Stand Strong

Dusty

Inactive
Stand Strong

I just wanted to share my studies on ' The armour of God " Please forgive spelling.

Stand Strong

If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything. What do we mean by standing strong.? There are many examples in the Bible of people who stood upright with respect and stood for something . David stood up to a giant. Daniel in the Lion’s den stood up for God . Shadrack , Meshack and Abendigo…. Peter ,John and many more were not afraid to stand up for what they believed. They all stood firm in the mighty power of God.




The Christian life is a battleground not a playground.

1…. The world System ….. The world is opposed to God We are in the world but not of the world.
2… Old Nature….Our flesh was inherited from Adam so therefore we are in a constant battle with the desires of the flesh.
3…. Devil… satan is the accuser of the brethren and is like a roaring lion wanting to devour all he can ( called the angel of light ).

Our struggle is in the heavenly realms . You will have battles but we know that satan is doomed and defeated because Jesus paid it all for us on the cross. Satan wants to slow us down and move into our territory. But we need to stand strong against him and move into the power that Christ has given us. We have to take back from satan what he has stolen.

The Armour
Paul related in those days to the armour because they were on the battleground against the Romans. But we can relate to it in our day as well .

1….. Belt of Truth…. The belt for the soldier would hold their pants up and the belt held the sword.
Truth is the foundation. Everything is built on Truth . Truth holds everything together just as the belt does. Satan is a lier and a deceiver so if you have truth you can defeat him. Know the truth and the truth will set you free.

2…. Breastplate of Righteousness ( Protects the heart ) No errow could hit them in their heart because of the breastplate that they wore. We are told to guard our heart . Don’t leave home with out the breast plate.

3…… The Shoes … vs 15 ….. Soldiers would wear sandals but they had spikes on the bottom for firm footing. When we have a firm footing in the Word of God …. Nothing can move us. Picture these shoes holding firmly planted on the ground.
Solid …. Believe in Jesus because we are firmly grounded. We bring peace and good news of Jesus. Shoes are the Gospel of Faith.

4…Shield of Faith
The shield was made of light wood covered in leather . This would extinguish the fiery darts from the attacks of the enemy. In this way we must put up our shield of faith to with stand satan’s fiery darts.

5….Helmet
This protected the soldier and prevented the opponents swords from wounding. In the same way we need to put on the Helmet of Salvation because satan is after your heart and your mind. The helmet is the grace of God so that we know we are forgiven.


Remind yourself every day that you are a child of God and by the renewal of your mind you will not believe satan’s lies. We need to protect ourselves.and advance in the army of God. We have a weapon “ the Sword “ the Word of God. The Word of God is what we use to push back satanic attacks.

Remind yourself “ It is Written “. because satan too can quote scripture so we must know his lies and distortions.






In this passage in Ephesians the word “ stand’ is mentioned. four times.


Ephesians 6:10-
The Armor of God

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 
Precious sister in Christ you are a great encourager the church needs more mothersc in the faith like you dear sister God richly bless and keep you always love you dearly yours in Christ
 
Continuing the study …." Stand Strong ."

There is a difference between standing tall and standing strong. It takes courage to stand strong., but any one can stand tall.The greatest problem with the church today is a lack of courage to do what God has called us and enabled us to do.

Why is courage the problem ?

Why do we need courage so desperately ?

Without courage it is impossible to be a strong Christian or have a strong church. The challenge then becomes what happens when we do not have the courage to follow God wherever He leads us ? We end up doing only what is safe and acceptable ; going nowhere for God. Courage is the necessary ingredient to stand for Christ and God is calling each of us right now to
“ Stand up” and let the world know whose side we are on .

In Exodus 14:13 Moses answered the people ,“ Do not be afraid . Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again” Take courage from these words for what ever situations you are facing. God will deliver you as you stand firm.

The Lord , Jesus Christ will break down strongholds as we
“ Stand Strong” and take back what the enemy has stolen.


We have the victory.
 
We have all faced difficult situations and will not be exempt from facing temptations and trials . God brought the Israelites out Egypt and they were marching out boldly and two days later because they let terror and fear grip them . Vs 10 they asked Moses “ was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die “?

Fear ….. a very dangerous emotion that if we let it will cripple us . The moment we take our eyes off God and focus on our troubles we let fear grip our hearts and minds . The Israelites were terrified but Moses said to them “ Stand Firm “ and you will see the deliverance of the Lord” The Lord will fight for you and you need only to be still.

Egypt represents our life and Christ has led us out of our bondage. God offered the Israelites freedom from slavery just as Christ offers us the same today. We all have to make a break from the OLD life and move on. Our old life is bondage and slavery just as it was for the Isrealites in those days . We can move forward even when our situation seems impossible.
 

