“Guard Duty”
By
Pastor M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life”.
OPENING:- When I was in the U.S. Army I remember we had to pull guard duty manytimes. The purpose of guard duty was to ensure that either, other soldiers, equipment, or areas were protected from the enemy. I can recall that in basic training or boot camp we had to memorize 3 General Orders and the first one was I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved. This general order stated that my purpose was to make sure I did everything within my power to protect my post and that I could not quit or stop guarding my post unless I was properly relived. When we were properly relived there was a password that was spoken between the person on guard duty and the one that was reliving them. If the improper password was given you were not properly relived. The safety of all that was being guarded depended upon you the person on guard duty. If something went wrong or the enemy was able to get access into that which you were responsible for guarding, then you were held accountable and punishment was inevitable.
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n our text the Bible says Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life”. The word keep is better translated as "guard – which means to keep watch."
It is imperative that we guard our hearts from the attack of the enemy. Ephesians 6:12 says “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]”.
What is Spiritual Warfare?
Understand that the term Spiritual Warfare is not found in the Bible; however, the concept of spiritual warfare is taught because the things that we fight against are of a spiritual nature. To generalize the term of Spiritual warfare is an aggressively active approach to resist the devil, to raze his kingdom and all enemies of God. Spiritual warfare is the trials, tribulation, and storms that come into our lives, which causes faith to be reinforced and released and demonstrates the power of God to a world that is blinded. Spiritual warfare in the life of a true Christian will do as the Bible says in 2nd Peter 1:5-7 “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.” It causes a Christian to become more and more rooted and grounded in God, to achieve another level spiritually, and to become a mature spiritual Christian. However, if you do not understand the weapons that the enemy uses then you will not be able to defeat the enemy but fall victim to them.
Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life”. This is advice to protect us in spiritual warfare. Why:- because one the heart is the seat of your desires, you can never truly do something if your heart is not in it. The heart in the physical is what pumps the blood, which is the life source to all other parts of the body. If the heart fails the body dies.
Genesis 3:1 says “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden”? And he said unto the woman Notice:- the avenue by which the serpent used to get to the heart of Eve. Her spoke to her WATCH THIS:- before she could even respond to the serpent something had to happen on Eve’s part and that was that she had to listen to what it had to say.
One of the main avenues the enemy will use to fight against you is your ears. Why:- because this is such a rapid access to your heart. I can tell you something in your ear and cause you to believe it in your mind, then it’s just a matter of time before what was spoken into your ears pollutes your heart.
Colossians 2:8 says “Beware (WATCH OUT) lest any man spoil you (CAUSE YOU TO BECOME CONTAMINATED – POLLUTE YOU HEART) through philosophy and vain deceit (MAN”S OPINION & POISIONOUS WORDS) after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world (OPERATING IN AND THROUGH CARNALITY) and not after Christ (SPIRITUAL).
Genesis 3:2-3 says “And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die”. Eve listened and then started to communicate with the serpent. WATCH THIS:- When we let down our defenses and listen (give ear to) the words of the enemy and then carry on a conversation with them you end up dying
WHY- because a lie is a cancer that rapidly spreads and weakens your defense.
The Bible says in John 8:44 “Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it”.
Because Eve listen to the serpent it caused her to carry on a conversation with him, which opened up her heart, he then was able to pollute it, causing her to have Coronary Artery Disease, which meant the blood flow (LIFE SOURCE) was restricted and that which needed to get to the other faculties was not able to flow and that caused Congestive Heart Failure which means her heart’s pumping power was weakened, which caused a massive Heart Attack and ultimately death – WHY – because she failed to guard her heart.
There was a man by the name of Samson whom God blessed greatly, he was able to do what no body else has ever been able to do, but he fell victim to a lethal weapon named Delilah. He listened to the cunning and deceptive words that sounded so sweet in his ears, but what those words did was it built up a pollution of plaque in his spiritual veins, causing the blood flow to be restricted, his heart began to fail him, it was no longer dedicated to God, but became a playground of emotions for the enemy. Once that happened he exposed the very secret that connected him to God. The enemy destroyed that connection he lost his strength, his power, and his eyesight. He was now bound with that which could not have bound him before, he was put in prison, which goes against what the Bible says “Whom the Son hath set free is free indeed”. He was made a slave and forced to grind in the mill, he was mocked and used for the enjoyment of the enemy.
