“Take heed that you do not indulge yourself in laziness;
stir yourself to action as we tell someone who is drowsy to stand up and walk
around.
Watchfulness is
more important for the Christian soldier than any other. In temporal battles
soldiers fight against men who need sleep the same as themselves, but the
saint's enemy, Satan, is always awake and walking his rounds. Since the devil
never sleeps, the Christian puts himself in grave danger by falling asleep
spiritually-- that is, by becoming secure and careless. Either the unregenerate
part of his nature will betray him, or grace will not be alert to discover the
enemy and prepare for the assault. Satan will be upon him before he is awake
enough to draw his sword. You should be aware that the saint's sleeping time is
Satan's prime tempting time.
Even a fly dares
to creep on a sleeping lion; unless he wakes up, there is nothing to fear. The
weakest temptation is strong enough to foil a Christian who is napping in
security. While Samson slept, Delilah cut his locks. While Saul slept, his
spear was taken from his side and he was none the wiser. A drunken Noah slept
and his graceless son took pleasure in seeing his father's nakedness. Eutychus
slept, nodded, and fell from the third loft, and was taken up for dead. Thus
the Christian sleeping in false security may be taken by surprise. He may lose
much of his spiritual strength-- be robbed of his spear or armor (graces, I
mean)-- or have his nakedness uncovered by graceless men, and bring shame to
his profession.
Sleep steals upon the soul as quietly as it does on
the body. The wise virgins fell asleep along with the foolish ones, though not
so soundly. Take heed that you do not indulge yourself in laziness; stir
yourself to action, as we tell someone who is drowsy to stand up and walk
around. Yield to idleness and sloth and they will grow upon you; busy yourself
in your Christian duties and spiritual drowsiness will flee. “
Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete
Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell.
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