1 Peter 5:8,9 > Recognize You Have An Adversary Who Wants To Destroy You > You Must Choose To Not Let This Happen > The Devil "May Not" Devour You Unless You Give Him "Place" In Your Life - Note Ephesians 4:27 (King James) - "Give No Place To The Devil". > Peter's Advice, "Be Sober" - Sober Means To Be Serious - Like A Soldier Going To Battle > Each Morning You Awake You Should Prepare For Battle As A Good Soldier -
2 Timothy 2:1-4 > Peter's Second Tip, "Be Vigilant" (Check The NOTE Below)
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 > The Battle Is In The Mind/Heart > Take Every Thought Captive To The Obedience Of Christ > If You Entertain Sinful Thoughts They Develop Into Images ie. Imaginations - These Imaginations Lead To Actions That Establish The Original Temptation As A Stronghold > Thanks Be To Jesus Christ That Even Strongholds Can Be Torn Down - But How Much Easier To Take Thoughts Captive > But The Spiritual Life Is Not Easy - The Scriptures Liken The Spiritual Life to These Three - A Champion Athlete - A Faithful Farmer - A Good Soldier > All Three Exact From Themselves Sobriety And Vigilance. > Control Your Thoughts - Set Your Affections On Things Above - "You Can't Keep A Bird From Flying Over Your Head, But You Can Keep It From Building A Nest In Your Hair" >
NOTE: Vigilance = 1. Wakefulness 2. A Being Alert And Vigilant; Watchfulness; Caution. Alert Implies Wide-Awake And Active Watchfulness Or Attention. Vigilant Implies Keen, Often Wary, Watchfulness. > Vigil = A Devotional Watching, Morning Or Evening Prayers; Wakefulness; Sleeplessness. A Watching, To Hold Vigil. (Websters Dictionary 1938) > Luke 21:36 - Jesus Says, "Watch...And Pray Always" - Matthew 26:41 Jesus Says,"Watch And Pray That You Enter Not Into Temptation" > Temptation Is Coming, Whether You Enter Into It Will Be Determined In Direct Proportion To How Much "Watching And Praying" You Have Been Vigilant To Attend To > Jesus Says, "...Men Ought Always To Pray, And Not To Faint" - Mark 13:32-37 Jesus Says "WATCH" (To The One "Not" Watching Jesus Will Come As A Thief. To The One "Watching" Jesus Comes As The Bridegroom) > Proverbs 4:20 - Keep Your Heart/Watch Over Your Heart With All Diligence - Psalm 141:3, "Set A Watch, O Lord, Over My Mouth; Keep The Doors Of My Lips" - Song Of Solomon 5:2 "Though I Sleep, My Heart Keeps Awake" > Matthew 26:36-46 Jesus Says, "What, Could You Not WATCH With Me One Hour" - Praying And Watching Are Two Sides To The Same Coin > Jesus Says, "The Spirit Is Willing, But The Flesh Is Weak" > We Watch By Standing In Prayer At Set Times Preferably - The Apostles Fell Asleep Because They "Laid And Prayed" - Psalm 134:1-3, "Behold, Bless Ye The Lord, All Ye Servants Of The Lord, Which By Night Stand In The House Of The Lord"
Matthew 4:1-11 > Jesus Shows Us 'The Way" To Resist The Devil > "It Is Written" - Every Temptation Is Resisted With The Sharp Sword Of Scripture - Jesus Speaks The Word/Quotes Scripture To Resist The Devil's Twisted Lies Of Deception > This Is Known In The Church Fathers As "Counter-Speaking" > The Church Fathers Speak Of The Use Of "Arrow Prayers", Short And Fervent Invocations Frequently Repeated. This Practice Came To Be Known As "Monologic Prayer", Prayer Of A Single Logos, A Single Word Or Phrase > This Is Why It Is Of The Utmost Importance To Know The Word Of God, To Be Able To Quote The Word Against The Temptations, To Pull An Arrow Out Of Your Quiver And Shoot The Enemy Through His Dark Heart > Psalm 119:11
James 4:4-10 > We Resist Temptation, The Passions, By Speaking The Word As Jesus Did, Then We Hate The Evil Desire, Then We Practice The Particular Virtue That Is Opposed To The Passion > Resist Depression/Apathy With Good Deeds/Go Care For Someone In Need > Resist Sadness With Songs Of Joy - Isaiah 61:1-3 - Put On The Garment Of Praise For The Spirit Of Heaviness > Resist Pride By Humbling Yourself > Resist Greed With Generosity - And So On
NOTE: The Passions Are The Sinful Predispositions of Our Fallen Human Nature > The Passions Are The "Lusts/Desires Of The Flesh" - Galatians 5:19-21 > The Flesh Is Not Our Physical Bodies But The Fallen Nature, The Adamic Nature We Inherited At Birth From Our Progenitors > "Now The Works Of The Flesh Are These; Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lasciviousness (Lewdness), Idolatry, Witchcraft (Greek = Pharmakeia), Hatred, Variance (Contentions), Emulations (Jealousies), Outbursts Of Wrath, Strife (Selfish Ambitions), Seditions (Disensions), Heresies, Envy, Murders, Drunkenness, Revelries, And The Like" > This List From Galatians 5 Is A Good Start, If You Can Call It A "Good" Start? > There Are More "Lists" Of Passions Elsewhere In Scripture Which Name, Greed, Love Of Money, Gluttony Vainglory, Laziness/Sloth, etc, etc > The Passions Are Qualities We