I don’t care how sweet and subtle it may sound, it’s only poison to pollute your heart. You might say well I know them and I believe I can trust them, but that’s what Samson thought. See there is what is called Double Agents, they play both sides, it may seem like they are all for you, but what they are really trying to do is get you to let your guard down.
You can’t listen to everything and everyone. When the world comes at you and says “If it would have been me I would …..” You need to stop them right then and there and say “That’s why it’s not you because you would have, but God told me and I’m gonna believe His report, I don’t have time to listen to he say she say I got to protect my heart.
Don’t let the plans of the Lord that He has for you be contaminated by vain deceits and superfluous words of so-called friends who do not have the mind of Christ for what you are dealing with in your walk with the Lord.
Luke 22:31 says “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat”. That means to confuse and poison your heart. Don’t be confused by the manipulation of people. The enemy wants to contaminate and corrupt your heart. You must guard your heart against contamination from jealousy, philosophies, traditions, speculation, arrogance, pride, and everything else. The enemy is a master of disguise and will try to even hide in good deeds done for evil motives. Matthew 24:24 warns us of the deception of the enemy “insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect”. We must guard our heart with all diligence.
If Samson had guarded his heart, Delilah wouldn’t have weakened him. If Eve would have guarded her heart the serpent wouldn’t have been able to deceive her.
Only you can mount this guard because no other man can discern your motives and intentions.
There are some things you give to no one but God. Romans 6:13 says “Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God”
God wants your heart for Himself. It was the basis of your original union with Him. God didn’t appeal to your intellect; He asked for faith. The enemy despises your heart because it is with your heart that you believe unto righteousness. Romans 10:10 says "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"
I think about David and how he became of victim of heart failure, but he repented and said in Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” His heart had gotten polluted because he failed to guard with all diligence and he realized he was separated from God. In verse 12 he said “Restore unto me the joy of my salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit” Because he let his heart become polluted he lost his joy that he once had, but he repented and asked for a clean heart. With a clean heart you got a chance to make things right. With a clean heart you have joy again. With a clean heart I have the opportunity to guard it all diligence.
Guard your heart. You are on guard duty and you must guard your heart from the attack of the enemy.
Someone might say well Elder Maughmer how do I protect my heart. Well I am glad you asked that question. Philippians 4:8-9 says “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you"
You are on the battle field for the Lord a soldier in His army and you are fighting an enemy that wants to destroy you. He understands that God has predestined you for greatness.
Jeremiah 1:5 says “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations”
Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Understand that we are designed by God for a purpose to bring us to an expected end. This expected end is called our destiny.
DESTINY: a predetermined and expected end or result. Contrary to popular belief your destiny is not to be a super star, it is not to be a millionaire, it is not to be famous and have prestige, these are blessings and rewards that qualify in part as life more abundantly, but not destiny because destiny is the expected end God has for you, which is the eternal purpose.
Therefore the devil will do everything in his power to assassinate you and keep you from reaching that expected end (Destiny). He wants to assassinate you.
ASSASSINATION/ASSASSINATE: - To injure or destroy unexpectedly and treacherously, to murder by sudden or secret attack for impersonal reasons.
You must guard your heart with all diligence. You must make a conscious decision to stand in God’s strength and on His Word, regardless of the challenges that come your way or questions and so-called advice of those of the world that we call friends - Zechariah 13:6 says “And [one] shall say unto him, What [are] these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, [Those] with which I was wounded [in] the house of my friends”.
You may suffer a few blows from the enemy. You may even stumble at what is thrown at you. But as the song say “We are soldiers in the army we have to fight although we have to cry we have to hold up the blood stained banner we have to hold it up until we die”.
In Closing:- We must not let our hearts become contaminate at all. We must guard our hearts from anything that is contrary to the Word of God. If you find yourself being under attack from vain words of people or constantly dwelling upon something that entered into your mind by the avenue of your eyes or your ears, then you need to pray and ask God for a clean heart.
I’m not asking for high men to know my name, I’m not asking for fortune or fame, but give me Lord a clean heart and I’ll follow thee.
District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
Pastor
