“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”” (Matthew 26:41, ESV)
One of my sons has a bad habit of jumping into things before really getting a handle on his situation. While hurrying down the street on his bike, he would often wander from the side of the street into traffic, unaware of a car approaching. When doing chores, he would lay a broom across the floor right where a person entering the room might trip over it and fall. Once, when moving a board in the basement, he didn’t watch where the ends were going and broke a family heirloom. I had to constantly watch out for him as he would not see that something was in a precarious situation where it would break, or his inattention caused tripping hazards. To try and help, I would tell him over and over, “Be aware of what is going on around you!” I said this so often that everyone else in the family would finish the sentence after only a word or two! After a while, I caught all in our family (me included!) saying it to ourselves while working or planning or driving or even vacationing!
In the field of battle, being aware of what is going on around you means life or death. If you don’t watch out for boobytraps, you could stumble into a minefield. If you fail to notice the danger of an upcoming lay of the land, you may be caught in an ambush. If you are talking while on patrol, it can distract you. There is a special name for this attention to your surroundings in the field of battle. Soldiers call this “situational awareness”.
Our scripture for today contains Jesus’ warning about spiritual “situational awareness”. Just moments before Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus warned His disciples to “watch and pray” (Matthew 26:41). The disciples had fallen asleep. Their stomachs were full from the Last Supper in the Upper Room. It was a day of celebration in remembrance of the Passover. Surrounded by the joy of that special day and special time, the disciples were lulled into complacency. They were tempted to sleep, despite Jesus’ warning to “not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). They didn’t know that Roman soldiers were coming to arrest Jesus, that Judas had betrayed their position, that danger was upon them. The disciples had no clue about the spiritual forces arrayed against them, from the treachery of the Jewish authorities to Satan’s manipulation of Judas to betray Jesus.
The disciples were told by Jesus in this verse that the very present danger in this moment was the result of a “spirit that is willing” but “the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). The disciples knew that Jewish leaders considered Jesus a threat. The disciples knew that demons exist, that they were being tested by the Pharisees and threatened by authorities. Still, on that night, the disciples were lulled into sleep just when Satan was about to pounce. Those who protected Jesus were betrayed not only by Judas but by their own flesh. Their minds were not alert. Their bodies were tired. Their stomachs were full. Their spiritual awareness was almost non-existent. That’s when evil came for them full force. Jesus was arrested, a mock trial was set up, political forces were manipulated, and the death of Jesus came quickly.
Being human means being tempted to sin. It means that sometimes you lose situational awareness. It also means that you can easily lose your spiritual situational awareness. When this happens, you may miss those warnings God is giving. Like the disciples falling asleep despite the warnings of Jesus to “watch and pray”, you may find yourself going about your day unaware that spiritual forces are lining up against you. If you had taken the time to pray, you would have noticed the Holy Spirit urging you to look at the bigger picture or watch out for a certain sin that keeps eating at you. If you had had taken the time to meditate on scripture, you might have remembered the little mistakes that were taking their toll or how anger had clouded your judgment. When you lose your spiritual situational awareness, you may stumble into a trap set by the Devil, let emotions run rampant, or lose focus on godly goals. You might find yourself suffering from decisions you made without even being aware that a sin was behind that suffering.
Mark my words: “If you lose spiritual situational awareness, its only a matter of time before temptations trip you up, sin follows your choices, and evil will have its way with you. What should you do? As Jesus said, “Watch and Pray”. Be aware of your temptations. Don’t let your fleshly desires overtake your willing spirit!”
Many Christians have ignored this very scripture. They have downplayed the importance of Jesus’ words to the disciples as it applies to their own lives. How do you maintain spiritual situational awareness? You “watch” for signs from God, for the presence of evil, while listening to the Holy Spirit. You “pray” to God, seeking wisdom and understanding, opening your heart up to God’s direction, to repentance, to forgiveness, to obedience. Finally, you need to beware of the “weakness of your flesh”. Your mind will want to wander into sinful places. You will be tempted to do the wrong thing for money, for sexual favors, to gain power and notoriety, to look good, to be respected. Even if you desire to do the right thing for God, sinful temptations can lure you away from fulfilling your promises to God. Then, it’s easy to make excuses for your failures or lie to yourself about your situation.
As this old year passes and a new year begins, “be aware of what is going on around you!” Do not lose your spiritual situational awareness. Pray often. Watch for signs. Resist temptations. Be careful of the weakness in your attitude, thinking, behavior, or emotions. Whether you realize it or not, you are a soldier in God’s army. You are in a spiritual battle of good versus evil. You are on the front lines. Are you aware of the dangers of this moment? Are you spiritually ready for what is coming next?
In the field of battle, being aware of what is going on around you means life or death. If you don’t watch out for boobytraps, you could stumble into a minefield. If you fail to notice the danger of an upcoming lay of the land, you may be caught in an ambush. If you are talking while on patrol, it can distract you. There is a special name for this attention to your surroundings in the field of battle. Soldiers call this “situational awareness”.
Our scripture for today contains Jesus’ warning about spiritual “situational awareness”. Just moments before Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus warned His disciples to “watch and pray” (Matthew 26:41). The disciples had fallen asleep. Their stomachs were full from the Last Supper in the Upper Room. It was a day of celebration in remembrance of the Passover. Surrounded by the joy of that special day and special time, the disciples were lulled into complacency. They were tempted to sleep, despite Jesus’ warning to “not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). They didn’t know that Roman soldiers were coming to arrest Jesus, that Judas had betrayed their position, that danger was upon them. The disciples had no clue about the spiritual forces arrayed against them, from the treachery of the Jewish authorities to Satan’s manipulation of Judas to betray Jesus.
The disciples were told by Jesus in this verse that the very present danger in this moment was the result of a “spirit that is willing” but “the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). The disciples knew that Jewish leaders considered Jesus a threat. The disciples knew that demons exist, that they were being tested by the Pharisees and threatened by authorities. Still, on that night, the disciples were lulled into sleep just when Satan was about to pounce. Those who protected Jesus were betrayed not only by Judas but by their own flesh. Their minds were not alert. Their bodies were tired. Their stomachs were full. Their spiritual awareness was almost non-existent. That’s when evil came for them full force. Jesus was arrested, a mock trial was set up, political forces were manipulated, and the death of Jesus came quickly.
Being human means being tempted to sin. It means that sometimes you lose situational awareness. It also means that you can easily lose your spiritual situational awareness. When this happens, you may miss those warnings God is giving. Like the disciples falling asleep despite the warnings of Jesus to “watch and pray”, you may find yourself going about your day unaware that spiritual forces are lining up against you. If you had taken the time to pray, you would have noticed the Holy Spirit urging you to look at the bigger picture or watch out for a certain sin that keeps eating at you. If you had had taken the time to meditate on scripture, you might have remembered the little mistakes that were taking their toll or how anger had clouded your judgment. When you lose your spiritual situational awareness, you may stumble into a trap set by the Devil, let emotions run rampant, or lose focus on godly goals. You might find yourself suffering from decisions you made without even being aware that a sin was behind that suffering.
Mark my words: “If you lose spiritual situational awareness, its only a matter of time before temptations trip you up, sin follows your choices, and evil will have its way with you. What should you do? As Jesus said, “Watch and Pray”. Be aware of your temptations. Don’t let your fleshly desires overtake your willing spirit!”
Many Christians have ignored this very scripture. They have downplayed the importance of Jesus’ words to the disciples as it applies to their own lives. How do you maintain spiritual situational awareness? You “watch” for signs from God, for the presence of evil, while listening to the Holy Spirit. You “pray” to God, seeking wisdom and understanding, opening your heart up to God’s direction, to repentance, to forgiveness, to obedience. Finally, you need to beware of the “weakness of your flesh”. Your mind will want to wander into sinful places. You will be tempted to do the wrong thing for money, for sexual favors, to gain power and notoriety, to look good, to be respected. Even if you desire to do the right thing for God, sinful temptations can lure you away from fulfilling your promises to God. Then, it’s easy to make excuses for your failures or lie to yourself about your situation.
As this old year passes and a new year begins, “be aware of what is going on around you!” Do not lose your spiritual situational awareness. Pray often. Watch for signs. Resist temptations. Be careful of the weakness in your attitude, thinking, behavior, or emotions. Whether you realize it or not, you are a soldier in God’s army. You are in a spiritual battle of good versus evil. You are on the front lines. Are you aware of the dangers of this moment? Are you spiritually ready for what is coming next?