1, 2. (a) In the past, why were canaries put in British mines? (b) What danger do Christians face?

IN THE year 1911, British authorities passed a law designed to save the lives of coal miners. Each mine was required to keep two canaries. For what purpose? If a fire erupted in a mine, rescuers would carry the canaries underground with them. The tiny birds are sensitive to poisonous gases, such as carbon monoxide. If the air became contaminated, the birds would show signs of distress, even falling off their perch. This early warning was vital. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that kills by stopping red blood cells from delivering oxygen in the body. Unless alerted to the danger, the rescuers could faint and then die without ever realizing that they were being poisoned.

² In a spiritual sense, Christians face a situation similar to the mine workers. How? When Jesus gave his disciples the assignment to preach the good news worldwide, he knew that he was sending them into a hazardous environment, one dominated by Satan and the spirit of the world. (Matt. 10:16; 1 John 5:19) So concerned was Jesus about his disciples that on the night before he died, he prayed to his Father: “I request you, not to take them out of the world, but to watch over them because of the wicked one.”​—John 17:15.

3, 4. What warning did Jesus give his disciples, and why should that interest us?

³ Jesus warned his followers about the danger of what could amount to a death-dealing spiritual sleep. His words have special meaning for us, living as we do during the conclusion of the system of things. He urged his disciples: “Keep awake . . . that you may succeed in escaping all these things that are destined to occur, and in standing before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:34-36) Happily, though, Jesus also promised that his Father would provide holy spirit to refresh their memories and to help them stay awake and be strong.​—John 14:26.

Recognize Early Warning Signs

9-11. What are some warning signs that we might be succumbing to the spirit of the world?

⁹ The British coal miners mentioned earlier used canaries to provide an early warning of the presence of poisonous gas. If a miner saw a bird fall from its perch, he knew he needed to act fast to survive. In a spiritual sense, what are some early warning signs signaling that we are being influenced by the spirit of the world?

¹⁰ When we first learned the truths contained in God’s Word and then dedicated our lives to Jehovah, we probably read the Bible eagerly. We likely prayed fervently and often. And we delighted to attend congregation meetings, viewing each one as a source of spiritual refreshment, like an oasis for a thirsty man. That course helped us to break free of and keep free of the world’s spirit.

¹¹ Do we still try to read the Bible each day? (Ps. 1:2) Are our prayers frequent and heartfelt? Do we love congregation meetings, attending all of them each week? (Ps. 84:10) Or have we lost some of these good habits? Of course, we may have many demands upon our time and energy, and it can be challenging to maintain a healthy spiritual routine. But if some of our good habits have suffered over time, could it be that we are succumbing to the spirit of the world? Will we now make a strong effort to revive the good habits we once had?