Stand
Today’s Verse:
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ~Ephesians 6:13
In life, we are called upon to make important decisions. We are identified by the decisions we make. This identification tells others what we believe and what is important to us. We call this “taking a stand.” Paul tells us that we are in a spiritual conflict: a real war that is spiritual. The sight of war, sounds of war, and summons to war can cause us to question, shake, and retreat. So, realizing that we could be faint of heart towards battle, Paul said four times, “Stand.”
We see a command.
“Stand therefore….” “Stand against….” “…Stand.” We see a mandated command. God calls upon us to dig our heels in and stand up. Two of David’s mighty men, Eleazar and Shammah, stood and defended barley fields. We see a militant command. We are in a battle. The enemy wants us defeated and destroyed. We stand for what we believe. We stand because of the country (Heaven) we represent. We see a missionary command. Missionaries on foreign soil must confront pagan beliefs and practices. They feel like they are outnumbered, but they are called upon to stand.
We see the covering.
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” We are commanded to put on the whole armor of God. Soldiers must wear their armor for battle. It’s for the soldiers’ safety. It’s to reduce the risk of injury and keep them alive. However, after putting on the armor, we must stand. We cannot stand without the armor, but we must stand when the armor has been put on.
We see the courage.
Once we have put on the whole armor of God, we must withstand in the evil day. This means we must resist the devil. It takes courage to withstand and resist. It means we won’t back down once the fiery darts of the evil one are coming at us. It means we might take a hit to our armor or the shield of faith. It means our footing needs to be entrenched and firm. We might feel the intensity of the battle, but we must withstand. It means a soldier next to us might fall, but we must withstand. It means we might feel outnumbered or overwhelmed, but we must withstand. “Be strong and of a good courage.”
We see the capability.
“And having done all, to stand.” We need to do all that we can. We must exercise all the obedience that we can. We must do all the Bible reading that we can. We must do all the praying that we can. We must do all the witnessing that we can. We must do all the fasting that we can. We must do all the humbling that we can. All means all! We must have all the faith that we can. When we have done all that we are supposed to do, we must continue to stand. Stand if others quit. Stand if others compromise. Stand if others disobey. Stand if you are deserted. If others only go halfway, you still need to do all you’re supposed to do and stand. If others do nothing, you still must do all that you are supposed to do and stand.
Paul exhorts us to “stand therefore.” Be on alert always and stand. Watch and pray, and stand. Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, and stand.
Have a determined God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Kings 12-14