* Standfast!

 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.  

1 Corinthians 16:13

There is a spiritual war going on in the spiritual realm that is being manifested in the natural world.  Right before our eyes, we see a dying world; dying from sin and degradation, we see the ravages of war, we see and hear of the senseless, tragic killings and deaths, the suicides of children and adults, epic economic decline and a seemingly unrelentless plague, and, if we have any spiritual discernment at all, we see the loss of hope in this world today.  

The body of Christ is to be advancing the Kingdom of God.  Instead, there has never been so many downcast, depressed, angry and bitter children of God!  It can only be concluded that there are some things missing in the spiritual armor – we have not completely sold out to God.  We have not braced ourselves for impact.  Instead, we are just as caught up in the things of the world as the world.  We think like the world and we react like the world.  What happened to the joy of the Lord being our strength?  What happened to knowing that He that is within us is greater than he that is in the world?    Here’s the problem:  We know that we serve a God who is in full control, who can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or even think:

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Ephesians 3:20

 We remember that first part but we forget to apply the ending that states 'according to the power that worketh in us'!  That’s why we’re walking around angry, confused, bitter, depressed, and downcast.  We have yet to tap into or activate the power within us.  The Holy Spirit will lead and direct you; you’ll know when to pray and what you should be praying for, what you need to hold onto and what you just need to let go of.  We need to ask ourselves are we following Jesus' example, are we walking out the example given us in the gospel?  Think about it, Jesus slipped away and prayed, Jesus had a servant mentality, Jesus loved, Jesus gave of himself.  Are we doing these things on a consistent basis? 

If we want to be battle ready; braced for the onslaught of the enemy, at some point, we make up our mind, like Joshua:

. . . choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  Joshua 24:15

If you haven’t chosen, do as Joshua said – this day, chose whom you will serve.  In other words, which side will you be on.  In chapter 24 Joshua lays out God’s resume – how God:

√         took Abraham and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

√         brought the Israelites out of Egypt

√         And when they cried unto the Lord, he put darkness between them and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them;

√         And how he brought them into the land of the Amorites, and gave them into their hand, so that they could possess the land; and he destroyed them the Amorites.

√         How he would not allow Balaam to curse them; but rather bless them

√         And how God gave them the strategy to defeat Jericho and a host of others 

√         And He gave them a land for which they did not labour,

God’s resume is impeccable.  God demonstrates a solid resume. 

When we give our life to God, we have to Brace our self for impact against the war that the enemy through the world is waging against you! 

 

Peter tells us to arm ourselves for suffering even as Jesus suffered.

 

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 1 Peter 4:1

 

Look at the resume that God presents of Himself:

 

Ø  lifter of our heads,	Ø  a keeper,
Ø  You are a sustainer,	Ø  a mind regulator,
Ø  a comforter,	Ø  a bringer of peace
Ø  a supplier of our every need,	Ø  the lover of our souls
Ø  prince of peace,	Ø  the King of kings and Lord of lords,
Ø  the great ‘I AM’	Ø  the one true living God
Ø  the creator,	Ø  Burden-barer,
Ø  the author and finisher of our faith,	Ø  he beginning and the end, alpha and omega,
Ø  fortress, our strong tower,	Ø  mighty savior, our counselor,
Ø  wonderful, awesome and magnificent one,	Ø  There is none like Him; not above or beside Him,
Ø  Rock and shield,	Ø  There is none like Him; not above         or  beside Him,
Ø   Incomparable

 

 That’s God’s Resume!   Our desire should be that no matter what it looks like that we come out on the winning side.   

Here’s the blessing of being aligned with God; it automatically puts you on the winning side.  One truth that we should know is that God is unchanging and that His will, His ways are trustworthy, flawless, unfailing,

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.  Hebrews 13:8

As long as we are in His will, we are guaranteed the promises God has made to those who belong to Him; His elect!

