Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Thessalonians 5:6-9
During the First World War the British Empire called on troops from their colonies around the world to join the fighting. A large number of troops from New Zealand took part in the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915, including Jack Dunn. Dunn had just returned to his unit after recovering from pneumonia when he was discovered asleep at his sentry post. According to the Manual of Military Law in use at the time, “a sentinel found asleep or drunk at his post while on active service would, if the character and circumstances of the offense were sufficiently grave, be liable to suffer death.” Dunn was originally sentenced to death but was offered a reprieve to return and fight. He was killed in battle in August 1915 having redeemed himself for his dereliction of duty.
Every day of the Christian life there is a battle raging. If we are not awake, alert, and active we are destined for failure. The devil does not take days off, and any moment when we are asleep on duty he will strike. Jesus warned, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
Every day requires our attention. Every day we must armor up. Every day we must be on guard. The hope of our salvation does not depend on us—God did all the work to both save and keep us. But the hope of our salvation comes from the God who gives us the weapons we need to fight and win the battle.
