Standing Firm
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13)
Today I wanted to talk about what Standing Firm means! To stand firm means to refuse to change a decision, position, or opinion, even when faced with opposition or difficulty. Stand Firm implies stability, firmness, and a strong devotion to something or someone.
We are exploring this so there is a clear understanding of who we are standing for, what we are standing for, where this standing is located, when we should stand, and why should stand.
WHO: In the definition of standing firm, it’s apparent when we stand for something we will be faced with challenges. Therefore, it’s critical to know who and what we are standing for and who and what we are standing against.
Within this community, we are standing for Jesus, and we are standing against the devil. We are standing for the light, and we are standing against darkness. We are standing for life, and we are standing against death. We are standing for what is good and right and standing against what is evil and wrong.
JESUS: Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life. [John 8:12]
ENEMY: Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. [1 Peter 5:8]
WHAT: In this world, there exist two contrasting spirits. One that has all-encompassing power, while the other remains powerless. The Holy Spirit that dwells within us has given us his power. On the contrary, the devil has no power; he is defeated and placed under our feet.
The devil, marked by defeat (d), and the embodiment of evil, doesn’t warrant an extensive discussion. Nevertheless, we must recognize and understand what he is doing so that we can stand firm when his sneaky tactics are in play.
Because the devil has no power, what he uses to trip us up or distract us is deception, lies, discouragement, condemnation, doubt, and unbelief. These are the only ways that he can wreak havoc in our lives. (if we let him)
However, what is awesome is that we have a choice. We don’t need to take his crap or fall for his stupid schemes. We have been given the power and authority to stand firm and to keep him under our feet.
Understanding what to stand for and how to stand for is critical due to the schemes of the devil. Some people will become confused and unfortunately align themselves with the wrong side, as mentioned in Timothy 4:1. This is the exact reason why we are here together so that we can prevent one another from stumbling.
JESUS: Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. [Luke 10:19]
ENEMY: Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. [1 Timothy 4:1]
WHERE: Within this conflict between the opposing spirits, we acknowledge the presence of an evil enemy. But where does this take place? It’s not a physical confrontation, but it’s a spiritual battle. Challenges arise because we can’t physically see these forces, which allows the spirit of deception to sneak in if we are not standing firm. This is where the importance of our words and thoughts comes in because this battle takes place within our minds.
Negative thoughts, doubts, and deceptive influences are considered part of spiritual warfare, and this is where I am encouraging each one of us to stand.
JESUS: But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. [1 John 4:4]
ENEMY: 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. [Ephesians 6:12]
WHEN: As we are aware we are living in a world that is out of control. Therefore, we need to be diligent and pay attention to what we listen to, what we watch, who we associate with, and what we speak at all times. Even though the enemy has no power, he is persistent and will sneak in wherever he can to steal, kill, or destroy. We must be on guard at all times to prevent being deceived or taken down.
JESUS: Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13)
ENEMY: But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. [2 Corinthians 11:3-4]
WHY: We are in this battle between the two spirit worlds because the enemy hates God and he hates anything about God. His entire goal is to steal, kill, or destroy God’s will in our lives. He also will do whatever it takes to hamper our ability, passion, and desire topursuewhat God has called us to do. This is why we must STAND.
JESUS: Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. [1 John 3:7-9]
ENEMY: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. [Matthew 13:19]
To wrap up this session
WHO: we are standing for Jesus, and we are standing against the devil.
WHAT: we are standing for the light, and we are standing against darkness. We are standing for life, and we are standing against death. We are standing for what is good and right and standing against what is evil and wrong.
WHERE: we are standing to protect our minds, thoughts, and our words
WHEN: we are diligently standing daily and moment by moment.
WHY: because the devil is a liar, thief, and already defeated and we are seeds that fell on the good soil representing honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, we cling to it (we stand), and patiently produce a huge harvest. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!
In our next session, we will talk about HOW to stand.