Be Watchful — We Are at War

I wrote this book last year, Stand Firm and Act Like Men, because when men lead and love well, everybody flourishes. Ladies, I'm going to be talking to the men, but you're smart enough to make all the connections. They're not — so I had to put this on the bottom shelf.

The Bible has so much good news for men. If you're a man, that was God's idea. You don't have to apologize for being a man. In 1 Corinthians 16:13–14, where I got the title of the book, the Bible says:

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong. Let all that you do be done in love."

The imperative — act like men — is like the hub in the middle of a wheel, and the instructions around it are how we're to do that. We live in a world where you even have to define, "What is a man?" What it means to stand up and act like a man is, first and foremost, you've got to bend your knee to the God-man, Jesus Christ.

Paul says, "Be watchful," or "watch out," because we are at war. Very few people woke up this morning realizing we have an enemy who is a thief, and he only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. If you don't know you're about to get in a fight, you're always going to lose.

You know what a sucker punch is? It's when punches are about to happen, you didn't know they were coming, and you're the sucker. If the enemy can take out the man who was put on the wall to defend and protect those he loves — our families, our community, our churches, our nation — then those we love most will be left defenseless.

Five Ways the Enemy Takes Men Out

Peter is talking to the men in his church, and he gives us the photo negative of what men ought to be doing to fight the schemes of the enemy. 1 Peter 5:6–11 says:

"Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God, that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 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. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever."

This isn't an exhaustive list, but Peter shows us at least five ways men are typically taken off that wall.

1. Pride

This is why Peter says, "Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you." Pride is really hard to see in yourself, because you like what's looking back in the mirror.

So men — are you prideful? Do you demand credit? Do you demand a thank you? Here's how you know: when you look at a group photo, do you determine whether it's an okay photo based solely on how you look? And if right now you're thinking, "I need to send this to my brother-in-law" — you're the prideful one.

Pride is thinking too highly of ourselves, instead of thinking of who we are in light of the character and nature of the perfect, almighty, holy, and just God. Peter says, "Humble yourself." Humility is not a feeling; it's a posture. And you've only got two options — you're going to bow, or you're going to bow.

Sometimes people say, "When I meet Jesus, I'm going to ask Him…" No, you ain't going to ask anything. One day the trumpet will blast, the heavens will open, and Jesus will return with fire in His eyes and a sword from His mouth. He's coming back dressed in white to go to battle. You know who wears white to a fight? Somebody who knows they're going to win — and it won't take long. Every tongue will confess and every knee will bow, because Jesus is Lord. He will either be Lord of your salvation or Lord of your judgment, but He is Lord.

The antidote to pride is worship. When we worship, it's an exercise in humility. When the saints of God gather to make much of Him in worship and word, it's not Christian karaoke and a TED Talk — it's the thin place where God meets His people. When we worship, we're saying, "It's not about me."

Worship is also war. Do you know why the devil got kicked out of heaven? He was in charge of leading the angelic choirs, and one day he got tired of being looked through and wanted to be looked to. Seven times he said, "I will ascend to the throne," and he got cast out like lightning. So every time we worship God, we not only humble ourselves — we humiliate the enemy, telling him, "You don't get to sit on that throne. Only God does."

Men, you've got to get into it. Some men worship like a mannequin. Paul tells Timothy to have men lift holy hands in the sanctuary. Why? Think about a game when your team wins — you throw your hands up and shout, "We won!" I've read to the end of the book, and I've got good news: we won. Remember the smart kids in school who raised their hands because they knew the answer? No matter what problem life throws at you, you get to say, "Ooh, I know the answer — His name is Jesus." And remember when your little ones came running and said, "Hold me, Dad"? Sometimes that's what you do in worship. And when you raise your hands, you're saying, "I surrender."

2. Worry and Anxiety

This is why Peter says, "Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." Do you worry? Are you stressed? Are you anxious?

The difference between fear/anxiety and faith is: when you look into the future, who do you think is in control? If you think you're in control, it will overwhelm you.

I love Paul as a counselor — he'd be the worst counselor ever. In Philippians 4 he says, "Be anxious for nothing." Anybody stressed? Anybody worried? Paul would say, "Neat. Don't." How, Paul? It's like trying to sleep — telling yourself makes it worse.

Then he says, "But by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests known to God." Let me put it on the bottom shelf: he basically says pray, pray, pray, pray. And then God promises to do something:

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus."

