1 Thessalonians 5:6-11

v6-7: With so many things surrounding us that tempt “our natural desires and appetites” to excess regarding worldly things, if we are to be moderate and keep them “within appropriate limits” we must be watchful and be on our guard “against sin and temptation.”

v8: There are spiritual enemies against us that “are many, mighty, and malicious,” and will attempt to make us negligent, self-confident, arrogant, and indulgent. “We need to arm ourselves against their attempts” by putting on the spiritual armour of faith, love, and hope. Faith believes “that the eye of God is always on us, that we have spiritual enemies to fight with, [and] that there is a spiritual world to prepare for.” Love is for “God and the things of God.” Hope is our salvation and eternal life. These three graces will keep us alert and self-controlled and “prevent us from being intoxicated with the pleasures of sin, which last only a short time.”

v9-10: It is because of God’s appointment and by Christ’s atonement, His death for us, that we belong to Him, and we can “live for him while we are here and live with him when we leave here.”

v11: We have a responsibility to encourage and edify those who are part of the same local church that we are members of. We can do this by sharing “our knowledge and experiences with one another,” by joining “in prayer and praise with one another,” and by setting “a good example before one another.”