It is not enough to be vigilant and careful. We must be well armed. Because even if one is vigilant and careful, but has no weapons, bandits quickly take over.
So when we must be vigilant, careful and armed, but we remain unarmed and naked and asleep, then who will prevent the bandit from sticking the knife in?
And just as the tightrope walker, who walks on a taut rope, cannot possibly turn his attention anywhere else, even for a moment, so we as Christians must not for a moment become sluggish and careless, so that we don’t get hurt.
Because we walk along a narrow and broken road, which on both sides is surrounded by steep precipices, and we must not turn our eyes either to the left or to the right, and walk in constant terror lest we fall…
St. John Chrysostom