God is not a respecter of persons as Apostle Paul points out to us:

But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good; first to the Jew and also to the Gentile:  For there is no respect of persons with God.  Romans 2:10-11

Earth has no situation that you can go through that God cannot fix.  It takes faith to know that God is able.  One way we increase our faith is through the hearing and reading of the word.

 

There is such a wealth of knowledge found in the word of God – inspired by God and written by true soldiers who they themselves went through horrific times!  Peter tells us:

 

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.  1 Peter 5:10

 

Those are truths that we need to acknowledge!  We can’t become downcast and discouraged as we fight this battle.   Even if our troubles seem to have no spiritual connection, we still look to God knowing that no matter what our circumstance; He’s with us.  Apostle Paul got to a point in his journey where he was able to say:

 

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.   Philippians 4:11-13

 

Our testing, trials and sufferings should bring us into a closer relationship with God as we trust Him in His sovereignty! Apostle Paul experienced God so much in his life that he was further able to say:

 

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

 

Job, in spite of all he went through; was able to say:

 

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: . . .  Job 13:15

 

We should never back away from our commitment to God because of our circumstances or the pocket of resistance we encounter. There should always be a praise in our hearts and on our lips for God's goodness, His mercy and His grace toward us. Considering that our life could have gone in a totally different direction; on our way to a devil's hell. We could have been on the 'left' path instead of the right path.  

I believe there are promises of God in store for you and me; promises designed to allow us to be victorious in this war!

God speaks to us and lets us know that He does not change. 

For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Malachi 3:6

He lets us know that He is not a man that He should lie:

And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.  1 Samuel 15:29  

We all know people who have reneged on their word, but it’s a wonderful thing to know that we have a God who does not go back on His word.  If He said it, that’s it and that settles it.  God’s word is already settled in heaven.

Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.  Psalms 119:89

When we renege on our promise to God, it automatically puts us back into enemy territory where it is all to easy to get caught up again with the cares of the world.  But, the bible tells us:

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.   1 John 2:15-16

The world is puffed up; proud and overcome with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life!  Just think about all the scamming that’s going on, the cheating, stealing, embezzling, etc. that’s going on right in the midst of this pandemic and everything else that’s going on today!

Believers must contend with these forces every day!  And if you’re not braced for it, you will be negatively impacted by it.  It seems that sometimes we are bombarded by a host of enemies when in reality, there is only one enemy. But he works with and through a mighty force of demons.  Satan not only uses demons but he also works through the evil forces of the flesh and the world to the detriment of our soul!

We are physically standing on hostile grounds and surrounded by evil influences. The world and the flesh are enemy territory and we are at war with them both.

The word ‘world’ in this context is used to refer to the present condition of human affairs in opposition to God.  It is this system that runs the inhabited earth, a system that is opposed to God; our Lord Jesus Christ.  The 'world' is the corporate group of flesh-centered individuals who make up the human race.  Flesh, in this context, is not referring to the actual flesh of your body. It is a term which describes the basic evil human nature of man which is in willful disagreement or rebellion against God; the nature that overtook mankind when Eve allowed herself to be deceived by the enemy which led mankind to forsake the image of God.

As your enemy, the world is the whole organized system of social, economic, materialistic, and religious philosophies which have their expression through organizations, personalities, and governments. It is not a specific government, organization, or person, but the worldly system upon which these are based.  The world system is an extension and a result of man's departure from the likeness of God.    It surrounds man with that which appeals to his fleshly desires.  Guess who’s over it!  Satan, the "prince" or ruler of this world:

Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.  John 12:31

All the kingdoms and systems of the world are influenced by Satan. They are guided by Satanic philosophy and principles. They are flesh-centered and flesh-governed, that’s how Satan could tempt Jesus with it:

Again, the Devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.  Matthew 4:8-9

We have to brace our self until Jesus takes control of this world:

And the seventh angel sounded: and there were great voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)

Biblical Studies