I Corinthians 16:13 “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”
In the closing verses of I Corinthians, Paul provides some final words of instructions to the Corinthian church. His words about what God wants of us are given in four distinct phrases. Here is a look at each one of them.
- “Watch ye.” Believers are told many times in the Bible to watch. We should never assume that we are safe from temptation or from growing cold in our service to God. Satan is smarter than we are, and it is easy to get our eyes off Christ if we are not careful.
- “Stand fast in the faith.” Before any child of God can stand fast in the faith, they must know what to believe – the doctrine. Once you know the truth about God, Jesus Christ, salvation, sanctification, the blood of Christ, etc., do not ever vary from those truths.
- “Quit you like men.” The phrase means to be brave like a man. Don’t be someone who changes like the wind and has no backbone. Stand strong for the Christian faith. Be a bold witness for Christ. Walk in His power and do not turn back to the world. Serve Christ with all your heart.
- “Be strong.” Do not be satisfied with your spiritual strength now. Go on and make yourself stronger for the glory of Christ. The days we live in now require strong believers who have no intention of turning back and they are taking steps to ensure that they do not. They do this by regular church attendance, daily personal devotions, much prayer, tithing, witnessing frequently, etc.
It is time that Christians today take these four aspects to heart and “be strong” – not weak in faith or action. Our Savior is coming back soon and He will reward the faithful.