To Encourage You

Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Do you believe in spiritual battles?  Jesus certainly did.  He constantly told His disciples to be watchful, to be aware, to be careful.  Why?  One of his most well-known students, Peter, tells us in the following verses: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world (1 Peter 5:8-9).” 

Jesus saw things His disciples couldn’t.  He knew things they didn’t.  He knew of a spiritual reality – that life wasn’t all as it appears to the naked eye.  He knew that God himself is invisible, and He knew that there was a whole realm of spiritual adversaries who also are invisible, but who are very real and very active in each and every person’s life. 

Those who don’t believe this are nothing more than pawns of Satan.  They live life based on only what they can see with their own eyes, oblivious to the fact that they are, in reality, children of the devil and his slaves, day by day working for him to further his nefarious purposes in this world.  But Jesus told His followers to be watchful for the work of Satan in their lives.  He knew that they were particular objects of the enemy of our souls.  He knew that Satan was working to devour them, to tempt them, to destroy their testimony in the world, and to make them useless for the purposes of Christ and His kingdom.

Jesus has told us that the weapons of our warfare are spiritual weapons (2 Corinthians 10:4). His Word tells us that those weapons are such things as truth, faith, salvation, the sword of the Spirit, i.e., the Word of God, and prayer.  The verse above from Matthew 26 focuses on prayer.  It is a spiritual thing, a spiritual discipline.  Surely prayer helps one gain a godly perspective on dealing with the issues of life.  It is a wonderful privilege.  It’s something we are told to do all the time (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We are told to pray about everything (Philippians 4:6).  It’s an invitation to talk to God about everything, to ask Him for things – like guidance, wisdom, healing, and strength.  It’s an open door to the throne room of the Creator (Hebrews 4:16). How awesome is this! 

But notice that Jesus said we are to not just pray, but to WATCH and pray, i.e., at the very same time that you are praying, watch – be careful. Why?  Because it is at that very time that Satan is ready and willing to attack us spiritually.  He loves to distract us, get our minds on other things, and tempt us to think about anything but God and the promises of His Word.  He loves to tempt us with sinful thoughts, not only while we are praying, but immediately after we pray.  Just when we’ve encouraged ourselves with how spiritual we are because we’ve just prayed to God, He may bring a situation into our lives, perhaps something someone says or does, that tempts us to react in anything but a spiritually upright and godly way.  Have you ever experienced this?  I surely have, and it can be so discouraging. 

Are you praying for what God has told you to pray for, or are you praying for things that will just satisfy your own lusts (James 4:3)?  Are you praying so other people will see you and think you are something special, or do pray in secret, just you and God, knowing that your real audience is God alone (Matthew 6:5-6)?  When you pray, do you pray about yourself, encouraging yourself with how spiritual you are, or are you humble, seeking God’s forgiveness for the ever-present sins that so easily beset us (Luke 18:11-13)?   And do you ask Christ often to teach you to pray (Luke 11:1)?   

It’s interesting that when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, a place where He and His disciples frequently went to pray, we are told that “Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples” (John 18:2). In other words, every time Jesus met in that garden to pray with his true disciples, this enemy of their souls, this imposter, this one who hated Christ, was also there, as was the evil spiritual being, Satan, that he followed.  So, we also are to pray, but also watch.  Be ready for Satan’s attacks in its many forms, for he knows, more than anyone else, that prayer is a great spiritual weapon against him, and he will do anything to thwart this discipline in our life.

So watch.  Be careful,  Be aware that there is someone working to tear you down spiritually at the very same time that Jesus is working to build you up.  And it is only Jesus’ power that can help you when dealing with this invisible spirit world in which we live.