a good one. “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Good reason! As believers, the devil cannot have our souls but he can try and deceive us into compromising or lead us into distractions designed to keep us away from fellowship with God and enjoying His best for us. The unbelieving world is already living right where the devil wants them. Some who claim awareness are often being lulled to sleep, moving through life in a constant pursuit of pleasure, possessions, and power. All the while, they are really, like lemmings, being led to the slaughter (Ephesians 5:14-16, Proverbs 24:11). But we will not meet such a fate since we have been justified through faith in Jesus Christ and now operate out of the power of the Spirit of God (Ephesians 1:17, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 Peter 1:18-19). Therefore, let us be sober, physically and spiritually, and be on the alert, guarding our heart against the deception and trickery of the enemy.

2. Stand Firm In The Faith!

Along with Paul’s declaration of “standing firm” are Peter’s instructions of resisting the devil. We do this by standing firm in the truth that we have in our position in Christ and in the knowledge and power given to us by God’s Spirit. This is why religion alone will not yield the same results. Being religious vs walking in the power of the Spirit of God are often two completely different spiritual states. God is not calling us to be religious, He is calling us to position ourselves in Christ, receive the Spirit of God into our lives, and walk out that spiritual standing with God by being different, set apart (2 Corinthians 6:14-17). This “being different” means that we stay in ready position, focusing our minds on the things of God, and standing firm in our faith in Him and His power at work within us. This is how we determine truth from fable, recognize the devil’s schemes, and appropriately respond as the children of God. The key is to maintain our faith in Christ even through severe hardships, false teachings, or a morally declining culture.

Jesus speaks on what we should expect from this world and how we are to stand firm in the midst of it.

You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

  Matthew 10:22

As Christians, we will be hated by others, by some that even consider themselves religious. When you shine for Jesus, because of the presence of God within you (John 7:38), the unbelieving world will not understand. Those caught in religious bondage may, too, have a problem with your freedom and the joy that you exhibit because of your salvation. But Jesus reminds us that “it is the one who has endured to the end that will be saved.” Does this mean that we have to work for our salvation? No (Romans 3:28). But what it does mean is that only those who are truly saved, those who have been born again and now walk in the power of the Spirit of God, those are the ones who will endure to the end. People will fall away and many who we, perhaps, thought of as believers will prove themselves to be false converts when it comes to “standing firm.” Many in the religious world will also display that they are void of the Spirit of God in that they will begin to compromise the truth of God’s Word for myths, fables, and even succumb to the ever increasing pressure of a lost and dying world. We are seeing that today in pulpits all across the land. Consider Jesus’ words:  

Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 

Matthew 24:11-13

We see it again! “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” Jesus is speaking of the day drawing near when Christ will return and set everything right, a day that we should all be anticipating. Three things that Jesus declares to which we should pay close attention. 

(1) “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” As a Christian, growing in your faith and walk with Christ, are you feeding yourself daily on the Word of God? If the answer is, “no,” then you are setting yourself up for being deceived by the many  false teachings already a part of our society, some which even exists in “so called” churches. If we are able to go in and out of church week after week and not ever be convicted or see a change in our lives Monday through Saturday, then we need to seriously look at what is actually going on. The misleading of people is here and it is growing. If we are not walking in the power of God’s Spirit and applying what we read in scripture to our lives (James 1:22), we could be victims like those who fall for just about anything.

(2) “Because lawlessness is increased…” If you have looked around lately and noticed a “ramping up” of everything ungodly, along with a persecution of those standing in the truth, you are not alone. Jesus told us that this would happen. Sin, depravity, and ungodliness will increase as the day of Christ approaches. The things being suggested by those who are in positions of leadership in our society today is a sure sign that although they hold positions of power, many of them are morally bankrupt and spiritually dead. Consider Paul’s words: 

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness…”Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.

        2 Corinthians 6:14a,17a

False teachers will mislead many and lawlessness will increase in our society. “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” 

(3) “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” One word that seems to jump off the page is the word, “most.” “Most people’s love will grow cold.” That’s remarkable. This means that the majority of those who claim the name of Jesus will fall away during the end times. Have you ever known someone who claims the name of Jesus but, lately, seems to be indifferent about the things of God? Have you ever known someone claiming to be a Christian yet they chase after everything that the world says is important? What about those who claim to know Christ yet never crack open the Word of God? Could it be that many that we think are born again believers are in fact not a part of the body of Christ at all? These are important questions to ask ourselves and those in our family as Jesus reminds us that many will be deceived, lawlessness will increase, and most people’s love (for Him) will grow cold. “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” 

3. Act Like Men!

If there was ever a time in human history when we need the men of the church to stand up, it is now. It matters not whether the culture accepts the truth about families or not. God has designed families with the husbands and fathers being the spiritual leaders of the family. 

