Watch! A Call to Spiritual Vigilance: Part 2

Scripture reveals that true watchfulness extends far beyond personal vigilance.

If watching were merely an individual discipline, it would be challenging enough. But Scripture reveals that true watchfulness extends far beyond personal vigilance. It encompasses a profound responsibility for the spiritual welfare of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Apostle Paul’s urgent words to the Romans establish the communal nature of our watch, while Jesus’ own experience with his sleeping disciples teaches us both the difficulty and the grace inherent in this calling.

The Watchfulness We Must Have

The watchfulness Scripture commands involves three critical dimensions that work together to form a complete spiritual discipline:

• First, we must maintain sleepless vigilance during this “Gentile night”—the present age of spiritual darkness that will continue until Christ returns to establish his Kingdom. This state isn’t physical insomnia, but the spiritual alertness that refuses to become comfortable with this world’s values and priorities.
• Second, we must resist the deceptive nature of darkness that makes us believe our thoughts and actions remain hidden. Just as alcohol, which Scripture calls a “mocker,” represents false doctrine, spiritual stupor, and moral depravity, the darkness of this age tempts us to compromise our standards. We forget that all will ultimately be brought to light.
• Third, we must remember Jesus’ sobering words in John 3:19-21: And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.¹
   

[W]e must resist the deceptive nature of darkness that makes us believe our thoughts and actions remain hidden

Paul’s Urgent Call to Awakening

Paul’s letter to the Romans provides the definitive statement on communal watchfulness. Writing to believers who lived in the very heart of the Roman Empire, surrounded by paganism and moral corruption, Paul’s words ring with urgent relevance for our own times:

Notice the corporate language: “let us cast off,” “let us put on,” “let us walk properly.” Paul doesn’t address individual believers in isolation but calls the entire community to mutual accountability in their watching.

The Inescapable Duty of Mutual Care

If we truly understand the times in which we live and the urgency of Christ’s approaching return, we bear an inescapable responsibility toward one another, one for which we will give account when the Master returns. This obligation isn’t optional. It’s integral to Christian discipleship.

Paul illustrates this responsibility through the metaphor of spiritual parenthood: “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers.” (1 Corinthians 4:15 NKJV). Fathers watch over their children, not with harsh criticism, but with loving concern for their welfare.

The writer to the Hebrews makes this duty explicit:

What Happens When We Miss the Ideal?

Honest self-examination reveals uncomfortable truths about our spiritual condition:

• None of us completely realizes the tremendous necessity of watchfulness.
• None of us lives in that constant search for Christ’s return.
• None of us remains fully prepared in daily and hourly anticipation of the Lord’s arrival.

Yet we should earnestly desire to achieve this ideal, recognizing that our ability to do so comes from God alone. As the psalmist declares:

Lessons from the Ten Virgins

The parable of the ten virgins provides crucial insight into what happens when our watching falls short of the ideal. Jesus told this story to illustrate the kingdom of heaven and the importance of preparedness for his return (Matthew 25:1-13).

The similarities between the wise and foolish virgins are striking and should make us pause:

• All of them had lamps. Every virgin possessed the basic equipment for her role.
• All “went out to meet the bridegroom.” Every virgin had the right intention and took action.
• Remarkably, “they all slumbered and slept.” This similarity is perhaps the most surprising and instructive.

Scripture explicitly states that all ten virgins—both wise and foolish—fell asleep. This description isn’t only about the sleep of death awaiting resurrection, but also represents a lack of readiness that affected everyone. None of the virgins were perfectly ready for the bridegroom’s coming. Like us, they found their eyelids drooping despite their best intentions. Their spirit was willing, but their flesh was weak.

Jesus had emphasized this principle in John 12:35-36:

What was the sole distinguishing factor between the virgins? The foolish virgins “took no oil with them,” while the wise virgins carried extra oil for their lamps. Only the wise had reserves to draw upon when the crisis came at the darkest hour.

But why would the foolish have insufficient oil? Perhaps the answer lies in the previous chapter, where the Lord says in Matthew 24:36: “But of that day and hour no one knows,” and again in verse 42: “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” What if the foolish virgins presumed to know, or to calculate when the bridegroom would come, and allowed for just enough oil to meet their expected timing of his appearance? They would set their hearts on a time that would pass and thus were not spiritually ready.

In contrast, the wise virgins complied with the instruction not to presume to know the bridegroom’s arrival other than the general epoch. They consequently ensured they had more than enough oil to last through the unexpectedly long wait that ensued. The wise virgins were “children of light.” When the crucial moment arrived, their deep spiritual reserves sustained them through the darkness.

