““I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:16-20 (NIV)
Shrewd like snakes: Luke 6:34-36(NIV)
““The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Luke 16:8-10 (NIV)
Jesus was not appreciative of the way the shrewd manager cheated; but insisted we use that kind of mentality to store up positions in heavenly places. Just like these worldly people are very shrewd to get to position by being tricky and manipulative, God wants us to be shrewd to use these earthly materials to make friends, who will welcome us in their eternal homes. This is the better use of the material wealth we have, than just wasting on attaining gold and properties here on earth, which are temporal.
Innocent as doves: Proverbs 4:20-27(NIV)
“He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”” Mark 7:20-23 (NIV)
We should be careful what are you putting in your heart by eye door, ear door that will spring up quickly when you are unaware. You might be thinking that would not hurt you, but it does, and later stage comes out of mouth door, which defiles you as the Lord puts it. So we have to keep our heart innocent as a dove having no grievances or hurt piled up to darken the mind and spoil good counsels.
“I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” 1 John 2:12-14 (NIV)