Inherit From Our Animal Nature - We, In Our Sinful State, Reflect More Of An Animal Instinct Than A Human Instinct - It's As If The Instincts/Qualities Of Self-Preservation In Animals Has Been Transferred Into Human Life And Become Our Passions > There Is A Zoo Within Us - Like Many Animals Running Through Us Just Under The Ribcage - We Have A New Nature Through The New Birth Baptism (John 3:1-7) But The Old Nature Still Lurks Within And Must Be Brought Into Subjection To The Law Of Christ (Romans 6) - Our Fleshly Actions Are Frequently Classified As Animals Living On Mere Instincts Rather Than The Good And Holy Feelings Of Human Nature, ie Love - For Example, We Say, "He Eats Like A Pig" - "He's Stubborn As A Mule" - "He's Proud As A Peacock" - A Womanizer Is Called "A Wolf" - A Treacherous Person Is A "Snake In The Grass" - A Grouchy Person Is "A Bear" - A Coward Is Called "Chicken" - A Dull Person Is Called An "Ox". > Another Way Of Dealing With The Passions Is To Cover The Windows Of Your Soul/Your Senses With Fine Nets/Screens Which Will Keep Out Impure Insects, This Is Done By Meditating On The Sober Realities Of Eternal Judgment > And Let Us Not Forget The Powerful "Name Of Jesus" - Always Call Upon The Name Of Jesus, All That You Do, Do In The Name Of Jesus (Colossians 3:17) - Recite "The Jesus Prayer" Whenever A Weak Moment Arises, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son Of God, Have Mercy On Me, A Sinner" - St John Of The Ladder Said, "Flog The Foes With The Name Of Our Lord Jesus". Transfiguring The Passions Should Be Our Goal, Not Destroying Them - Of Course Their Evil Bent Is Destroyed Once The Passion Is Deified By God's Holy Spirit ( 2 Peter 1:2-12 ) - But Our Passions Are Given To Us By God, But Have Been Hi-jacked, Re-directed, By Sin - We Must Direct The Passions Toward God - Physical Eros/Erotic Love Must Be Concentrated On God - St Maximos The Confessor Said, "Every Passion Is Curable Through Abstinence And Love" - "Uncontrolled Anger Is To Be Re-directed Into Righteous Indignation - Sexual Lust Transformed Into Into An Eros Love For God, Whom We Are To Love With An Agape Love And Eros Love. Thus The Passions Are To Be Purified, Not Eradicated; Transfigured, Not Eliminated" (Philokalia, Anthony Conairis, p. 162) -
Ephesians 6:10-18 > A Good Soldier Must Have On His Armour Completely And Have His Sword In Hand/Mouth When He/She Begins The Day > From This Passage We Are Informed That We Can Be Strong, In The Lord > Exodus 14:14 - "The Lord Shall Fight For You" > We Are Informed About Our Enemies > Then We Are Informed Of Our Defensive Weaponry > Truth - Righteousness - Gospel Of Peace - Faith - Salvation > Once Clothed In Our Armour Then We Are To Take Up "...The Sword Of The Spirit, Which Is The Word Of God: PRAYING ALWAYS WITH ALL PRAYER And Supplication In The Spirit, And WATCHING Thereunto With All Perserverance And Supplication For The Saints". > It Is In Prayer, "All Kinds Of Prayer" That The Battle Is Fought And Won > We Are To "Pray Without Ceasing" ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ) > Prayer Takes On Several Forms, The Most Basic Is Our "Daily Rule Of Prayer"
NOTE: The Daily Rule Of Prayer Is "Our Set Prayers" Or "Our Written Prayers" > This Is A Written Prescription Of God's Truth That We Are To Faithfully Recite Morning, Noon ,And Night > At Least Morning And Night > Psalm 119:164 - David Mentions Praising God Seven Times A Day - Orthodox Christian Monks Have Daily Prayer Up To Seven Times > Some Monasteries Develop Their Own "Life Of Prayer" Establishing Three "Hours", Five "Hours", Or Even The Strict Seven "Hours" Of Prayer. - Hours Of Prayer Are Mentioned In Acts 3:1-6 (9th Hour) And Acts 10:9 (6th Hour) - It Appears That The Apostles Kept The Hours Of Prayer That Were Part Of Their Jewish Tradition Since Jesus Is The Fulfillment Of Jewish Promise As Recorded In The Law, The Prophets, And The Psalms > As Time Went On The Church And The New Covenant In Christ Became Revealed And Changes Were Made In The Calendar To Reflect The True Faith Of Christ - Sunday Became The Christian Sabbath - Days Of Fasting Went From The Jewish Model, Tuesday And Thursday, To The Christian Model Of Wednesday And Friday - Everything Was Christified > To Begin Your "Rule Of Prayer" Start Simple - Get Some Ideas - Send Me An Email @ Cyclingsimmons@gmail.com - Maybe I could Help You Get Started > The Important Thing Is To Get Started Practicing A Rule Of Prayer Because The Rule Will Inform Your Heart And Mind For When You Are "Out There" In The World In The Thick Of The Battle - What You Prayed While At Home Will Strengthen You "In The Moment" You Are Tested. > Once Memorized, The Rule Of Prayer Can Be Recited Anytime, Even On The Move - The Rule Of Prayer Is Comprised Of Scripture And Scriptural Truth.
