1 Corinthians 16:13 reads:
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
I think this applies to you and I just as much as the early church in Corinth. It starts with an admonition to stand watch. We have enemies all around, and the devil comes to deceive. Whether we are on the lookout for threats out in the world, or whether we are protecting our families from sin that creeps in, we must be vigilant! We must start with caring not to sin, worshiping with fellow saints, and confessing & repenting from sin, which will give us the visibility and fortitude to protect our own souls. We then move to being watchful for our households, and communities. We can confidently do this when we are not compromised ourselves.
We must also stand fast in the faith. We must know the faith, and be able to answer our family’s questions regarding such matters. We must withstand how the world shakes our faith. It’s easy to get down, or to blame God, or even wonder if God exists if we aren’t firm in our understanding.
We must act like men. Men are the ones who prepare for battles, and go out to fight. We must take this responsibility seriously and fight against physical threats, sin, and worldly temptations. Do not overlook or shrink from our own sin, or the sins of those in our household. We must be strengthened by the Lord to fight victoriously!
Finally, we must be strong. We get strengthened by the Word, individual prayer, corporate prayer, confession, repentance, the hearing of the word, and meditation on the bible.
Every day, we must be encouraged to act like a man!
