Wake up!

Romans 13:11
Ephesians 5:8-14

I am physically tired as I read these passages. My baby generally sleeps well at night, but last night was a bit restless. My other baby, no bigger than a blueberry, tires me out just by growing, and compounds that by making my pregnancy sleep a little less restful than I'm used to when not pregnant. If I can't quite go back to sleep, I'd like to spend the day on lazy activities that don't require a lot of energy or brainpower. It would be easier to avoid the housecleaning and cooking to just sit on the couch and read. Sometimes that's okay, but I know that often the better choice is to push myself to work despite my tiredness. Often the reward comes in better sleep the next night because I expended the extra energy, giving me a more alert day tomorrow.
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It would be so much easier to ignore the reality of the spiritual world we live in. We'd like to downplay its importance in our lives, to sleep through the attacks of the Evil one rather than putting forth the effort to fight. We even tell ourselves that we're not cooperating if we're not actively engaging in the evil. Yet waking up to engage in the battle brings rewards beyond comprehension. We need to make an active decision to work for the Lord, to resist temptation, to push beyond our inclinations to sleep and take a stand for what is right. Earlier in the chapter Paul urged his readers to submit to the governing authorities. A good part of wisdom is knowing when to submit and when to fight. There are times to resist human laws that originate from imperfect humans NOT waking from their slumber to resist evil, and there are times to submit so that our resistance, when it comes, shows itself as far more powerful than it would coming from someone who always fights every rule. Wake up with purpose. Not to stare at a computer screen or an engaging book, wishing we were back in our beds. But pushing through the tiredness to work; to fight evil; to stand against wickedness in our personal lives, our families, and in our nations.