This Is Living: 5 Days of Inspiration to Live Your FaithExemplo

BE VIGILANT

A few years ago, less than an hour after we landed in Milan, Italy, my briefcase was stolen. I told my wife, Michelle, to wait for a moment, and I walked up to a counter with our luggage to purchase train tickets. I set my luggage and briefcase on the ground.

When I was finished at the counter, I turned around and saw that my briefcase was gone. The briefcase contained my new laptop, my glasses, my sunglasses, a watch, my books, and all our travel documents. In just a short period of time, in the first hour of my vacation, I had been robbed.

I had never before been robbed in my entire life (well, besides by various referees and officials during my sports career). I began to think about how I had been warned over the years to look out for gypsies who steal for a living in various European countries.

People are not supposed to steal; it is against the law to rob someone. However, I had to bear some responsibility for what had happened. I should never have turned my back and left my briefcase behind me where I could not see it. In fact, I should have brought it with me and left everything else with my wife.

As I sat on the train thinking about all of this, 1 Peter 5:8 came to mind: Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack.

We have an enemy who is after us. We must be vigilant. We must be on our guard. We must be aware of the enemy’s devices. I should have been more vigilant. If I had been, my briefcase would not have been stolen.

No matter what the robber may have wanted to do, I could have thwarted it by being on my guard. I knew thieves were there, and I needed to be cognizant of it. To quote my army officer son whom we were there to visit, I needed “situational awareness.” Thankfully, I was able to replace most of the key documents within a few days, but the robbery left its sting.

Even more seriously, our enemy, Satan, wants to rob us of the abundant life. He wants to kill your dreams and destroy God’s plan for your life. You must be on guard. You need to be constantly aware of the enemy’s schemes.

The enemy will attack at any time. He will try to tempt you, trick you, and have you believe lies instead of the truth. Be vigilant at all times. Never let your guard down.