In ecclesial circles, there have been similar well-intentioned attempts to guess “likely” times when the Lord might return, albeit couched in the language of possibility. We’ve heard this for years, based on many different premises—all of them wrong. Consider the wisdom of brethren such as Harry Tennant, who said: “Prophecy was not given to us to make us prophets!” How right he was! The effect of “false anticipation” is initial fervent excitement, followed by lingering disenchantment, disillusionment, and even loss of faith, with the young and the young-in-faith suffering the most. Our Master’s words ring out in warning: “You do not know.”

Paul’s Application to the Thessalonians

Paul appears to draw directly from the sobering parable of the virgins in his letter to the Thessalonian ecclesia, creating one of Scripture’s most comprehensive treatments of watching:

The Spiritual Process: Called, Chosen, Faithful

This progression finds its ultimate expression in Revelation 17:14: “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

Paul’s teaching reveals a clear spiritual progression for those who are ready when Christ returns.

1. Called: We begin as “children of the bridechamber,” invited to participate in the wedding feast.
2. Chosen: We become “companions of the Bride,” selected for special intimacy with Christ.
3. Faithful: We develop into “children of light,” ultimately becoming the Bride herself.

The imagery of bridal processional lamps carried on long poles above the procession, lighting the way through dark streets, beautifully illustrates our role as light-bearers in this present darkness.

The Ephesian Application: Walking as Children of Light

Paul continues this theme in his letter to the Ephesians, providing practical guidance for living as children of light.

Paul then proceeds to describe the spiritual relationship between Christ and His bride, the ultimate goal of our watching and preparation.

The Preciousness of Time

Understanding our responsibility to watch for one another requires recognizing the preciousness of time. So many lives resemble ships that spend considerable time at sea but never complete a meaningful voyage. The Master has entrusted us with precious goods during his absence; among the most valuable of these is time.

Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 reminds us:

What distinguishes mere activity from meaningful service? It’s far too easy to mistake the form for the substance:

• We might confuse attendance with worship.
• We might substitute reading for faith.
• We might use time without applying wisdom to make it worthwhile.

“Now” is the only time we possess. “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2 KJV). It was to spiritually complacent people that Jesus said: “You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:3).

Jesus’s words should draw our attention to the signs that herald His return. These signs should prompt us to “watch and be sober,” (1 Thessalonians 5:6), as Jesus warns in Luke 21. We live in times that offer no purely human solutions to humanity’s deepest problems, which should drive us to increased dependence on divine intervention.

The Song of Songs Pattern

The Song of Solomon provides a beautiful picture of the relationship between the watching believer and her returning Lord.

Even when our physical strength fails as we struggle with the weakness of flesh, our hearts can remain watchful for His voice. This grace enables imperfect watchers to be ready when He comes.

Staying Awake: The Increasing Challenge

Anyone who has worked through the night understands that maintaining vigilance becomes exponentially more difficult as the hours progress. Staying up slightly past our usual bedtime is manageable, but extending our wakefulness deep into the night tests our limits severely.

This natural pattern carries spiritual risks. As physical fatigue increases, our emotional guard drops, making us more irritable and sensitive to offense. Our judgment becomes clouded, and our resistance to temptation weakens. This tendency is why Jesus’ parable in Luke 12 takes on such urgency:

Notice that Jesus specifically mentions finding faithful servants during the second and third watches, the most difficult hours to maintain vigilance. The spiritual preparedness required to remain faithful during these periods calls for something beyond natural human strength.

Grace for the Faithful Watcher

The parable continues with both warning and encouragement:

But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Luke 12:39-40).

When Peter asked whether this parable applied to the disciples specifically or to everyone, Jesus responded with both promise and warning:

The contrast is stark but hopeful. Those who remain faithful in watching, caring for others, maintaining spiritual disciplines, and serving actively will be found “so doing” when the Master returns. Their reward will be unimaginable, including authority over all that he possesses.

But those who abandon their watch, who begin to abuse their responsibilities and indulge in spiritual drunkenness, face certain judgment—the servant who “knew his master’s will” but failed to prepare bears special responsibility.

The Comfort of Mutual Encouragement

Paul concludes his teaching to the Thessalonians with words of comfort that apply directly to our mutual responsibility in watching. “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

We don’t watch alone. The very fact that we struggle with the weakness of flesh while earnestly desiring to remain faithful qualifies us for divine grace and mutual support. Our watching is not perfect, but it is sincere. Our vigilance is not complete, but it is heartfelt.

In our next and final article, Lord Willing, we’ll examine the ultimate example of faithful watching through our Lord’s experience in Gethsemane, where we see both the cost of perfect obedience and the grace extended to failing disciples.

David Fraser,
Pinetown Ecclesia, South Africa