To stand.

BY: KASON DIETZ

SCRIPTURE TEXT: 
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore 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.

DEVOTIONAL:

Often, we can lose sight of what our role is in the Kingdom of God. In our efforts to find personal significance, we may tend to see ourselves as victorious and noble champions of the faith when we are challenged to stand. We can overemphasize our role and mistakenly see ourselves as the hero. 

I don’t mean to minimize the effort and struggle that it takes to simply stand, quite the opposite, in fact. The act of standing against everything that the world, the flesh, and the devil throws at us is a monumental feat of faith and confidence in the real hero, Jesus. You see, our struggle is not one that is meant to achieve glory and renown for ourselves. Our struggle is against all of the powers of darkness that have gathered to oppose the Kingdom of God. They desire to snuff out the people of God and minimize their light-bringing impact in this world. All these forces of evil want to overrun us so that we can’t experience the light of God. 

God’s kingdom brings about change to the ruined state that sin has our world in. It brings healing to what is broken. It brings joy where there is sorrow. It brings hope where there is despair. It brings life to what is dead. 

God’s kingdom moves and lives and spreads through us. We are the vehicle of change in this world. By partnering with Jesus we get to bring the Kingdom of God to the earth. That is what puts us squarely in the crosshairs of the enemy. 

So what do we do now that we know this? 

First of all, understand that God’s power in you is enough to stand, and that he has given us tools for the fight. Later in Ephesians 6, God’s armour is described: a belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, a shield of faith, a helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. Jesus has not left us to this fight unarmed and unprotected. 

Secondly, remember that it’s not by your own power that you stand, and that standing is enough. God hasn’t called you to fight all the powers of darkness alone, but instead to stand shoulder to shoulder with others of the faith and hold the line of the kingdom in our world. God will give you the strength to stand, and he will give you the strength to take ground when it’s time. 

Finally, I would encourage you to remember that the reason you are attacked is because you carry the light of Christ. If you didn’t have something pivotal within you, you wouldn’t be under attack. 

RESPONSE/PRAYER: 

Father, when all is done please help us to stand firm. We ask that you be the strength inside us today. Help change our minds where they need changing, and help us to see you as you are; a good king. Amen.