"Sober and Vigilant"

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8

The word sober here means to not be under the influence of intoxicants. This has a two-fold meaning. It literally means to not be intoxicated with alcohol or any other substance. But it also means not to allow anything that will influence you and cause you to become spiritually disoriented and complacent because that leads to compromise. The word vigilant means to be watchful. The scripture admonishes us to be sober and vigilant because we have a very real enemy- our enemy is not an enemy of flesh and blood- who is out to destroy us.

The King James translation says the devil goes around "seeking" whom he may devour. Another translation say that he is "sneaking" around looking for someone to destroy. He actually does both- he is seeking whom he can destroy and he does so by sneaking around trying to catch you off guard. So the warning above is for us to stay alert and stay on guard. Don't let down your guard for a moment, and don't let anything cause you to let down your guard.

Do we have to walk around in constant fear of the enemy, afraid that he is lurking in the shadows or hiding under every rock? Of course not, but we do have to maintain an awareness that he is out there and he is trying to destroy us. The Bible tells us that we are not ignorant of the devil's devices. So at the first inclination that what is coming your way resembles his devices make sure you are soberly vigilant and don't "shrug" it off- in other words watch that thing and don't take your eye off of it.

If we stay sober and keep watch we will not be destroyed or defeated by the enemy. Instead, we will be victorious over his scheme to destroy us because we saw him coming.

Have a great day. Stay sober and vigilant!

For further reading:
Ephesians 6:
John 10:10
2 Corinthians 2:11

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
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