To Stand

The Whole Armor of God - Message 4 - To Stand. In this passage, as we hear the command to put on the whole armor of God, we find that we are to be using the armor God has given us so that we might “withstand in the evil day.” To withstand is to resist, making up our minds that we will not yield. Looking at our text we see that we are told to put on the armor so that we might “stand against the wiles of the devil” (vs. 11), “withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand” (vs. 13), so that we might “stand therefore” (vs. 14). Fighting here is not about taking ground or conquering territory. It is about standing our ground! We need not take more ground – Jesus has already taken it all! So what is left to do? Stand firm. Stand in defiant resistance, refusing to give ground or yield our mind, will, or emotions to the enemy.The whole armor of God, as we will study each piece, has been given so that we might stand firm through the fighting and remain standing to the end of the war. It is about endurance and perseverance. Let us not be afraid of the fight. And let us not be complacent and apathetic as if the absence of conflict is the same as victory and peace. Peace comes at a price. Thankfully, Jesus paid that price in full once for all so that now we can stand with this assurance, “The Lord knows those who are His” (2 Tim 2:19) and He will not leave or forsake us in the heat of battle. As John Gill put it, our aim in the battle is to “keep your ground, do not desert the army, the church of Christ, nor his cause; continue in the station in which you are placed, keep your post, be upon your watch, stand upon your guard.” Having done all, we are told, we must stand.