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Be on Guard

“Control yourselves. Be on your guard. Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion. He prowls around looking for someone to chew up and swallow.”¹

My four-year-old son is in karate. As part of his training, he must learn different stances depending on the attack they are practicing. One of these stances is called a Guard Stance, which means that he bends his knees, keeps his back straight, and bends his arms back and has them firmly near his chest. Having his arms in this position allows him to strike at his opponent quickly and firmly, as opposed to having his arms down at his sides where it would be slower to strike back or defend himself from an attack. Over time and with much practice, he becomes stronger and his balance improves as he performs his stances.

This may seem like a simple illustration, but it got me thinking of a profound truth. As Christians, we are always under attack. Perhaps not physically, but spiritually. As today’s verse says, “Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion. He prowls around looking for someone to chew up and swallow”. Many times, we get distracted and lower our guard. This is exactly what the devil is waiting for to strike and attack us. His goal as we see in John 10:10 is to, “steal and kill and destroy.”

Our stance (foundation) needs to be firm and centered on Christ. Only in Him can we fight against the devil. He is our Rock. 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” The more we practice by praying without ceasing and mediating on God’s word, we will have the strength to stand firm. Be on guard!

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, allow me to always be on guard. Standing firmly on you as my Rock and my Foundation. In you I have the victory over the devil and any of his attacks. Thank you for never leaving or forsaking me. I can be confident knowing that I can do all things through you because you give me strength. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

1.      1 Peter 5:8 (NIRV).