Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:10-13 NIV
How badly I need to hear and heed this message. “Take your stand”, “Stand your ground”, “stand”, and “stand firm”. How much easier is it to just “go with the flow”? Standing your ground is hard. It takes diligence and strength. Going with the flow, not making waves, taking it easy. All these are much less demanding.
I’m not good at standing firm. It takes too much commitment and sacrifice. How often do I start out standing firm, but before long, I am tired, distracted, or discouraged? Or any number of other excuses. I long to be like a rock that never wavers or grows weary. But too often, it seems I am more like the tumbleweed, that is planted firmly in the ground, until the wind blows too hard and uproots it, sending it rolling across the landscape.
Standing Firm
Standing firm reminds me of the tree out in the forest that endures the winter cold and storms, the flooding creeks, and the ravages of fire. And yet, in spite of all that is thrown against it, it remains firmly rooted in the ground, reaching up to the sky. All around it, the forest may be littered with trees that did not stand firm. But this tree is a testament that standing firm is worthwhile when crashing to the ground is the alternative.
Standing your ground also reminds me of some of King David’s mighty men in 2 Samuel 23:9-12. Eleazar stood his ground against the Philistines while the rest of the army retreated, and was victorious. Shammah took his stand in the middle of a field when all others fled, and saw a great victory. These men did not “go with the flow”. Instead, they stood firm even when faced with overwhelming odds, and were victorious.
Standing firm reminds me of the wise man who built his house on the rock rather than the sand. And when the floodwaters rose around it, and the winds beat on it, the house stood firm. How did he manage that? By listening to Jesus’ words and putting them into practice in his own life.
Can I Do That?
There is no reason this would not work for each of us. Stay rooted in Christ, not watching where other people are going but keeping our eyes on Jesus, absorbing his words, and letting them bear fruit in our lives! Put on the full armor of God, recognize the real opposition, and then stand firm against it, holding to the piece of ground God has placed us on.
It just goes to show you that I have a lot more reading to do. I have never heard the end times being referred to as the day of evil. Certainly for some it will be, but those of us who have the Lord with us it will be a day of rejoicing. Agree?
The day of evil can be any time when you are tried by the evil one. But we do not need to fear that time if we have put on the armor God gives us.
I was told to “stand my ground.” This is from Jesus. This is what he wants from us to have faith and know that we will not be HARMED by taking your stand in the might of our Lord and Savior! When you stand your ground knowing the Lord is right next to you and will protect you, so have no fear when you are ordered to stand otherwise you will be running forever so it’s better to believe that the might of him who is greater than those who wish you to fail thru fear.
Faith takes your fear and gives you the strength to stand against the forces of evil. I was about to run when Jesus told me “I am here with you. You will not be HARMED. They are testing your faith. Stand your ground!” So I did and have been and waiting for my trial to end.
This is no guarantee that we will not face physical harm or suffering. But we can trust that if we stand with Christ, that nothing will harm what is important. Our eternity is secure and beyond the reach of anyone or anything (Rom. 8:37-39).
Amen
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BLESS YOU, AND GIVE YOU PEACE AND HIS GRACE TO BLESS OTHERS WITH SHARING YOUR INSIGHTS IN THIS POST AND HOPEFULLY OTHERS LIKE THIS
Thank you