Scripture
Paul is getting to the end of his letter to his beloved Philippian church. The ESV Study Bible states: “The chief theme of Philippians is encouragement: Paul wants to encourage the Philippians to live out their lives as citizens of a heavenly colony, as evidenced by a growing commitment to service to God and to one another. The way of life that Paul encourages was manifested uniquely in Jesus Christ; it was also evident in the lives of Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus.”
Let’s read about exhortation, encouragement, and prayer in Philippians 4:1-9:
1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:1-9)
Introduction
Paul writes in Philippians 4:1, “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.” This “therefore” is the connection between what he has written and what he is about to write. Paul is saying that in light of the themes he has just written about, especially remembering that we are straining toward the goal of our heavenly calling, let us “stand firm thus in the Lord.”
My wife and I have been learning a lot about South America. In the main square in Bogota is a statue of Simon Bolivar, also known as the Liberator. General Bolivar was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led armies that liberated countries that are known today as Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama from the Spanish Empire. Many of you may know of Simon Bolivar, but don’t know much about him. One amazing fact about Bolivar is that he fought 472 battles, of which 79 were important ones, and during his campaigns he rode 77,000 miles on horseback, which is 10 times more than Hannibal, three times more than Napoleon, and twice as much as Alexander the Great.
Most of Bolivar’s battles were offensive rather than defensive. There is a difference between an offensive and a defensive battle. Watchman Nee, the Chinese evangelist, writes:
The difference between defensive and offensive warfare is this, that in the former I have got the ground and only seek to keep it, whereas in the latter I have not got the ground and am fighting in order to get it. And that is precisely the difference between the warfare waged by the Lord Jesus and the warfare waged by us. His was offensive; ours is, in essence, defensive. He warred against Satan in order to gain the victory. Through the cross he carried that warfare to the very threshold of Hell itself, to lead forth thence his captivity captive. Today we war against Satan only to maintain and consolidate the victory which he has already gained. By the resurrection God proclaimed his Son victor over the whole realm of darkness, and the ground Christ won he has given to us. We do not need to fight to obtain it. We only need to hold it against all challengers.
So, Paul wants the Philippians—and us—to “stand firm thus in the Lord.” But, how do we do so? That is the burden of the rest of the chapter.
Lesson
Philippians 4:1-9 teaches us a number of ways in which we are stand firm in the Lord.
Let’s use the following outline:?
1. Agree in the Lord (4:2-3)
2. Rejoice in the Lord Always (4:4)
3. Be Reasonable (4:5)
4. Do Not Be Anxious about Anything (4:6-7)
5. Think Holy Thoughts (4:8-9)
I. Agree in the Lord (4:2-3)
First, to stand firm in the Lord we must agree in the Lord.
Paul writes in verses 2-3, “I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” Two women, Euodia and Syntyche apparently had some kind of disagreement. Paul does not say what it is. I don’t think it is a doctrinal issue, because if it were, Paul would have addressed that as he always did in his letters. No, their disagreement seems to have been some personal or relational matter. Notice, how Paul addressed the matter.
First, Paul pleads with them. He is not heavy-handed, coming down on the side of one woman and not the other.
Second, Paul names them. One would think that it would be terribly impolite to name someone—especially in a letter that would be read publicly. However, in ancient times, the way to shame someone in public was not to name them. By not naming a person in a public dispute, one was actually disgracing them. So, by naming them, Paul was actually elevating the women in public, and showing that he really cared about them and the disagreement.
Third, Paul asks his “true companion” to intervene, and to help the two women sort out their problem. We don’t know who this “true companion” is. Speculation abounds as to the identity of this person, but the fact is that we don’t know who it is.
Fourth, Paul notes that the women are believers. Indeed, their names—along with Clement and the rest of Paul’s fellow workers—“are in the book of life.” That is, their names in heaven’s roll book of elect believers.
