To Stand
"...having done all this, stand." the last 5 words of Ephesians 6:13
"Stand firm..." the first 2 words of Ephesians 6:14
It’s one of the strengths “whispered” by the bark-covered sentinels that surround our home in the hills.
“Having done all this”, what is the “this” Paul is speaking of? He’s so wonderfully clear as he spells it out in verses 1 - 12. Here’s a quick breakdown:
…husbands love your wives... wives respect (love) your husbands… children honor your parents… parents train and instruct children in the Lord… don’t exasperate them… employees respect and obey employers… employers respect and care for employees… the Master over you both is near…
&
… be strong in the Lord…
… put on the full armor of God…
… stand against the schemes of the devil…
… remember who your struggles are against…
… not flesh, not blood…don’t wrestle against each other…
… your enemy is a spiritual force with powers from darkness…
… you are not to try and defeat the enemy, never forget he is already defeated, he is writhing in anger over his defeat at Calvary… but he wants to wound and destroy anything he can before it’s all over. So our call to STAND is profoundly important — it is the plan of God for His own.
Put on the full armor of GOD…and STAND.
In reaching for MORE of GOD, we don’t stop at the word “stand”. We reach further. We gather our pail and toss it into the well. We let it hit the surface of the water, and we wait. We listen. We pause and allow time for the pail to sink to the bottom of the deep well. That’s where the coolest water is found; the water from the depths of the well. And in the pausing for the pail to sink to deeper waters — we find ourselves refreshed with more clarity even before the cool water rests on our tongues.
So as the pail is sinking deeper we have time to ponder:
How should we stand?
Where should we stand?
Why should we stand?
Who should we stand with?
What should we stand on?
How should we stand? Firmly, with strength in the Lord. But this firmness and strength does not need to be callous and harsh. Even as we stand, we are called to love others. Resist the devil and he will flee. We stand firmly against the enemy and against those who do his bidding. But we stand in clay vessels (our skin), that holds a heartbeat that should always be the echo of our Father. We steward the presence of God within us. We stand on feet fitted with readiness from the gospel of peace, ready to go where He sends us. Wherever we go, we stand —because of HIM.
Where should we stand? Wherever we are found — physically, spiritually, emotionally. No country or continent can restrict us from this standing. No darkness of night, no rage of storm should ever be allowed to sit-us-down. With intentional focus we can stand against the schemes of the enemy. Even if we find ourselves sitting physically, we can stand mightily spiritually. “I might be sitting down on the outside, but on the inside I’m standing.”
Why should we stand? In honor of God, in reverence for what is good, in opposition to what is evil, in protection for what is weak. For the sake of others who are hoping to see goodness rise; so Living water can quench the souls of the thirsty. In obedience to the Commander of the Angel Armies and in resistance to his enemy. So the little ones around us have a chance to see that it is possible and beautiful — may they know what bravery and courage look like because we chose to live it in front of them.
Who should we stand with? The great crowd of witnesses who stood long ago, when the sun was on their shoulders and the enemy lurked in the darkness near them. They should not be faded stories on dusty pages — they should be alive beside us just as they are alive with Christ in the Heavenlies. We stand with Jesus, Moses, Abraham and Esther. With Elijah and Elisha and Hannah. We stand with missionaries who gave their lives, with teachers who taught us The Way. With Pastors who lived what they preached and the faithful who have felt the high path under their feet. With fellow Christians, the Body of Christ today, who are themselves resisting the schemer and are ever sharpening their Sword, filling their hearts with His Word.
What should we stand on? The Word of God. The Firm Foundation. The Truth. In green pastures beside still waters, and when necessary, tucked in the cleft of the Rock. On the blood soaked soil at the foot of the Cross, and the wonder of it all is that these places can be found underneath you, the moment you call on Him.
We live in an age where people are standing for this or that — trying to find some sort of significance by forming opinions and finding a group that agrees with them. It’s a wild distraction from the one true place they are invited to stand — under the shelter of the One who created them, died for them, rose for them, paid the price for their sins, and waits for them. Ahhh how His love is like the coolest water, found in the depths of the well — poured out freely on the parched soul of a weary traveler.
And after taking a good long drink of Him… let’s stand.
