Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

--Parallel verses:
I Peter 5:6-9
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering.

Alertness is not something that comes naturally in battle. It must be developed through training. Spiritually, the same is true. Being ready for spiritual battle is the culmination of the daily spiritual disciplines that the faithful keep every day. These include: reading the Bible, prayer, meditation, serving others with an active love, walking alongside and supporting other believers, making disciples, sharing the truth about God and Jesus, standing for justice, and protecting and taking on the cause of the innocent, the widows, and the orphans.

When we faithfully discipline our lives, our spiritual courage and stamina grow. Then we become able to recognize the schemes of the enemy and stand ready to resist him.

The disciples here had not yet been battle hardened spiritually. They were weak in the spirit and in their faith. They slept when it was time to be alert. And as a result they were not prepared in spirit for when the enemy would come.

Jesus urges them to pray and trust God so they will not fall to temptation. Peter's later words in his letter echo the lesson he learned from this night. Looking back on this event, he exhorted believers to remain self-controlled, alert, and steadfast in the faith.

This requires a lot of prayer and focus on God’s mission over man’s immediate pleasures or passions.

How will I train my body to be alert?

Lord, thank you for this important story of Jesus and his disciples. It was so hard to see them fall away. Yet you forgave them and restored them and taught them to build spiritual fortitude. I crave this courage too. Teach me more!