So use what the enemy intended for evil for good. When the enemy tries to stress you out, take that thing to the Lord over and over again. Let me ask you: is prayer a first response or a last resort? Next time the enemy tries to make you worry, take it to the throne room. Cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you.

3. Laziness

Peter says, "Be sober-minded; be watchful" — wake up. And some of you just need to be sober. If you're a follower of Jesus sitting around on your blessed assurance drinking beer and smoking weed, that ain't for us. We're part of the army of God. We're supposed to cast off sin and anything that easily entangles us, because we have a mission.

My daddy used to say, "Men are like a flatbed truck — they drive straighter with a heavy load." When did David's life begin to unravel? In the time of year when kings go off to war, David had abdicated his responsibility and was lying on the couch. So get in the game, man.

We live in a world that spends billions a day so we'll pursue comfort. If you want to be comfortable, don't be a Christian — do something else. Because we follow Jesus, and He went all the way to the cross.

One of my elders, Dr. Paul, used to be a brain surgeon and dean of the LSU School of Medicine. He's 92, and he just got back from Malawi on a mission trip starting medical clinics. Not Maui — that's where most doctors go at 90 to collect seashells. Malawi. My younger elders asked me to get him to stop going on mission trips. I said, "Absolutely not." What are you afraid of — that he'll die? He's 92; he's going to die. But how do you think he wants to go out? Swinging against the darkness, not sitting with an afghan in a home. We've got to stay in the game.

Men, one area we give all our attention and affection is at work, and then we abdicate what's most important — at home. We don't live on the frontier where we can prove our love by fighting a grizzly bear out front. But here's a way you can go to war for your wife and kids: every single day get on your knees, put your hands on your people, and pray out loud against the devil who wants to steal, kill, and destroy.

Some of you say, "I ain't good at praying." Here's a hack for today. Husbands — wives, don't listen — take your wife by the hand and say, "How can I pray for you?" She's going to say words, probably a lot. Just listen, listen, listen. When she's done, say, "Dear God," and repeat verbatim everything she said. Then say, "Amen." When you look up, she may be crying a little. Don't panic — tears good. You're killing it.

Now, wives, tune back in. Don't correct him. Don't say, "That's not what I said." Men are simple creatures — we're like puppies; we repeat what is rewarded. So when he steps into this space, your reply is: "Hercules! Hercules!"

Men, don't be lazy. Be sober-minded. Be watchful.

4. Isolation

This is why Peter says, "Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Watch the Animal Planet — the lion creeps through the grass toward the one lone antelope off by itself. What do you know about that one? He gone. Every time. Isolation is a tactic of the enemy.

The three most dangerous words a grown man can say are, "I got this." Because you ain't got this. The beginning of the gospel is "I ain't got this." Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with, "Blessed are the poor in spirit" — blessed are you when you realize you don't have what it takes and need Someone to do for you what you can't do for yourself.

And we need each other. Do you have a band of brothers? Foxhole brothers? At our church we call them mat carriers, because in Mark 2 a paralyzed man had four friends who picked up the corners of his mat and carried him to Jesus. Do you have four friends like that? At some point you're going to be on the mat — financially, spiritually, emotionally, relationally. If you don't have four friends like that, you're not doing it right.

So do something. Join a life group. Get involved. Get plugged in. True Christian community is like a retirement account — if you wait until you need it to build it, you missed it.

Think about this: Jesus Christ, God the Son, who spoke all things into existence and holds the cosmos together, on the night He was betrayed went to the Garden of Gethsemane — the place of crushing. He felt the weight of the sin of the world, sweating drops of blood, and He took Peter, James, and John and said, "Can you three come with me and watch and pray?"

Let me ask you: who's praying for you? If you say, "Nah, I got this" — if Jesus, the perfect Lamb, the all-powerful One, felt He needed people praying for Him, then who do you think you are? Get in the herd. Don't settle for mere buddies. You need mat carriers.

5. Lust

I need a little hermeneutical license here, because the text doesn't explicitly say this — but in 34 years of full-time ministry, the number one thing I've seen take men off that wall is lust.

In John 10, Jesus says the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but "I have come that you may have life, and have it eternally." Every time we believe the voice of this world, this enemy, or even our own flesh, it marches us toward death and destruction. Every time we hear and heed the voice of the Good Shepherd, it marches us toward life. Right and wrong is not enough — these are pathways that lead to life or death. Those aren't just pictures; it's a pathway that leads to destruction.

The Bible gives very clear instruction on sexual temptation. Jesus says, "If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off." You say, "That's extreme." Jesus says, "This is extremely important."

