Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

These are commands, not suggestions. Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. Then, at the end, do everything in LOVE. While you are on guard, while you are standing firm, while you are being courageous and strong, do it in love. We are called by God to a lifestyle of love.