by Marilynn Chadwick

"Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin." Proverbs 13:3

I have a friend who raised five amazing boys. All her sons were excellent football players, receiving scholarships to play in various colleges around the country. She also happened to be a real prayer warrior—probably a requirement for raising all those strong sons. She used to remind me that just like in football, the secret to winning in spiritual warfare is the "guard."

The Bible takes the importance of "guarding" very seriously. In various places, the book of Proverbs reminds us to guard our words, our thoughts, and even our manner of daily living. It gives clues as to the root of strife, which it tells us is often driven by pride (Proverbs 13:10). Proverbs strongly warns us to guard our temper and our words—which usually go hand in hand with outbursts of temper:

"A hot-tempered person stirs up strife, but one who is slow to anger quiets contention" (Proverbs 15:18 NIV).
"When words are many, sin is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is wise" (Proverbs 10:19).
"Where there is no wood, the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases" (Proverbs 26:20).

In summary, the book of Proverbs teaches us that true strength is found in controlling our own spirit rather than winning an argument (Proverbs 16:32). I'm especially drawn to this convicting piece of wisdom: "It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling." (Proverbs 20:3).

When we let our guard down and say things that are disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning, we damage our relationships and open the door to strife. And you can be sure that wherever you find strife, you'll find many other kinds of evil (James 3:16).

I guess my friend got it right. She truly discovered the key to good football and to winning our spiritual battles. The secret is the guard!