We are careful in life to guard the things that we value and protect them from harm. We protect memorabilia from the ravages of time. We guard our homes and the possessions within them by means of locks and home security systems. We guard our children from danger and keep them out of harm’s way. We guard our health during cold and flu season. We guard our passwords and accounts so that our identity doesn’t get stolen. But these are not the only things in life that we should guard. A friend of mine recently shared with me three reminders about situations when we need to be on our guard.

1. When you’re alone, guard your thoughts. What we think about shapes who we become. For many people, times of solitude can be times of temptation. You may be tempted to shut your mind off and just passively be entertained, rather than filling your mind with good things. Or, you may be tempted to fill your mind with things that are unholy. Either way, there are abundant temptations to let down our guard, leaving our mind and thoughts exposed and vulnerable to the attacks of the evil one. Paul teaches us in Philippians 4:8 to fill our minds with things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy.” When you’re alone, guard your thoughts and keep them pure.

2. When you’re at home, guard your temper. We’ve all seen it before, and we know that few things are as damaging as an unleashed temper. The words of one Christian hymn remind us that “Angry words are lightly spoken / Bitterest thoughts are rashly stirred / Brightest links of life are broken / By a single angry word.” Truly, anger has a terrifyingly destructive power. The repeated Biblical instruction is to be slow to anger and guard your spirit carefully against this deadly enemy. As the Proverbs teach us, “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Prov. 16:32). When you’re at home, guard your temper and keep it under an iron-fisted grip.

3. When you’re with friends, guard your tongue. When you were young, you probably heard a lot about peer pressure. Why do we stop talking about peer pressure when we’re adults? It doesn’t go away! When we are with friends, there can be immense peer pressure—to talk like they do, to tell the kind of jokes they laugh at, to lie in order to look good, or to talk endlessly about yourself and your own accomplishments. Remember, our words reflect what is in our hearts (Luke 6:45). When you’re with friends, guard your tongue and keep it free from lies and arrogant speech.

This week—when you’re alone, when you’re at home, and when you’re with friends—be on guard!