Reasonable, Watchful, and Armored: Confronting the Real Enemy

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith. – 1 Peter 5:8-9

Our little blue planet has no shortage of fighting and struggle. In my small portion of it, in the USA, it is an election year, which means we have a daily abundance of hateful words and actions spewing forth from mouths and screens alike. But as we all know, it doesn't have to be an election year for battles to rage here. If given the chance, we can wrestle and fight over almost anything; it's in our human nature.

As Christians, we naturally want to fight against all the things that pull us and our world farther from God and his good plans for us. However, in the fight, we forget that the person across from us is not our real enemy. 

Scripture speaks continually of a spiritual world beyond what our senses can comprehend. In Ephesians, Paul warns of a struggle outside our flesh, blood, and human ability to battle. Peter also warns of an enemy that we must resist in 1 Peter. 

So, how do we fight this spiritual battle that both Paul and Peter speak of? 

With spiritual weapons, of course.

But, friend, the only way to fight a spiritual battle is first to acknowledge that we're in one. Between Peter and Paul's writings in Ephesians and 1 Peter, we find three essential steps to take when it comes to spiritual battles:

1. Be Reasonable 

In 1 Peter 5:8-9, Peter warns us to be "sober-minded." The Greek word here is nepho, meaning to be calm and collected in spirit and temperate, or for an even more simplified meaning, reasonable. Interestingly, Peter tells us to be reasonable when he discusses spiritual battles. How much of this world is reasonable anymore? We can all agree that this word does not describe our world. Peter's most significant advice in our battle against the unseen is to be reasonable. Why? When sober-minded— or reasonable— we're far more likely to be aware and guided by sensible truth instead of emotions in our words and deeds. 

2. Be Watchful

Peter also warns us to be watchful. In Genesis 3, Eve is deceived by the serpent's craftiness, leading to humanity's ultimate fall. As the chapter progresses, we have a front-row seat to the ensuing, never-ending cosmic battle between good and evil.

In Genesis, we're told Satan uses God's creation for the evil purpose of deception. He takes what God gives as good and twists it to suit his evil intention. That serpent is still up to his old tricks today. The remedy, Peter tells us, is simple: be watchful. We are called to be aware of the enemy's schemes so we can overcome them through faith in the One who has already overcome all spiritual battles. If we close our eyes to the reality of the spiritual world around us, we will fall prey to it.

3. Put on the Whole Armor of God

Finally, Paul tells us to "put on the whole armor of God." When the Word of God is our daily bread, we are far less likely to be deceived or discouraged. His word is our most significant armor in spiritual warfare. Both Paul and Peter use the term "stand firm" when discussing what to do in our spiritual battles. When we stand firm on God's truth and our faith in it, we know we will not fall. His truth and power are our only authentic armor in a spiritual battle.

Our most excellent defense in the spiritual battles we will surely face is to be reasonable in an unreasonable world, watchful when so many are shutting their eyes, and lastly—and most importantly— as Paul says in Ephesians, we must put on God's whole armor every day through the power of His word.

Questions for Reflection:

1. What do you think the purpose of being sober-minded or reasonable regarding spiritual awareness is?

2. How will being watchful help you avoid deception, and how can you be aware of the enemy's schemes?

3. How can you practically apply the whole armor of God every day to protect against the spiritual battles surrounding you?