Not only are we talking about friends, but we're talking about the importance of fellowship. It's good to have other believers as friends to help build you up in the faith, and to fellowship with. Fellowship of course isn't just "hanging out with each other," it's communicating with each other and sharing. Just the other night I told my mother-in-law, "I'm feeling bad, I don't feel right spiritually, I feel dry and burnt out." She ensured me that we ALL go through periods like that, it's not always a cake walk. While I do know this, you've all heard me say it... I needed to hear it from someone else. The devil wants to destroy us, and one of his greatest strategies is: DIVIDE AND CONQUER! When we're together we can encourage each other, and expose the lies of Satan. When we're divided we're more vulnerable to buy into his lies. Let's look at Eve when she disobeyed God, when the serpent talked her into it... Was Adam with her when she made this crucial decision? NO! She was alone with that lying serpent! She then took the forbidden fruit to her husband Adam. It would be interesting to see if whether or not it would've made a difference if Adam was with her, I think it would've. This is probably the most classic case of DIVIDE AND CONQUER! Well, probably isn't the word for it, it's the oldest case of it there is. Just being with people isn't enough, we need to communicate with one another and open up to each other. We need to be honest, and we need to unite in prayer, worship, and praise as well. The Bible says that "...the devil is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour..." Now if I remember correctly, when I watched Animal Planet I remember that most of the animals/herds stick together to avoid being picked off by predators like lions, etc. We cannot let Satan divide us from our herd, otherwise we will be picked off... We will be DIVIDED AND CONQUERED!