Stand Your Ground

As we look around the world today and see that our little corner of the world has not changed, we cannot deny that standing firm and holding onto our faith is more challenging than it was yesterday. We live in a time when an innocent comment can be taken incorrectly, especially when people look for a reason to be angry or bully someone with foul and obnoxious words. Evil forces have gotten a foothold in our homes, schools, churches, and communities. They are threatening our way of life and are determined to destroy families, races, cultures, and maybe even humanity.

Anyone appointed to a high-level position who feels free to publicly say they do not care if a judge says his actions are illegal is promoting lawlessness with the intent to practice it. And, in case someone does not know, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4, NIV). Therefore, lawlessness is a sin, which leads to the love of Christ waxing cold. Let us not throw fuel on the fires of hell by returning evil for evil. Let us stand our ground with faith in the Lord’s TRUTH as we encourage godliness and rebuke evil with great patience and careful instruction.

Submit to Christ and stand firm on the Gospel Message, which tells us, "The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:4, ESV). Satan is not going to back down, so to all who are called to be saints, embrace your calling and understand that we all play a part in what is happening in this time and place; even if you stand on the sidelines, you are playing a part. We are called to build on the foundation laid by Jesus Christ and the prophets, not lay a new foundation. Too many are stepping aside as the enemy hammers the original foundation.

The foundation will hold, but many will fall through the cracks before the original builder returns to reinforce the foundation. Meantime, we urge you not to conform to this world, for Scripture tells us that the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. “Therefore, put on the full 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” (Eph. 6:13, NIV). Do not be caught half-dressed; you must be wearing the proper clothing to stand against the devil's wiles.

Look around. You may be getting by, but too many Christians still stand on the sidelines, waiting for the coach to put them in. However, this is not a football game; there is no second string; the Lord has already called you to the battlefield. Now is the time to answer the call and submit to the Lord, fully dressed and ready to do the work of the ministry and contend for the faith.

Live by faith and do not grow weary when a battle becomes challenging. “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Phil. 2:5, NLT). On the battlefield, we have setbacks, so we should not see them as losses but as a new way forward. Embrace the opportunity to continue to walk into the light with a new plan that the Lord blesses. The Spiritual Battle continues, and the Lord has not forsaken those called to be a light to the world. We must recover quickly from setbacks, forging ahead to fight the battles before us. Stay alert, and do not be dismayed when you feel the pain of the fight; we will suffer. Many have experienced physical pain when there was no visible wound. You have heard the phrase, “I was so mad, I saw red!” There was nothing visibly wrong with you; the source was spiritual, and the mental and physical pain was real.

As a living witness, I tell you that spiritual struggles can manifest in physical and mental wounds. Spiritual struggles can cause blood pressure to rise and even cause a heart attack. I have heard about people being blinded because of severe mental trauma. However, we cannot afford to retreat from the battle even when the body is wounded. Pray for strength and endure so we can defend against strongholds still in place and hold people captive with lies that have become truth. Do not allow your body to grow spiritually ill.

If you do, those fighting beside you will catch the virus and transmit it to others who may be unable to fend it off because they are not fully dressed. The blood of Jesus is not covering their wounds because they have not submitted their body as living sacrifices to the Lord. No one is immune, but those uncovered are more susceptible to the devil’s lies, flattery, and vain words. If possible, the virus can even be transmitted to the elect. Ananias transmitted it to Sapphira when she agreed to lie to the Holy Spirit. God gives us spiritual gifts capable of transmitting the cure if we get infected. Stay alert and joyful because a joyful heart is good medicine.