Four Times: Stand

Four times…

I never noticed it before, but there within Ephesians chapter 6 the word “stand” was used four times.

“Put on the full armor of God so you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”¹¹“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.” ¹³“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.” ¹⁴

This particular chapter of Ephesians addresses spiritual warfare.  It discusses the spiritual armor that God has afforded us for each battle we face; however, it is important to note that it doesn’t say FIGHT.  The entire paragraph is about warfare yet nowhere does it say fight, but it does say stand.  Not once or twice, but four times. 

Stand.

Too often we enter into battle without acknowledging that we are operating from a place of victory.  Our battle has already been won by Christ and we must choose to stand in that victory.  We must choose to stand on His promises.  The promises that state:

“For I will fight those who fight you…” Isaiah 50:25“I will be your lawyer to plead your case, and I will avenge you.”  Jeremiah 51:36“… perfect everything that concerns you…” Psalm 138:8“….be power in your weakness…” 2 Corinthians 12:9“…work all things together for your good…” Romans 8:28  

So, today if you feel like your back is against the wall and you are facing attacks within your job, your relationships, your spiritual walk, or your finances choose to put on God’s spiritual armor and STAND.  Take your stand in the place of victory that Christ has ALREADY WON for you.  You are operating from a place of success, victory, and achievement…act like it.  You don’t need to defeat the enemy because Christ already did that.  You just need to trust God to be God in your life and stand on His promises to fight, plead, avenge, perfect, and work everything together for your good.  “For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”  So, lets "fight" God's way by adhering to the battle strategy outlined in Ephesians 6.  Let’s put on our spiritual armor and STAND.  Your battle has already been won.  

Ashley Ivery is a single mother of two brilliant children, Aiden and Devyn, with an overwhelming desire to empower women and help them to realize the importance of a relationship with God.  Through her writing she hopes to encourage women to claim their strength and value in Christ.  She graduated from Fayetteville State University in 2012 with a BS in Psychology.  Her motto is:  "Be Authentic.  Live Honestly.  Dispel Light."  

[Photo: Garrett Gill, Creative Commons]