1----- Courage

Stand firm .. Babies when learning stand first , walk and then run. Moses says “ Stand Firm”

Fear causes confusion wherein we make bad decisions and often wrong ones because we panic. We need to be people of courage ….. Followers of Jesus Christ.

2---- Change of Attitude.
Israelites were in slavery and bondage. And in the same way we were captive of our sins . Jesus Christ has set us free …. So we are free indeed .He reminds us who we are when we focus on Him and keep our eyes on Him .The Israelites were children of the most High God just as we are today. We are the head and not the tail.

So don’t go back to Egypt , like the Israelites wanted to . In other words , don’t go back to your old life just because you think it is easier.

3----- Open Your Eyes.
Stand firm and” see ‘. The Israelites had their eyes on their enemy the Egyptians . We need to fix our eyes on Jesus.

They had an angel travelling in front of them and a Pillar of Cloud in front of them and still they were afraid. . The cloud brought them light and dark. From both sides of the cloud. This is a sign that Jesus is the light of the world and satan is the darkness.
Let us open our eyes and see the deliverance of the Lord.

4---- Faith
God has promised to take care of you so we need to have the faith to believe that . We cannot live by sight alone. Stand firm by having faith in God.

Summary ----- vs 28 .... The water flowed back and not one Egyptian survived. God can move the mountains in your life if we believe and have faith but we also cannot sit idle but must move forward in His name putting the old life behind and not picking it up again.

 
Standing Tall, Standing Strong.

Early in his reign, King David wrote the words found in Psalm 18. He sang those words ot the Lord when he was delivered fron the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. The metaphors can be applied to the believer's ongoing struggles against the physical and spiritual forces of this age . In the first 2 verses we discover God's care for us described by six symbols :

1----- "My Rock "---- safety and security in God's immovable strength

2----- " My Fortress" ---- a place of refuge where the enemy cannnot penetrate.

3--- " My Deliverer "----a living protector.

4---- "My Shield "--- God stepping between us and harm.

5----- "Horn of My Salvation "--strength and victorious power to deliver and save us .

6-----" My Stronghold "---- A safe place to lift us above the dangers of life.

I am sure that David , as a young shepherd didn't think he was born to take on a giant. Not even after he had killed a lion and a bear . But one day , there he was , just a teenager , the only one willing to take a stand against Goliath. David walked out to meet his giant and said " I'll come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts !" Then he put one small stone in his sling and ran straight toward Goliath. The stone found its mark . The giant came crashing down.

If you are looking up to a giant today , I want to encourage you . You haven't made a mistake or taken a wrong turn. Why ? Because your giant is strong evidence that you're right on track to achieve what God has put in your heart.
 
Very good stuff Dusty. I appreciate it. Thank you.

to stand1) continue safe and sound, stand unharmed, to stand ready or prepared
2) to be of a steadfast mind
3) of quality, one who does not hesitate, does not waiver




This is a really coooool study.
 
Very good stuff Dusty. I appreciate it. Thank you.

to stand1) continue safe and sound, stand unharmed, to stand ready or prepared
2) to be of a steadfast mind
3) of quality, one who does not hesitate, does not waiver




This is a really coooool study.

Praise God Denadi .... Thankyou but it is the Holy Spirit who does the work not I . I also appreciate your work as well .

We are focusing at church this month on standing strong in the Lord and I have more to add but am still working on it .
 
By standing strong it does not mean that we are weak as non- believers might think.

Through weakness there is strength .
2 Corinthians 12:7-10



7.... To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
8....Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
10.....That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.


When We are weak.... Then we are strong . God works through weakness and by being weak that also humbles us . And everyone knows when we are humble and broken that the Lord can
and will lift us up and we depend more upon Him and His promises. Weakness is not a sign of "wimpiness" as the world would think. Weakness also rids us of pride .

Pride as we know has been the downfall of many and when we are not in God's perfect will ... pride takes over and of course it it an attack from the enemy who slips in the back door . Many a pastor has fallen because of pride.

Proverbs 16:18


18.......Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall.


Paul knew his weakness and the thorn was a reminder for him to stay humble.The thorn never prevented him from accomplishing what the Lord had for him to do.

OUr culture today values success which they say brings happiness . But that is an emptiness that also brings greed.

We can stand strong through the assistance of others

. Luke 22:31-34...

31"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.
32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
33But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." 34Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."

Satan tries to fail us but Jesus teaches that His faith would keep us strong . Jesus knew already that Peter would deny Him. That is why when we are down or going through trials in life .... we also need to seek out a prayer warrior in Christ who we can share with and will give us godly advice , keep it confidential, and most of all pray with us and for us. We need each other.We need to be strengthened as well as strengthen others.

Through hopefulness we can also be strenthened .

