Eyes Wide Closed

Do you sometimes find yourself moving about in a daze—mindlessly going through the motions? Traveling down the same roads, walking across the same streets, and even moving in and out of the same rooms without so much as a thought of how you arrived?

Today as I drove to the office a loud, lengthy, and unexpected horn blasted into my thoughts, causing my mind to scramble and heart to leap in my chest. It was the sound of a train pushing through an intersection—bringing a nerve-racking ruckus into an otherwise silent and pristine morning.

The train was running parallel to me so there was no danger, but it showed how oblivious we can become to our usual surroundings. How could I not see the train was there? Because my focus was on where I routinely go, and not on what was happening around me.

I once read that most people have accidents within three miles of their home. Why? Because the surroundings are so familiar, their mind goes into autopilot and they lose the edge they need to remain attentive to danger.

That’s the same blindness Satan desires to bring into your life. When you’re good and comfortable and your guard is down, he’ll blast you with unexpected news, an angry coworker, or even a temptation to sin. He thrives in the mundane and comfortable—knowing he’ll do the most damage when he takes you by surprise.

There’s a reason Peter says, “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).” To be sober and vigilant means to be ever ready. It means to be alert, observant, watchful and wary. It means to be aware of your surroundings.

When Jesus resisted the temptation of the devil in the wilderness, the Bible tells us, “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time (Luke 4:13).” That is what Satan seeks to do in your life—he doesn’t try once and give up. He continues to seek another or better opportunity.

What can you possibly do to thwart his plan? How can you remain sober and vigilant?

• James 4:7: Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee.
• 1 Peter 5:9: Resist Satan and stay steadfast in the faith.
• Ephesians 6:11: And, above all else, put on the armor of God every day so that “…you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11).”

God has given you weapons and protection, because you need both as you move about this fallen world. Cling to the Savior, submit yourself to His commandments, resist temptation, and the enemy will flee. Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world. That was true when Jesus overcame Satan in the wilderness, and it’s still true today.

Go forward in confidence—fully aware that you have an adversary but knowing and trusting that the God you serve is more than a match.