Jesus said to His disciples, “Stumbling blocks [temptations and traps set to lure one to sin] are sure to come, but woe (judgment is coming) to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] were hung around his neck and he were hurled into the sea, than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble [in sin and lose faith]. Pay attention and always be on guard [looking out for one another]! If your brother sins and disregards God’s precepts, solemnly warn him; and if he repents and changes, forgive him. Even if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him [that is, give up resentment and consider the offense recalled and annulled].”

–Parallel verses:
‭‭I John‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬-‭21‬ (emphasis mine)
This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have CONFIDENCE on the day of judgment: In this world WE ARE LIKE JESUS. There is no fear in love. But PERFECT LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Each day we have a choice to make: will we report for duty in the great spiritual army of King Jesus and serve him in this world, or will we neglect our time with him and focus on ourselves and our plans and priorities?

This world is full of traps and pitfalls (I love how the Amplified Version expands on the meaning of “stumbling blocks”) and many of these are deceptive and sneaky.

Think about a military regiment in a territory where the enemy is all around. What do they do? They post a guard. This guard is to be on lookout for the enemy, and a guard for their fellow soldiers, so they can rest and recover. The sick and injured do not have to guard, but their brothers-in-arms cover for them. They also do not wander off alone. Instead, if they have to go somewhere, they go in groups or at least in pairs. Why? Because they must have a critical force to ward off a surprise attack.

Jesus tells his disciples to be on guard in similar ways to the forces of evil in this world that are so pervasive. Some of these forces will mount a direct attack. They are obvious. I think about the current efforts to allow the sexploitation of our children through drag queen performances aimed at them, as an example. Others are subtle and cunning side attacks: the luring away of the vulnerable, and even Trojan horse attacks. The Devil may send in people to persuade Christ-followers to just allow sin in a small area of their lives — a compromise here, a taste of the deviant pleasure there. This is rampant in our churches these days. People who say they follow Jesus but allow sin to rule and reign in their lives and justify it. I can hear it now: “Everyone does it.” “It’s not that big of a deal, I am not an axe murderer or anything.” “I like to have fancy things, and I earned this money, so why should I feel guilty not helping the poor?” Or like a Trojan horse, some penetrate the church with lies, pretending to believe, but all the while bent on spiritual destruction. This can look like trying to push same-sex marriage on a group of Christ-followers or trying to discredit the good work of others for their own gain. Whatever the excuse or justification for sin in our hearts, it will eventually lead us to ruin.

So instead, we are to watch out for the direct and the sneaky ways our spiritual adversary, The Devil, tries to attack us. We do this by knowing the truth and then we can identify the lies. “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭31‬-‭32‬) Do I want to be set free from sin’s influence on my life? Then I must know, internalize, and live out the truth!

We are to watch out for our brothers and sisters, and love and forgive them. Love sometimes looks like a rebuke too, to keep them from going down the wrong path. If we travel this life with spiritual brothers- and sisters-in-arms, then we will have insight and wisdom to ward off the evil attacks in our brother or sister’s area of weakness and vice versa.

We are to forgive and love, for this keeps bitterness and anger at bay. Plan to forgive much and often, because “much and often” is the way that God forgives us!

Lord, thank you for this reminder to be spiritually ready for the attacks of this world. You have a winning battle plan and I just need to follow your plan. Teach me to continue to humble myself, dwell with you daily, and fall in line under your expert leadership of my life!