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul's command for sexual sin is one word: "Flee." Flee sexual immorality. Put that in context. In Ephesians 6, Paul says when we come toe-to-toe with the devil himself, we're to stand firm — he says it four times in two verses. To stand means to hold your ground, to fight. Armor up with the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the shield of faith, feet fitted with the gospel of peace, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

So if the devil's sitting in your truck when you walk out, come get me and Pastor Craig — we'll tell him, "This truck belongs to me, and I belong to Jesus. Therefore this truck belongs to Jesus. Get out." At the name of Jesus, the demons flee. That's how we fight the devil.

But if you walk out to your truck and your ex-girlfriend is sitting in it — run, Forrest, run. You can't handle it. Every single time any of us has failed with lust and sexual immorality, it's because we flirted when we should have fled.

If You Feel It's Too Late

Some of you hear these five things and think, "Great sermon, Pastor — could've used it 20 years ago. What about me? I've already been taken off that wall."

Look at how Peter closes: "And after you have suffered a little while…" Just a reminder — we're at war. If you don't have a bloody nose from the enemy, it might be because you're not playing for team Jesus. If you never feel significant pushback from the culture, it might be because you're just going with the flow. This is a battle.

"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever."

Grace doesn't just save us — grace sustains us. Grace forgives our sin and imputes to us the righteousness of Christ, and even as believers, when we stumble and fall, we fall back upon that same grace that got us in the game to begin with.

So I've got really good news, church: failure is not final. In the kingdom of heaven there aren't second chances — there's the blood of Jesus, and "from now on." No matter how many times you've screwed up or what you wish you could undo, the enemy constantly wants to define you by your scars. But Jesus says, "No, no, no. I'm going to define you by Mine."

In Revelation, the Bible says Jesus will wipe away every tear. Mamas know how you do it — two thumbs to the inside of the eye, then the little reverse windshield wiper, squeak. All the pain, all the sorrow, all the guilt, all the shame — wiped away because of Christ's finished work on the cross. Not because we cleaned ourselves up, not because we avoided every pitfall, but simply because when we believe, we receive the right to become children of God.

When you see Him face-to-face and He reaches toward your face, you'll see nail-scarred hands. The very thing that washes away your tears is evidence of what He went through to earn the right to do so.

God Has Something More

1 John 4:10 says:

"In this is love, not that we first loved God, but that he first loved us and sent his Son as the propitiation for our sins."

Say it: propitiation. It means a payment that satisfies. The church-growth experts told me not to use theological words like that, but I believe if you can order a venti caramel macchiato, you can learn propitiation. (And if you're drinking that, repent and drink it black like a grown man.)

Here's why it matters, men. He first loved you and sent His Son as the propitiation — the payment that satisfies. When Jesus pushed up on His nail-pierced feet and said, "It is finished," if you believe that counted for you, then the cross is the full and final payment. He satisfied the law, the justice, the holiness, and the righteousness of God. When you put your faith in Him, He credits you with His perfect life. And if He is the payment that satisfies, then God cannot be dissatisfied in you.

When Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened and God said, "Behold my Son, in whom I am well pleased." Pop quiz: how much ministry had Jesus done yet? He hadn't preached, hadn't done a miracle, hadn't died on the cross — and yet God had placed His favor on Him. Now, if you are in Christ, hear me: even if you've messed up badly, failure's not final. Your scars don't define you — His do. Only Jesus gets to tell you who you are, and He says He's ready to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you by His grace.

So men, do you want to stand up and act like a man? It begins with humbling yourself and bending your knee to the God-man — because you ain't got this, and you need Someone to do for you what you can't do for yourself. And He has done it.

Peter later says that His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. When you put your faith in Jesus, He has given you everything you need to accomplish everything He has called you to accomplish. So go to war against the enemy — not so that you can win, but because Christ has already won you.

Prayer

Would you bow your heads?

Our good and gracious heavenly Father, You are good — always good. It's just who You are. And You are gracious; we do not get what we deserve. In Your divine providence You have called us into the positions we hold, so may we steward them well. Every time the enemy whispers lies of condemnation, may we stand on the reality of Romans 8:1 — there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Lord, I pray for an outpouring of men who will stand firm and act like men, an outpouring of women who will play the role You have called them to, and an outpouring of students who don't think their role is somewhere in the future but who follow You this day. May we do it all for one Name, the only Name worthy of our worship — the name and the renown and the fame of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In His name we pray. Amen.