Stand Firm!

You likely know the passage about putting on the armor of God.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 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.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
(Ephesians 6:10-18, NLT)

The idea of a cosmic heavenly battle is daunting and a more than a little scary. The good news is that God, as usual, has prepared a plan for us. The plan involves consciously and consistently putting on the armor of God representing the list below.

• Truth.
• The righteousness of Christ.
• The peace that comes from the Good News of the Gospel.
• Faith.
• Salvation.
• And the powerful Word of God.

When we put on those things we are armed for battle. A couple of things really stood out as I studied this familiar passage.

I have always focused on the battle part and for me that meant a scene from Bravehart. You put on the armor and then you charge bravely to defeat the enemy. That is not what God says to do. What Paul tells us to do is counterintuitive. He tells us to stand.

Ephesians 6:11…stand firm.

Ephesians 6:13…Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

Ephesians 6:14…Stand your ground.

That really hit me. Satan spends so much time telling us we are not doing enough or not doing it well enough. We have been taught or we believe we have been taught that spiritual maturity is measured by activity. Sometimes we are told to follow. Sometimes to pursue. Sometimes to flee. Again, activity and works are critical to the functioning of the body of Christ but this time there is a new strategy. Paul is saying the battle is already won and we just need to stand. Don’t go all Bravehart and charge. Stand your ground against the enemy.

Stand.

You don’t have to charge into a conflict that has been decided. We are conquerors because of Christ. Jesus has already done what we don’t have the strength to do and we don’t have to charge forward with a spiritual suicide mission. Jesus has already won the victory.

Paul knew a lot about the strategy and techniques of Roman soldiers. He might well have been chained to one as he wrote this. Roman military historian Vegetius writes that the smallest Roman security force was a unit made up of 16 men spaced evenly over 36 square yards. Each soldier had about 6 square feet to defend. The soldiers focused only on that six foot square and not allowing a single enemy soldier to enter their territory.

I love this image. This principle was so helpful for me when I look at the spiritual battles in the world. It is so overwhelming to look at all of the unrest, disunity, and lies in the world. I don’t have to do be responsible for all of that. I have to defend my six square feet of spiritual influence. Stand my ground. Don’t worry about the entire battlefield. Focus on my assignment. I am responsible for my six square feet of family, friends, workmates, social media interactions, and treatment of others.

It is not me against the forces of evil. That is God’s battle. He has equipped me to stand firm and defend my space with confidence and boldness. I am confident and secure in His plan.