Wake Up, Sober Up, and Suit Up

By Greg Laurie, Op-ed contributor Friday, June 11, 2010

For 17 years of my life, I lived in an alcoholic home. I spent a lot of time around drunk people. That is pretty much all I saw from morning to night. I observed a variety of drunks and the way they reacted to alcohol, and I noticed something about people who come under its influence: they try and act as though they are not affected by it, and they do stupid things.

Alcohol is not the only thing that can intoxicate us in life. There are many things people come under the influence of and don't even realize it. In speaking of the last days, Jesus warned, "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth" (Luke 21:34–35).

The apostle Paul urged Christians waiting for Christ's return, "But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation" (1 Thessalonians 5:8). To be sober means to be clear-headed. We are to be alert. We are to be awake, sane, and steady-not drunk and sleeping.

There is false teaching today that is designed to entrap you and pull you away from God (see 1 Timothy 4:1). That is why there has never been a time when it is more important for us to know the Bible and to walk closely with God.

We are to wake up, sober up, and suit up with our spiritual armor, because we are in a spiritual battle. And if we fail to realize that, then we will become casualties of war.