Standing Your Ground

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. - Ephesians 6:10-16

This is probably not a popular view - but we are to stand our ground against the world and what it says is right and good. Instead, we are to embrace the Truth as revealed by God through His Word by His Spirit. Standing our ground has the sense of leaning forward - not willing to budge as we face the onslaught of the temptations the shot at us, like fiery darts, from the natural world.  The world we were saved from.

Every day we are challenged to compromise the Truth in favor of what the world - and most of the people we meet every day says is OK to say and do. Go along so you can get along. Think about that in light of what Jesus said.

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. - Luke 14:26

It is one thing to think of those you reject as being someone you don't know - but your relatives? The idea here is that if your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, or others that you care about are not Christians - but are a reflection of that which you have been saved from - then your affection for them must not be what guides what you do - how you live your life. That does not mean that you do not show them Jesus - or abandon them. It means that your primary devotion is to God. 

Conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. - 1 Peter 1:17-21

In other words, we must stand against the temptation to yield to the traditions of our fathers - who trust in the values of men - who rejected God - and put our faith and hope in God. Am I saying that our fathers could not teach us what is good? No - but apart from God - it is not possible to be truly good. 

Now as He [Jesus] was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." - Mark 10:17-18

You see - from an eternal perspective all goodness comes from the source of good - that is Jehovah God. Anything that might be called good in this world is but a shadow. We must see things as God sees them. Only those who are born again are capable of doing that. Don't expect the world to fully embrace what God has said is truth as truth. And so we must be ready to stand our ground. 

Lauren Daigle wrote and sang a song - O' Lord - that makes the point - 

"Though times it seems. Like I'm coming undone. This walk can often feel lonely. No matter what until this race is won

I will stand my ground where hope can be found. I will stand my ground where hope can be found

Oh, O' Lord O' Lord I know You hear my cry. Your love is lifting me above all the lies. No matter what I face this I know in time

You'll take all that is wrong and make it right. You'll take all that is wrong and make it right

Your strength is found. At the end of my road. Your grace it reaches to the hurting. Still through the tears and the questioning why

I will stand my ground where hope can be found. I will stand my ground where hope can be found

Oh, O' Lord O' Lord I know You hear my cry. Your love is lifting me above all the lies. No matter what I face this I know in time. You'll take all that is wrong and make it right."

Stand your ground Christian!

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone