Trust vs. Temptation

Hey, I want to tell you what I think, for me at least, is one of the most sobering verses in the Bible. In 1st Peter 5, 8, it says, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. In other words, you and me are at high risk of being tempted at any moment and when we round just about any corner, so we better be careful. But although it's true that Satan is always on the prowl and would very much like to own your soul for eternity, I think many folks, especially many Christians, unnecessarily worry themselves into a constant emotive state of fear and anxiety. Because, you know, evil, temptation, fear, sin, death, they're all oozing out of every hole and dripping out of every corner of the environment like some kind of an old Frank Peretti novel. Look up that guy if you want angels and demons around every corner. And that's just not a very peaceful and pleasant way to live. Especially when you consider the fact that if you're a Christian in particular, you have allies, strong allies in the form of God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and the heavenly host of mighty angels, not to mention in an ideal situation at least a like minded community of fellow believers to pray for and support you if you're part of a church. So ultimately, the knowledge and the awareness of constant temptation must be paired with the peace and the faith of constant trust. After all, also in the Bible, Peter's friend and fellow apostle says in Matthew 6, 25, 27, therefore I tell you, don't worry about your life, what you'll eat or drink, or about your body, what you'll wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air. They don't sow or reap or gather into barns. And yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they who, who of you, by worrying can add a single hour to his life? So yeah, be alert at all times for temptation, but don't worry so much about it that you can't sleep at night and you can never relax. And you have a difficult time trusting anyone. And you're constantly worrying what's going wrong. Next you see a demon flying out of every corner. I mean, trust God. See what I mean? Expect evil, but trust God. It's okay to relax, to let go and to lay on your back staring at the sunshine, smiling and basking in the glow of creation. And the only area I would cautious you about being fully relaxed and letting go and letting yourself slip away into peaceful rest without stressfully worrying about temptation would be if you're like taking a hefty dose of drugs or tripping out or something like that, right? Because then your senses are down and your portals are wide open for influence. But it's okay to relax and to trust God and not walk around your whole life expecting like the devil to jump out. You want to respect the fact that there is a lurking lion out there, but you also don't want to live your whole life quaking and stressed out because who knows when you're going to get attacked. So be sober and be vigilant and be constantly aware, but at the same time, live life with an element of peace and trust that God's on your side and he's got your back.