God wants His people to recognize the times we are living in (1 Ch. 12:32; Mat. 16:3) and for us to be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Are you ready for the Lord’s return? Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:11-14).

I rarely go to movies. I saw a movie ad for a new release that sounded funny and thought I might like to see it. It is called “The Other Woman”. But I realized that even though the topic is something so common today, what does it say that we have taken sin and made it our comic relief? I do believe that laughter is good for the soul, but making light of the things God hates, is not. Good for the soul, that is.

I realize that the selection for leisure and entertainment that is available these days, is poor. Have you ever turned on a movie that you had watched many years ago, maybe even before you were born again, and you remember laughing so hard at that movie, only when you watch it now “with new eyes” you recognize that the humor is base and fleshy? We don’t realize the work of the Lord in us quite so readily as in an instant such as that.

Make no provision for the flesh. Things that appeal to the flesh are by nature contrary to holiness. When we “make provision” for the flesh, we first entertain thoughts, which ignites the flesh with temptation, and when we fail to flee from the temptation, we are drawn and enticed away like a child frolicking in the waves of the ocean, we are not aware of the current carrying us off, until it is often too late.

Have you ever heard someone say “I never thought I would do something like this”? Never underestimate the potential of your flesh. We are all capable of unimaginable evil. Our enemies as Christians, are the world, the flesh, and the devil. The flesh is at enmity with the Spirit within you. Each time you “make provision for the flesh” you put yourself in danger of falling, and it is your pride that makes you believe you will recognize “the line” and not cross it. You sear your tender conscience and seal off the “inner (spiritual) ear” to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

What music are you listening to this morning? What television show did you watch last night?

Those are simple “preventative maintenance” issues. Defend your consciences, and guard your heart.

The offense strategy of spiritual maintenance is that you regularly drink from the spring of living water, the Word. And pray all the time. If you are going to “pray without ceasing” that would mean that no matter what is going through your mind, there is an ever-alert awareness of the “mind of Christ” there right alongside, He is hearing everything, taking it in, and He is “in it with you”. So, just as you would naturally converse with a companion during any joint-activity, you do the same with the Lord throughout your day. It comes natural when He is the number one pursuit of your heart!

Walking about the job site, at your cubicle, on your floor, in your work truck, whatever applies to your job, you will be “running things by Him” as you work. When your mind flits to a worry or concern, you will immediately talk to Him about it. If you are a writer, you will be considering His impression. If you see someone struggling, you might even argue with Him just a little when He nudges you to go over and say something, offer encouragement. This is a way to “pray without ceasing”. The line of communication is always open and engaged. You are hearing from Him on a regular basis (reading and meditating on the Word), you are “praying-as-you-go”, so as not to get the sensation of a backlog of things you must “remember” to pray about.

Very importantly, remembering your armor is another way not to make provision for the flesh. In the flesh we are soft, vulnerable, “penetrable” however encased in that armor we can stand strong against the wiles of the devil, who seeks to devour us.

Today more than any other time in history, Christians MUST make no provision for the flesh, because evil is rising like a flood. We know that there are many who call themselves Christians that will hear “depart from me. I never knew you”. Are you absolutely certain that you will not be one of them? How can we know?

2 Peter 1:4
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

5-7
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”

8
“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would NO DOUBT have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not of us”

1 John. 5:10, He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

Romans 8:14-16. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Are you being conformed to the image of His Son?)

2 John 2:3-4 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith (II Corinthians 13:5) and Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall (II Peter 1:19) These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13) Read these passages and those surrounding them in the Bible to get broader context and test yourself. Would you recognize subtle, false doctrines, or are you “blown about by every wind of doctrine?

Know that you know what you know and how you know it!!!!

Always be ready to give an account of the reason for the hope that is in you! (I Peter 3:15)

We are living in perilous times. So much so, that it is imperative that we concentrate at least as much or more upon our spiritual maintenance, as we do the news.