Be Sober

by Terry Wane Benton

Deuteronomy 29:19 says the drunkard cannot be included with the sober. Christians are commanded to "watch and be sober" (I Thessalonians 5:6). and "let us who are of the day be sober"(I Thessalonians 5:8). Instead of relaxing our minds with a little alcoholic beverage or a little weed, we are commanded instead to "gird up the loins of your mind, be sober..." (I Peter 1:13), and "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour' (I Peter 5:8).

Romans 13:13-14 says to "walk properly" and lists revelry and drunkenness as ways to walk improperly. He adds, "make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." I can make sure I am sober, alert, and my mind is girded up and watchful by abstaining totally from drinking alcohol. One drink is all it takes to "make provision" for the flesh. One drink and we relax our guard. One drink and alcohol is working on the brain, and clouds the judgment and the guarded stance. This is why men and women go to bars. One drink and the inhibitions are loosened a bit. A sober person is careful and watchful, concerned about protecting his/her morals and character. One drink and those concerns don't seem all that important. Now the guard is down, and the devil sees his opportunity to cash in. To purposely let down your guard enough to let the alcohol in to do its intended work is not good thinking.

Trying to fit in the bar scene because our "friends" do it is not good sober thinking (Corinthians 15:33). They are not sober-minded and are not concerned about morals. Why would you "make provision" for the flesh by trying to fit in such a crowd? Christians have fun in other ways while staying sober at all times. One drink affects the level of sobriety and lets the guard down. We all need the guard up at all times. "Be sober" is not a suggestion. It is a command.