1Cor 16:13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
A Christian is always in danger, and therefore should ever be on the watch. Jesus in Matt 26:41 added watch to pray. Watchfulness sees trials and temptation coming, prayer gives strength to withstand it. At the garden of gethsemane, in agony Jesus prayed earnestly but His disciples fell asleep. Jesus then said, “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”. This was an added motive for vigilance and prayer. The apostles had shown a certain readiness of spirit when they offered to die with Christ (verse 35); but the flesh was too weak to follow through.
Jesus had revealed earlier to Peter how Satan desired to sift him as wheat and the action Jesus took, pray for Peter that he would “…stand firm in the faith…” He certainly instructed them to pray that they enter not into trials and temptations but as we have seen, they fell asleep. Because they failed to act on what they knew as men, this would be a great indication not to rely on one’s strength but trust in God. Psa 33:16-20 “16…A mighty man is not delivered by great strength…20 Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.”