Two thousand years ago, Peter, one of Jesus’ apostles, was put in prison, and 16 guards were charged with keeping him there, some literally chained to him. Miraculously, an angel came and set Peter free in the middle of the night. “In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed” (Acts 12:18,19).

Yikes! If you lost a prisoner, you lost your life.

Well, it turns out that I am a guard—and the stakes are just as high. (If you believe in Jesus, you’re a guard too.) Another apostle named Paul wrote to a young man named Timothy: “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2 Timothy 1:13,14). 

If you know the Bible (even a little bit) guard what you’ve been taught. If you believe that Jesus loves you so much that he came on a rescue mission to free you from Satan’s prison, guard it. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, stay chained to the Savior. Satan, with his sick sense of joy, would be despicably happy to rechain you to himself. And—yikes—if you lose your faith, you lose your eternal life.

So guard it!