Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41
Recently one morning my daughter came to me for some cold medicine. I asked if she had been feeling unwell the day before. She said, “A little bit, but yesterday it was only a sore throat.”
I’m surprised she didn’t know (failure on my part) that a sore throat is one of the main warning signs of an impending sickness. Over the years I’ve experimented with a lot of natural supplements and the technique of lymphatic massage, and I’ve rid myself of countless sore throats, and, I believe, managed to minimize the strength of illnesses that did take hold. Perhaps I could have helped her do the same if I had known sooner.
We often see the warning signs of danger. If we know what to do about it, we usually take action. But if we feel like we don’t know what to do, we may ignore the warnings.
It seems like every time there is a mass shooting incident, the investigation into the suspect’s background reveals that there were warning signs that the person was dangerous. We lament, “Why didn’t somebody DO something?” Most likely the people who saw the signs either didn’t know what to do or they didn’t have the power or authority to do it.
But when it comes to our own personal lives and our spiritual growth in particular, do we recognize the signs of oncoming apathy or weakening to temptation? Jesus said in Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
I’m not sure which part of that verse we tend to neglect more— the praying or the watching. But if we don’t heed the warning signs, we won’t be able to fight things off, just as I wasn’t able to help my daughter without knowing about her sore throat.
Those who are newer to the faith may be especially vulnerable. Mature Christians in particular ought to be watching for warning signs in younger or newer believers. If the mature don’t help converts along, who will?
Paul made a point to clarify his intentions to those he was bringing along in the faith. In 1 Corinthians 4:14 he wrote, “I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you.”
One reason Paul was able to warn, and to hope that his warning would be well received, is that he had developed a relationship with these brethren.
Will I notice a fellow believer’s renewal of immoral habits or unhealthy friendships? Or a decline in worship attendance? Or a diminished interest in Bible study or prayer life? The only way I can hope to notice is if I get to know the person before that happens. And by getting to know that person, he or she can also serve as a warning system for me.
Notice how The Message translation renders Jude 23. “Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven.”
Furthermore 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (NKJV) gives these instructions:
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.
Most of us are probably on our guard the very second we start to feel a bit achy or the twinge of a sore throat. If we want to be spiritually keen to the earliest signs of temptation or weakness, it’s going to take some watching and praying. Look around. Who is new? Who is absent? Who is more withdrawn than in the past? Watch for the warning signs. Don’t wait until it’s too late to DO something to bring them along in the faith.
Mature Christians are likely to sense those spiritual twinges in themselves, but they still have to respond wisely. The Bible warns us all: “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
It also gives this reassurance in 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (ESV):
The Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.
Dear God, please increase our awareness of and sensitivity to the warning signs of spiritual weakness whether in ourselves or in others. Help us develop the kind of relationships that will allow us to help each other fight off any spiritual sickness that may threaten us. Establish us and guard us from the evil one. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
by Christie Cole Atkins
Related Reading:
Walk Worthy 