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April 9, 2021

Watchfulness in a Battle (1)

1 Thes 5:5 For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. (6) So then let us not sleep, as the rest do, but let us watch and be sober. (7) For those who sleep, sleep during the night, and those who get drunk are drunk during the night; (8) But since we are of the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and a helmet, the hope of salvation.

[Part 1 of 3] We have pointed out that in chapter four Paul comforts us with this hope [hope in the Lord's coming back], telling us that at the Lord's coming we shall be raptured. We shall be transported into a state of ecstasy to meet with the Lord in the air. However, this hope requires a living of watchfulness and soberness. We need a life of watchfulness and soberness in order to wait for the Lord's coming. In other words, as we exercise our hope in the Lord's coming back, we need a watching life and a sober life. Watchfulness here is related to a battle, a fighting. Some versions use the word vigilant, a word related to warfare. Soldiers in a battle need to be watchful, vigilant. The fact that watchfulness is related to fighting is confirmed by Paul's mention of the breastplate and helmet in verse 8. A breastplate and helmet are not ordinary items of dress. They are, of course, part of the armor used by soldiers in fighting. Paul's concept of being watchful and sober, therefore, is related to fighting, to warfare. [continued tomorrow]

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Thessalonians, p.150. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].

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Life-study of 1 & 2 Thessalonians