Have you ever gotten drunk with the devil? I’m not talking about drinking beers with the prince of darkness. I’m thinking about thoughts served up by the father of lies. Have you ever gotten “thought drunk” with the devil? Just like it only takes a few shots to mess you up physically, it only takes a few thoughts to mess you up mentally and spiritually. Have you ever thought a thought that makes you forget about the love, power, presence, plans, and goodness of God, the kind of thought that makes you anxious, unsettled, and afraid?

Me too. That’s why Peter commands us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Why stay mentally sober? Because the devil wants to devour you! He wants you to think the kind of thoughts that will take vicious bites out of your joy. So be alert! Stay sober! Don’t get drunk with the devil!

How do you do it? By doing what you’re doing right now! Since the devil is the father of lies (John 8:44), you stay sober when you think about what is true. When you open your Bible for your daily chapter or check your email for a morning devotion or meditate on a passage while in your garden, you are resisting the devil by thinking the thoughts of God.

Don’t let your guard down. Fill up on the Water of Life. That’s how you stay sober and avoid getting drunk with the devil.