“Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” Mark 14:38

This is one of the warnings in the Bible that should send chills through anybody’s spine. I consider it very scary. After the All-knowing God had carefully assessed the circumstances surrounding human existence, He concluded that humans need to be careful to survive this dangerously deceptive world. Sobriety and vigilance are the two major components of watchfulness. To be watchful is to be alert, watching over someone or waiting for some significant event. The Bible lays particular emphasis on the need to watch for fake prophets (Matthew 7:15), false doctrines (Hebrews 13:9), the antichrist (2 John 1:7) and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:42).

God expects every one of His children to be sober and vigilant in watching against temptations and sin such as pride, worldliness, self-righteousness, immorality, complacency, lukewarmness, spiritual barrenness and rebellion against constituted authority. We must not be confounded by negative news around the world; rather we should respond with understanding as persons who are informed and therefore well-prepared to watch for signs of the end times.

“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:6

Beloved, wake up! Christians cannot afford to lose focus for a moment; our heart must be kept with all diligence. We must watch the crafty attempts of the enemy to attack the authority of Scripture. Watch against worldliness and the quest for ungodly pleasures. Every member of the body of Christ must watch against the secularization of the Church and protect its sanctity against false prophets, sexual immorality and all sinful practices.

article by Pastor E.A. Adeboye