Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

—Jude 1:21

When police officers are in trouble, what do they do? They call for backup. That is what believers need to do as well. When we are being hassled or tempted, we need to call for backup. We are to stand strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

James 4:7 says, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Notice it doesn’t say that we are to submit to God and carry on extended conversations with the Devil. We want to keep our distance from the enemy, being careful never to yield to his suggestions.

Disobedient and persistent waywardness provides the Enemy a foothold from which he can attack and influence the Christian. So flee temptation and don’t leave a forwarding address. Keep your distance from the things that could drag you down.

We must learn from the example of the Israelites who, in spite of their privileges and exposure to miracles, did not keep themselves in the love of God. As a result, they faced judgment.

We must learn from the example of the fallen angels who, even though they once worshiped God in heaven, they rebelled against Him and became demons in hell.

We must learn from the example of the people living in Sodom and Gomorrah who, in spite of the fact that they were exposed to the preaching and ministry of Abraham, Lot, and even Melchizedek, they rebelled against God.

These all failed to keep themselves in the love of God. So let’s make sure we are taking every step to do that.

He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. —Hebrews 7:25

The Bible tells us to keep ourselves in the love of God (see Jude 1:21). But we are also told in the same passage that God will keep us (see verse 1). So who is keeping what for whom? Is this a contradiction? Not at all. The truth is, these verses complement one another, showing us both God’s part and ours. No, we don’t keep ourselves saved . . . but we can keep ourselves safe.

God’s love is unconditional. And—most happily for us—Jesus Christ loves, preserves, and intercedes for us before the Father. But we can do things that will get us out of sync and out of harmony with His love. That’s why we’re reminded to keep ourselves in the love of God, which means that we’re to keep away from all that is unlike Him. We are to keep our distance from any influence that would violate God’s love and bring sorrow to His heart.

We are loved by God, and He will protect His investment. Think about it: If you own an inexpensive pair of sunglasses, you may not be all that concerned about where they are. But if you have a really nice, expensive pair, then you will tend to know their whereabouts. Or, if you went to Disneyland with your children, you wouldn’t just forget about them. Instead, you would keep your eye on them because you want to protect what is dear to you.

In the same way, we are preserved, protected, and kept by the power of God. Peter said, “And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see” (1 Peter 1:5, NLT).

Even so, we, too, have a responsibility. We need to keep ourselves in a place where He can actively show His love to us. We need to keep ourselves in the love of God.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013