And finally, Paul wants the two women “to agree in the Lord.” As I mentioned already, the disagreement was not a doctrinal issue. When it comes to doctrine, there are lines in the sand which we must defend. However, when the problems are personal or relational or secondary, Paul wants believers “to agree in the Lord.” Each woman belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ. “In other words,” writes D. A. Carson, “Paul is appealing for a mental attitude that adopts the same basic direction as other believers, the same fundamental aim, the same orientation and priorities—that is, a gospel orientation.”
The vast majority of church splits are not over doctrine. They are over personal and relational issues. People get disappointed about a program, or hurt over a comment, or frustrated over something secondary, and they leave the church. One time I received an email from a person who left our church saying that she recently saw church members in public places, and she thought that when they looked at her, they actually scowled at her. Now, I don’t know if they actually scowled at her or not. And, frankly, she doesn’t know if they actually scowled at her either.
Paul’s point is that to stand firm in the Lord we must agree in the Lord.
II. Rejoice in the Lord Always (4:4)
Second, to stand firm in the Lord we must rejoice in the Lord always.
Paul writes in verse 4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” In my very first sermon in Philippians, I said, “Paul’s letter to the Philippians is sometimes called ‘The Epistle of Joy.’ In fact, the verb ‘rejoice’ (chairo) appears ninety-six times and the noun ‘joy’ (chara) appears fifty-nine times in the New Testament. These two words appear thirteen times in Philippians. However, the joy that appears in Philippians is a particular kind of joy—the joy of contentment even in difficult circumstances.”
Keep in mind that Paul is writing this letter while chained to a Roman guard. He is not in the worst prison, but he is not sitting at a seaside resort, drinking a soft drink, and encouraging the Philippians to “rejoice.” No, Paul is awaiting his sentence, which could be a death sentence. It is in this particular setting that he is encouraging the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord always.”
D. A. Carson writes:
In one sense, this injunction is so self-evidently right that it is embarrassing that we should have to be reminded of it. Surely all redeemed men and women will want to rejoice in the Lord. Our sins have been forgiven! We have been declared righteous because another has borne our guilt. We have received the gift of the Spirit, the down payment of the promised inheritance that will be ours when Jesus comes again. We are children of the living God. Our “threescore years and ten” may be fraught with difficulty, but eternity awaits us, secured by the Son of God. We shall see Christ face to face and spend an eternity in the purest worship and in consummated holiness. If we fail to respond with joy and gratitude when we are reminded of these things, it is either because we have not properly grasped the depth of the abyss of our own sinful natures and of the curse from which we have been freed by Jesus or because we have not adequately surveyed the splendor of the heights to which we have been raised.
So, to stand firm in the Lord we must agree in the Lord, and we must rejoice in the Lord always.
III. Be Reasonable (4:5)
Third, to stand firm in the Lord we must be reasonable.
Paul writes in verse 5a, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.” The translators of the ESV Bible used the word “reasonableness.” This is not an easy word to translate. Other translations use the word “gentleness” (NIV), “gentle spirit” (NASB), “moderation” (KJV), and “considerate” (NLT). The idea behind the Greek word in verse 5a is the opposite of being contentious or self-seeking, which is why the ESV opts for “reasonableness.”
We all struggle with self, don’t we. We want to be known for our work ethic, or our good looks, or our humor, or our wisdom, or our Bible teaching, or our prayer life, or, for preachers, our preaching. We all struggle with self. Almost three-quarters of a century ago, A. W. Tozer wrote these words:
To be specific, the self-sins are these: self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love and a host of others like them. They dwell too deep within us and are too much a part of our natures to come to our attention till the light of God is focused upon them. The grosser manifestations of these sins, egotism, exhibitionism, self-promotion, are strangely tolerated in Christian leaders even in circles of impeccable orthodoxy….Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common as to excite little notice.
Paul goes on to say why we must be reasonable. He writes in verse 5b, “The Lord is at hand.” That could mean that we should live in light of the Lord’s second advent. But, I think it more likely means that the Lord is with us wherever we are. He sees where we go, he hears what we say, and he knows what we think. Much of our behavior will be significantly changed if we understood that Jesus was standing next to us, as it were. Would I watch pornography if I knew Jesus was sitting next to me? Would I get drunk if I knew that Jesus was there? Would I shout at my wife if I knew Jesus was in the room with me?
