WATCH YOUR SIX

Every man in Ai went after the Israelites, and the city was left wide open, with no one to defend it. Joshua 8:17 (GNT)

REFERENCE
Joshua 8:1-20 (GNT)

“Watch your six” is a military parlance which means to ‘watch your back.’ Service members commonly use this term to tell each other that their rear is covered or that they need to watch out for an enemy attacking from behind. If the people of Ai had known about this very important term and the lesson in it, they wouldn’t have left their city wide open with no defenses while they went after the Israelites, which resulted in them losing everything.

Often in life we find ourselves going after things or addressing issues we think are important at the detriment of other areas in our lives. Sometimes we pursue our dreams at the expense of building a strong family unit. At other times, we go after things that will give us physical satisfaction at the detriment of building a sound spiritual life borne out of intimate fellowship with God. When we give such priority to an area of our lives at the expense of other areas, we are leaving our rear wide open; and open to any kind of attack from the enemy. The thrills of going after what looks exciting and attractive can often make us oblivious to the things that are important and of real value.

Thus, you must be vigilant to watch your six at all times. This you must especially do when you have suffered a wrong and feel a need to get even. There is a tendency to hit back and fight with all you have, but in trying to hit back, you can get so engrossed that you expose yourself, and Satan then takes advantage of you through utterances you make that you later regret or you destroy important relationships in your life.

Sometimes, the unbridled desire to get even with someone can eventually backfire on your family or children. This is similar to what happened in the account in today’s passage; the people of Ai were so consumed with chasing their enemy that nothing else mattered to them. They thought they would finish them off like they did previously (Joshua 7:2-5), and that may have blinded them from strategizing on how to attack the enemy as well as defend their wives, children, livestock, and territory.

So, learn. Don’t ever be so blinded by your pain or your desire to get even or to fight for ‘your right,’ to a point where you lose the things and people that are important to you, through carelessness.

The enemy who always seeks who to devour will present many opportunities to make you lose focus, lose your cool, chase after fantasies, or get you distracted in his bid to get you exposed so he can easily attack you and go away with the spoils; but, you must stay vigilant always. Watch your six!

SCRIPTURE PHOTO

ADDITIONAL STUDY
I Corinthians 10:12, Ephesians 4:26-27 (ERV), & I Peter 5:8

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I thank You for this knowledge. Help me to be ten steps ahead of the enemy; may I not give him a foothold into my life by my daily decisions in Jesus’ name. Amen!