Let me state the obvious…there are two genders, male and female (Genesis 1:26-27). Man was made in the image of God and formed from the dust of the ground. Woman was made from man. And with this design come roles that each of us are to play. And men have been set apart as the spiritual leaders of their households. Fathers, are we taking that responsibility seriously, making sure that our sons and daughters are growing up to love the Lord with all of their heart and are walking in the power of the Spirit of God? (Matthew 22:37-38, Galatians 5:16-18). And yes, wives, you too have a role to play in your children’s development (Titus 2:1-5). Both parents are to be examples of what it means to be true believers and followers of Jesus. These biblical instructions are not antiquated, as the world believes, rather they are sound and powerful for protecting your marriage, your children, and even your grandchildren in the faith. 

So, looking at our current culture, it should be no surprise that Paul is reminding us to “act like men.” We now live in a world full of gender confusion, men desiring to be women and women desiring to be men, and although this doesn’t represent the mainstream of society, it is a sober reminder of the clever deceitfulness of the enemy. Multitudes of people are being tricked out of their proper, God-given roles in pursuit of lifestyles that are the very antithesis of what God would want for us. So, it’s in times like this that we could use a healthy dose of spiritual truth, understanding that God has designed us in specific roles, not to be changed, altered, or challenged. So, while we are “being on the alert,” and “standing firm in our faith,” we, as men, need to rise up and be the spiritual men that God has designed us to be, in our families, in the church, and in our world! There is a lot at stake!  

4. Be Strong!

This is not the only place in scripture where Paul is exhorting us to “stand firm” and “be strong.” Consider his words when discussing the all important topic of spiritual warfare:

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

Any born again believer in Jesus Christ should be keenly aware of the enemy and his schemes. Everything that we see in our world today has an element of spiritual warfare attached to it. The things that are often labeled as “political” issues are, in fact, spiritual ones. That is why we need to put on the full armor of God (see Ephesians 6:10-17) so that we will have the spiritual arsenal that we need in order to stand firm and be strong. It is in the strength of the Lord that we stand and fight anyway. We don’t take on the demonic except in the name of Jesus and in the protection and power of the Holy Spirit. Being strong is essential for believers if we are to have any kind of impact on today’s culture. As many fall away, we need to live lifestyles that demonstrate that we truly belong to Jesus Christ. Shining for Christ, by the Spirit within us, is what attracts others to the gospel and gives us the opportunity to share our testimony, bringing with it the possibility of leading others to saving faith in Jesus Christ. “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might!”

5. Love As The Motive

When we look at our culture today, we see people borrowing from scripture to accept, approve of, and even promote ungodly lifestyles, often ignoring and leaving out much of God’s Word while they do (Romans 1:18-32). This kind of “theology” is destructive and harmful because it leads people into a false sense of hope, convincing them that sinful behavior is alright with God. But nothing could be further from the truth. In order to truly love someone, we must want the best for them. And when it comes to spiritual matters, telling people the truth, even if they don’t want to hear it and eventually reject it, is still the most loving thing that we can do for someone else. Otherwise, we are just joining the enemy in his scheme of lies and deception. 

Love must always be the motive behind everything that we do but sometimes the most loving thing that we can do for someone is to confront them. In order for people to experience true life, abundant and eternal, they first have to come to the end of themselves, acknowledge their sin, and turn to the Savior. Jesus wants us to come just as we are, but we certainly don’t stay that way! He transforms our minds, hearts, and souls, freeing us from the law of sin and death, and makes a way for us to have fellowship with God. This includes delivering us from destructive attitudes, addictions, and lifestyles. The most loving thing that we can do for someone is to share, with them, the good news of Jesus Christ. Some will reject God’s offer of salvation and deliverance but many will come to saving faith in Jesus (John 3:19-21). But if we truly care for others, we must stay true to God’s Word and lead people away from destructive lifestyles into the deliverance, healing, and wholeness that comes from being born again!

Paul is reminding us that, as Christians, we will need to stay alert, steadfast, and strong. Christian men are to act like Christian men and Christian women should act like Christian women. Spending time with God and being in His Word daily are essential, along with walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, something only an authentic, born again believer in Jesus Christ can do. This is the way that we help shape the next generation for Christian service. This is the way that we see our families, our churches, and our communities transformed, not to mention our own lives. But the Christian life is one of “going against the grain” of the culture. It is a life of “swimming up stream” while everyone else just “goes with the flow.” It is a call to reject the world and its philosophies and to embrace our position in Christ and our fellowship with God. The Christian life is the most fulfilling, powerful, and superior life that you will find. But remember…it is not for the faint of heart!