So, to stand firm in the Lord we must agree in the Lord, rejoice in the Lord always, and be reasonable.
IV. Do Not Be Anxious about Anything (4:6-7)
Fourth, to stand firm in the Lord we must not be anxious about anything.
Paul writes in verse 6a, “do not be anxious about anything.” Paul is following Jesus, who said the same thing in his Sermon on the Mount, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25; cf. 6:26-34).
Now, the difficulty for most of us is that when we hear the command not to be anxious about anything, we don’t know how to do that. How do I stop being anxious? Paul goes on to tell us how. He writes in verse 6b, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” The remedy for anxiety is prayer. Now, it is easy to say that, but do we believe it? Do we do it? We spend three minutes in prayer, and then say, “Prayer doesn’t work.” Actually, we probably won’t say that out loud, but we think that. And we stop praying, and we continue being anxious. But, Carson writes, “I have yet to meet a chronic worrier who enjoys an excellent prayer life.”
When the remedy is properly applied, there is a wonderful result, as Paul writes in verse 7, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” You are anxious about something. So, Paul says, pray about it. Pray about it fervently. Pray about it until you have the peace of God in your heart and mind.
So, to stand firm in the Lord we must agree in the Lord, rejoice in the Lord always, be reasonable, and not be anxious about anything.
V. Think Holy Thoughts (4:8-9)
And fifth, to stand firm in the Lord we must think holy thoughts.
Paul writes in verse 8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” I think that many of us may love this verse, but we find it hard to put into practice. We need to keep in mind that God not only knows what I do and say, but he also knows my thoughts. Hebrews 4:13 in the New Living Translation states, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.”
I believe it was in the computing world that we got the saying, “GIGO,” which means, “garbage in, garbage out.” That is true for our minds as well. If we put garbage into our heads, then we can expect garbage to come out. However, if we think holy thoughts, we can expect to grow in holiness. And that is Paul’s point here.
Paul goes on to say in verse 9, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Practically, Paul wants us to imitate Christians who are further along than we are. Find godly Christians to imitate and from whom to learn. And, as you do so, as you “practice these things,…the God of peace will be with you.” Earlier, we received the peace of God as a result of prayer. But now, we are able to receive the peace of God as a result of practice, that is, thinking holy thoughts. What a beautiful promise that is for any child of God.
So, to stand firm in the Lord we must agree in the Lord, rejoice in the Lord always, be reasonable, not be anxious about anything, and think holy thoughts.
Conclusion
Therefore, having analyzed the concept of standing firm in the Lord in Philippians 4:1-9, let us stand firm in the Lord.
In a battle, to “stand firm” is a defensive action. It can be very hard and difficult. It does not just happen. Soldiers must be well-trained, and they must work well together in order to hold the ground they have won.
The Christian life is also a battle. We battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. The battle is, at times, very hard and difficult. We don’t just stand firm by attending worship services a few times a month. We don’t stand firm by reading Scripture only in the worship service or ABF. We don’t stand firm by praying three minutes a day. Standing firm takes hard work and discipline.
Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote these words in his book titled Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure:
I defy you to read the life of any saint that has ever adorned the life of the Church without seeing at once that the greatest characteristic in the life of that saint was discipline and order. Invariably it is the universal characteristic of all the outstanding men and women of God. Read about Henry Martyn, David Brainerd, Jonathan Edwards, the brothers Wesley, and Whitfield—read their journals. It does not matter what branch of the Church they belonged to, they have all disciplined their lives and have insisted upon the need for this; and obviously it is something that is thoroughly scriptural and absolutely essential.
Brothers and sisters, let me encourage you to stand firm. Let me encourage you to be disciplined and work hard at standing firm in the Lord. According to Paul, to stand firm in the Lord we must agree in the Lord, rejoice in the Lord always, be reasonable, not be anxious about anything, and think holy thoughts.
May God help each one of us to do so. Amen.
