The Lord asks us to stand for Him. When people stand for their convictions, they usually pay for it. Rarely do people stand up for things, especially unpopular things, and not face persecution. Have we stood as God expects us to? Have we held firm in our convictions? Do people know we have any convictions?
Is Life Easy?
Sometimes we are so careful to not "hurt anyone's feelings" that we stay silent. Think about famous people you have heard of that have stood for their convictions - Martin Luther King, Frederick Douglas, Mother Teresa. Was life easy for these people? No, of course not. If life is easy for us maybe we are not standing for those convictions like we should.
In 2 Corinthians 10: 4-6 Paul says:
"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."
Mighty Weapons
Paul says our weapons are not carnal, meaning not of the flesh. We oppose unbelief with the power of God's Holy Spirit in His word. The weapons God has given us tear down the arguments, the strongholds, that people who don't know Christ use to justify their disbelief. The Gospel is soul transforming.
Effective Proclamations
From the atheist who claims intellectual superiority because of their disbelief to the young kid in high school who just doesn't see Christianity as cool or relevant, we have the tools we need to proclaim Christ effectively. While some will never understand the gracious gift of God, to those who are being saved it is "the power of God" I Corinthians 1:18.
Taking Thoughts Captive
We are in a fight to "take every thought captive" for Christ. These beliefs and thoughts are the ideas that unbelievers have and they CAN be brought under the control of Christ. What are our weapons? Faith, truth, righteousness, love, proclaiming the Word of God, and prayer.
God is Bigger
We oppose unbelief by using our best weapon - the Gospel. We know our God is bigger than anything formed against Him. He gives us the power through his Holy Spirit to pull down thoughts and ideas in people that try to rise up and exalt themselves above the knowledge of God.
Don't Use the Tools of the World
We can't oppose evil successfully with the tools of the world. We can't use our own "wisdom", we can't play their games and win. We can't seek approval from them. We can't fight with a worldly church and flashy programs that look like the secular world. If we fight with these tools we have lost the battle.
STAND
When we fight with our spiritual weapons we have to be willing to stand for God.
To do this though we must STAND in the faith with courage.
"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong." I Corinthians 16:13
To do this though we must STAND in one spirit and one mind.
"Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel," Philippians 1:27
To do this though we must STAND in the freedom from condemnation that Christ has given us.
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
To do this though we must STAND in the will of God.
"Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." Colossians 4:12
It Is Time
It is time to pray!
It is time today to choose whom we will serve!
It is time to put oil in our lamps and be ready!
It is time to study to be approved!
It is time to STAND!
Listen to the Newsboys sing STAND
Read about Three Who Stood.
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