Day 5

Scripture to Read: 1 Corinthians 16:13–14

God had used Paul to make deep investments in the people of Corinth. The letter of 1 Corinthians that God had Paul write was another way to challenge the believers in Corinth in their walk with our Lord, but also a challenge for every Christian since that time to make sure we are abiding in Christ and not living according to our flesh. We read in 1 Corinthians 16:13–14, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.” God used Paul to remind all believers that we must always live on guard in our walk with our Lord. We face these spiritual battles every day because our flesh desires the things of the flesh and God’s Holy Spirit desires to honor Christ in all we do. To live on guard means to enter the battlefield prepared (Ephesians 4:23, Colossians 3:1–4, 2 Corinthians 10:3–5). We are also to stand firm in our faith. Our faith is a gift from God (Romans 12:3) and our faith is tested daily (James 1:2–4). It’s through our faith that we overcome the temptations of this world (1 John 5:4). So, to stand firm in our faith means to daily cling to, trust in, and rely on God and His Word and not on the things this world offers to us. When God tells us to “act like men,” He desires that we are no longer childish in our walk with Him and that we are courageous and strong in Him.

Challenge & Application

What did God teach you today about your walk with Him? How would you say you are doing in fulfilling 1 Corinthians 16:13–14 each day and why?

Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!

Devotionals from this week

Swipe to Discover More

Day 1

God has taught us so much through His Word in 1 Corinthians. We are in our final chapter, and God used Paul to deal with a few more things that we must take to heart as God’s children. We read in 1 Corinthians 16:1–4, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. 2 On the first day of ev...

Read

Day 2

God has a plan for each to fulfill. He tells us in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” God again tells us in Titus 2:14, “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own po...

Read

Day 3

We know God has called us to serve Him, and as we serve, God desires us to bring younger Christians alongside us to mentor them (Matthew 28:19) so they can learn to serve Him as we do. God had used Paul in Timothy’s life to disciple him and help him grow in his walk with our Lord. Paul had mentored Timothy well, and so, as God led Paul to wri...

Read

Day 4

As Christians, as we serve our Lord, we have the distinct privilege of serving with other Christians in ministry. As God led Paul to write, we read in 1 Corinthians 16:12, “But concerning Apollos our brother, I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brethren; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has o...

Read

Day 5

God had used Paul to make deep investments in the people of Corinth. The letter of 1 Corinthians that God had Paul write was another way to challenge the believers in Corinth in their walk with our Lord, but also a challenge for every Christian since that time to make sure we are abiding in Christ and not living according to our flesh. We rea...

Read

Day 6

There are certain people that God brings into our lives as incredible examples of how to walk with Christ each day. God had those kinds of examples for the believers in Corinth also. We read in 1 Corinthians 16:15–18, “Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have ...

Read

Day 7

Since 1 Corinthians is a letter that God led Paul to write to the Christians in Corinth, we find some final greetings and words of encouragement as we close out this letter. We read in 1 Corinthians 16:19–24, “The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. 20 All the b...

Read