Isaiah 40 :28-31






28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.



So let us have a hopeful expectation of what the Lord is doing and will do in our lives. Amen





 
Dusty-

This has been an incredible insight exchange. But, I must differ on a couple points found differing in my years of research, compared a couple points you stated-

1- You state one of the biggest problems in Churches today is a lack of courage.

I'd have to disagree with that. The majority of Churches do not lack courage, but mostly direction. They exist and keep moving on, but, they do not really grow, outside of membership. What they really lack is motivation, a purpose of what they exist for. Most limit themselves to just thier ritualistic week day gatherings and Sabbath Services.

Yes, many do support the usaul projects such as missions, some basic programs. But, other than that, most go no further. On the other hand, I've found some very motivated, they are involved or running Community projects, adult, youth and children's growth programs. Many of them involve helping with outside missions.

Those Churches have motivation, because they realize thier purpose. Those Churches do not need courage, as they have God's purpose before them, to motivate them to go further and do more than so many others.

2- Without courage, its impossible to be a strong Christian.

I also have found that to be untrue. I've known so many people who lack any ounce of courage, yet they can be so bold for God. Not because of courage, but for the faith they have had in God.

When someone has accepted so deeply in thier heart God's Word as Truth, they do not need courage, because they have such deep strong faith in God, there is no doubt whatsoever of anything of God, they just know things to be true unquestioned.

Only those who need courage, are those who cannot let God have control of all aspects of thier life. For they have not believed in all of God's Word unquestioned, undoubted, etc, so they still try to control things to a point on thier own.

A person who has faith in all of God's Word unquestioned, does not need courage, for they already know, God will guide, lead and protect them and bring them thru all things without any doubt. They don't need courage, for they know without question God will handle everything for them for thier best interest.

This is what I have learned serving God anyway.

God Bless!!
 
C. C. .... Thanks for your comment but I am not focusing on what the church does or doesn't do so much as what we should be doing . We , after all are the church
Why do we need courage so desperately ?

Without courage it is impossible to be a strong Christian or have a strong church. The challenge then becomes what happens when we do not have the courage to follow God wherever He leads us ? We end up doing only what is safe and acceptable ; going nowhere for God. Courage is the necessary ingredient to stand for Christ and God is calling each of us right now to
“ Stand up” and let the world know whose side we are on .

I understand where you are going with this but there is another thread that is dealing with the church and fragmentation and I do not wish to bring that forward in this thread.

I'd have to disagree with that. The majority of Churches do not lack courage, but mostly direction. They exist and keep moving on, but, they do not really grow, outside of membership. What they really lack is motivation, a purpose of what they exist for. Most limit themselves to just thier ritualistic week day gatherings and Sabbath Services.

adMaybe so but that was not my purpose in talking about courage. I think we still have to have courage to stand up for what we believe and then the motivation comes after that .yes of course we need motivation but how do we get that .... by good leadership from our church leaders.. I understand what you are saying and I cannot agree fully as you say "most" because I just happen to go to a very motivated assembly that has outreach to the community, small groups focusing again to the community, we are now in a project called "adopt a street "and we pray for our adopted street as well as go to that street and witness and the latest is to pass out a Christian video to each member on our street.

When someone has accepted so deeply in thier heart God's Word as Truth, they do not need courage, because they have such deep strong faith in God, there is no doubt whatsoever of anything of God, they just know things to be true unquestioned.

Yes I have accepted God's Word as Truth deep into my heart and I guess we differ on the word "courage" , but I think of it as being brave and strong and only God can give us that inner strength. And yes I know that I know that God speaks to me through His word and when I am quiet He gives me inner peace and comfort and strength to carry on through all my ups and down. He is definately my strong tower that I run into.

Anyways that's my definition and we are not going to always agree but that's ok cause we all belong to the Body of Christ and each member has his or her part.

Only those who need courage, are those who cannot let God have control of all aspects of thier life. For they have not believed in all of God's Word unquestioned, undoubted, etc, so they still try to control things to a point on thier own.

A person who has faith in all of God's Word unquestioned, does not need courage, for they already know, God will guide, lead and protect them and bring them thru all things without any doubt. They don't need courage, for they know without question God will handle everything for them for thier best interest.

To each one of us God has given different lessons and I have and am guided by the Holy Spirit and I do believe all God's word . God has brought me through so many things in my life so I know He does handle everything .

But for me I still need courage and wisdom and to rely totally on Him . I don't think there is anything wrong with asking for courage. But that is just me . And maybe that is my weakness. But as I said our weakness can also be our strength.

I still think we need more couragious people in the church for the church to go forward.

Thankyou for your comments and may the Lord bless you.
 

goodCourageMauveBible.gif
 
Back
Top