September 2

So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober. — 1 Thess 5:6 BSB

Here, sobriety is contrasted with sleepiness and is linked to walking in the light, in the day; just as sleepiness and often drunkenness are tied to darkness and night. One of the greatest judgments God can give a nation, its leaders, prophets, and visionaries is a spirit of deep sleep, as the prophet says, “The Lord has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and closed your eyes; he has covered your prophets, rulers, and seers.” But to be sober is to be awakened from this sleep, and as a result, to walk not only alert but also watchful. It implies careful, circumspect living—daily walking, speaking, and acting with the fear of God. This is the only way to avoid the traps set for us at every step. How many have fallen into sin and public disgrace simply because they did not walk carefully and watchfully, guarding their steps. Instead of resisting the first movements of temptation, as the Lord tells us to do, they entertained it until they were dragged away by their own desires, which, when unchecked, leads to sin. And sin, when fully acted upon, results in death.