Be Watchful
“And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But He answered, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’’ Then the devil took Him to the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’’ Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’’ Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.’’ Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to Him,” (Matthew 4:3-11).
In November of 1978 Leo J. Ryan (U.S Congressman) and some others visited a California-based cult that was living in Guyana. They went on this journey to investigate whether or not people were being held at this compound against their will. As the Congressman and his group were about to leave, they were ambushed and killed.
Not long after this, soldiers arrived and were shocked by their findings. Hundreds of bodies of the cult members were found dead after having been shot or poisoned with cyanide that had been hidden in Kool Aid. Jim Jones (the cult leader) laying dead with a bullet wound in his head. The total death count was 780.
The report that was later released was that the people were surrounded by armed guards as the Kool Aid mixed with cyanide was brought out. Many cult members willingly drank, but others were forced. They started with babies and young children and then ended with adults. Not long after that, everybody was dead.
Of course, a cult such as this may be an extreme example but it is very important that Christians watch out for false teachers in their lives. Especially an evil force such as the devil.
It was stated by Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that “even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” This comes during Paul’s warning about false teachers which he calls “deceitful workmen,” even mentioning that they disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. This is precisely why Peter says to “be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,” (1 Peter 5:8).
Satan is extremely talented when it comes to deceiving. This is exactly how he gets Eve in the Garden of Eden because he convinces her that she will not surely die. One of the greatest threats that Satan has against us is the fact that he can appear pleasing and knowledgeable. When tempting Jesus in Matthew chapter four, Satan even quotes scripture. This is exactly why we need to be watchful and ready for any temptation that comes our way. There are temptations in life that may appear good for us but in reality they can be detrimental. Because of this, we need to heed Paul’s advice to Timothy when he says “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth,” (2 Timothy 2:15).
By being “sober-minded,” “watchful,” and “rightly handling the word of truth,” like Jesus, we can fight off all temptations that come our way. We can be ever thankful for Matthew including the temptation of Jesus in Matthew chapter four because it proves to us as Christians that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need,” (Hebrews 4:15-16).
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but have itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry,” (2 Timothy 4:3-5).
Be Watchful This Week!
