Tuesday, June 8

Therefore put on the whole 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. Stand firm, then… - Ephesians 6:13-14a

It is interesting that Paul tells us that our goal should simply be to stand firm and to keep standing. Just standing our ground seems too easy a goal to set in the light of all the resources God has given us. Didn’t Jesus Himself promise that he would build His Church “and the gates of hell will not overcome it” (Matt. 16: 18)? In Romans 8:37 Paul calls us “more than conquerors through him who loved us”. Why then is the goal merely to stand our ground?

This is a good caution for us never to underestimate our enemy and never to overestimate ourselves. The fact is, we all know people who have fallen, and others who have fled, in the face of temptation. As I write this, I am reminded of a pastor friend of mine who lost any effective ministry because of a secret addiction over a period of many years. When he was finally found out, he was unrepentant and unwilling to submit himself to a process of restoration.

The reality is, we can all stand for periods of time, but the test is “when the day of evil comes”. When you are alone and you are convinced that nobody will find out. When the consequences of doing the right thing seem greater than the price of doing the wrong thing. When you feel so much and pressure and the only way to relieve it seems to be to cheat a little.

Paul is telling us that we cannot even stand on our own, let alone move forward in holiness and love. We need the grace and power of God just to stand up!

So, if you think you are standing, firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
- 1 Corinthians 10:12.

The point is, we will endure and we will stand only as we use the resources God has provided - the whole armor of God. Some people are uncomfortable with the militaristic imagery in passages like this. We live in an era where many people are taking sides and drawing lines of division and claiming that their side is “God’s side” and those on the other side are on the side of evil. But remember, “our struggle is not against the flesh and blood…” Taking a stand in this life is primarily a spiritual battle, and whether we feel comfortable or not with the military imagery, we have to acknowledge that we are in a cosmic spiritual struggle. The war has ultimately already been won at Calvary, but the battle continues for us until Christ returns.

Mighty God, we thank you for your strength and the power you give to us to follow you faithfully in this world. Strengthen us by Your Spirit that we may be able to stand humbly but firmly for You - Amen.

Jeff Frazier