“…stand firm thus in the Lord”
What do you do when your marriage struggles? If your boss annoys you? If people oppose you? If life in your present circumstances is tough? If everything around you seems to be falling apart? If your church is floundering? If your ministry seems unfruitful or unsuccessful? If every part of you feels like throwing in the towel and giving up? If you feel all alone? If there seems to be no relief, no help, no direction, and things just seem to keep getting worse?
The Apostle Paul gives us six words for times like these in Philippians 4:1,"Stand firm thus in the Lord!” Stand firm. Notice that it is a particular kind of standing firm. Not stand firm in yourselves. Not stand firm in your experiences. Not stand firm in all your own strength. No, stand firm in the Lord like he says in Ephesians 6:10, “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” Be strong in the Lord! Stand firm in the Lord! It is not by will power and grim determination you hang on. No, it is standing firm in the Lord; that is joined to Him, united with Him, receiving strength and grace from Him moment by moment, day by day. “I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me” (Jeremiah 32:40). You can do all things through Christ who is your source of strength, life, love, confidence, and joy.
It is a remarkable fact that at several crucial junctures in Paul's letters the practical outcome of the Christian's warfare against the world , the flesh, and the devil is defined as a matter of "standing": 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” Galatians 5:1, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” Colossians 4:12, "Stand firm in all the will of God."1 Thessalonians 3:8, “for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.” 2 Thessalonians 2:15, “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” Ephesians 6:10-14, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might… 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 firm. Stand therefore…”
Why is this repeated emphasis on standing firm in the scriptures? Paul urged them to stand fast because, even in his own case, spiritual life was a struggle. Even Paul said, “Not as though I had already attained.” He was pressing forward; he was straining his whole energy by the power of the Holy Ghost. He did not expect to be carried to heaven on a feather bed; he was warring and agonizing. So he repeats it again and again: Stand firm!
Now the Greek verb used over and over again and here is stekete. It is a military word which means to stand your ground, stand your post in the midst of battle. It means what Paul said in Ephesians 6, in the middle of battle you've got your armor on and having done all to stand. Stand against the wiles of the devil. Stand firmly no matter what comes. You don't crumble under persecution and compromise. You don't crumble under testing and complain. You don't crumble under temptation and sin, you stand firm, spiritually stable. You must not be half-hearted and uncertain in the fight. Stand firm in the truth and what you believe. Stand firm in the gospel of Christ. Stand firm in the sovereignty of God. Stand firm in the authority and sufficiency of the Scripture. Stand firm in what God says about marriage, about family, about purity, about your purpose, about your goal in life. Stand firm; be committed to Christ and His cause, never give up, never give in, and never give even a thought to possible retreat. Let there be no turning back, no back doors, no escape clauses. Stand firm; realize that you are a child of God, and that the world and the flesh and the devil are set against you. Get it clear in your mind and then you will brace yourself to the task and to the duty. Stand firm when everything is going well, and stand firm when everything is falling apart.
Stand firm!' Do not be half-hearted, do not be half in and half out. Be `all out', be thorough! It is a command from the commander of the army of God Jesus Christ, to you and me! So let us give a total full response to it. The cause of God is something worth standing for. The Apostle Paul himself calls it "the good fight' of faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). He urges us to “fight the good fight of faith!”(1 Timothy 6:12). Oh how good and great is this fight! And if that does not make us `stand', what will? Think of the kingdom to which you belong, think of your whole position, think of your King, think of your true allegiance and the greatness and surpassing value of His Kingdom. If we but realized this we would never be half-hearted, we would never slouch. We should be so filled with pride, and a sense of glory at the great privilege that is given to us, that there would be no need to exhort us to stand; we would be standing already. Remember what you are fighting for, remember the Cause.
The fact is it is God's battle. We are not fighting a personal fight; this is not some personal skirmish. We are fighting the battle of the Lord. `The battle is not yours, but God's.' (1 Samuel 17:47). Christianity is not our affair, it is God's; and the Christian Church as an army, is the army of the living God. It is God's battle; and what we are fighting for is the name and fame and the glory of God.
Oh how I cherish the word from the Lord in Exodus 14 as Israel was being pursued by the vast Egyptian army. “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:13-14). O brethren, we may well stand firm since we have infinite power at our backs. The Lord is with us with all his energy, even with his all-conquering strength, which shall subdue all his foes. Do not let us imagine that any enemy can be too strong for Christ’s arm.
Or 2 Chronicles 20. The armies of Moab, Ammon, and Edom were on the move against the Israelites. Jehoshaphat caught wind of the impending attack.The Jews were in serious trouble! They would be wiped out unless they received massive help. Jehoshaphat had no alternative but to call Israel to a fast and to pray. There were no other alternatives.
Have you ever been in that position in life. I feel it more times than I can share. Helpless, hopeless, and paralyzed by fear. In another part of the scripture, it is called being at “wits end” (Psalm 107:27). So they stood before the temple, and Jehoshaphat pleaded their case before the Lord and then said this:
“We are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.’ (2 Chronicles 20:12)
Do you hear that confession? We are powerless and don’t know what to do. This confession is the very launchpad of God’s mercy and grace for us: Our need, brokenness, desperateness, helplessness, inadequacy, weakness, insufficiency, poverty AND God’s power, grace, help, and provision.
Listen to the familiar response of tjhe Lord in verses 14-15,17: “And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's…You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.”
Do you hear again the battle cry of God? Israel was to stand firm, hold their position, and see the salvation of the Lord as He fights their battle! God’s word to us through this story in all the crises we face is this: “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15).
God answered Jehoshaphat’s faith-filled prayer in a spectacular way. He threw the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites into confusion and they slaughtered one another. Jehoshaphat and his choir-led army never had to lift a sword. And it took them three days to carry the plunder back home.
Oh how we need to be standing firm! I treasure the phrase Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” Be steadfast as you move forward. Be “Immovable. Be “always abounding in the work of the Lord”.
Stand firm! Our call to stand firm is a radically God centered, Christ exalting, Spirit dependent, promised supported standing firm! There is no higher calling, no bigger privilege, no greater battle, no more worthy cause, and no greater joy. Stand firm! Christians stand firm! Leaders stand firm! Pastors stand firm! Servants of the Lord stand firm! Husbands and wives stand firm! Wives, stand firm! Parents, stand firm! Children, stand firm! Students, stand firm! Singles stand firm! Whoever you are and wherever you are and whatever you are doing, if you don't do anything else, do this: Stand firm! And watch the Lord fight your battles for you to his glory and your supreme joy!
Standing firm solely in the power and strength and faithfulness of Jesus,
Pastor Bill
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