“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).
It would be hard to find a better description of a healthy believer than this one. “Be on your guard” is an expression in Greek culture that referred to military sentinels assigned to be aware of the enemy and protect the camp. It is God who defeats the enemy, but it is wise for us to make certain that our spiritual enemy can’t sneak up and harm us.
We don’t live in fear, though, because we are well able to overcome in every situation. We have the prayers of Jesus and the sword of the Holy Spirit. That means that Paul described what can be true of each of us. We can stand firm in the faith. We can be courageous. We can be strong because in Jesus we are divinely strengthened.
Paul included an important note. It’s been one of his themes in each of his letters. “Do everything in love.” Some of these words speak to our spiritual might and refer to times of conflict. But beneath all that Paul wants us to have tender hearts that beat with love. Jesus modeled that and He enables each of us to demonstrate His nature. Ready to take on a spiritual battle when it is necessary but always ready to love in any situation. That’s what the gospel produces in us.
