1 Thessalonians 5:6-8

Encouragement to Watchfulness

Sinful people, in contrast, are part of the kingdom of darkness. Those without a hope of being raised from the dead are like a guard who sleeps on duty. Instead of being watchful and prepared, they become totally vulnerable in sleep. Christians should strive to stay awake and live a self controlled life so that they are ever ready. It is relatively easy to remain awake and watchful during the day. However, sleeping and becoming drunken were night time activities in Paul's day, just as they are now. Kelcy suggests sleep is representative of spiritual insensitivity, and drunkenness would only add to the problem. So, those who are spiritually insensitive could easily be represented in the figure of night people and activities.

Since Christians are children of the day, Paul urged them to exercise self-control and put on the Christian armor. The two most important pieces of a soldier's defensive armor in Paul's day were his helmet and breastplate. Faith and love, in Paul's view, bond together to form the breastplate which protects the Christian's heart against the piercing darts of Satan. Faith is absolutely necessary to please God. Love must be in the heart of anyone who would have God abide within them (Hebrews 11:6; 1 John 3:16-19). Paul portrayed the hope of salvation as the helmet which protects the Christian from Satan's blows. This would seem to be the hope of heaven and the ultimate salvation to be found therein (1 Thessalonians 5:6-8).