STAND FIRM – THE LIFE OF FAITH!
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will BE ABLE TO STAND FIRM AGAINST THE Schemes of the devil” – {Eph 6:11}
In order to apply the strength of Gods might, believers have to put on the provision God supplies, namely the armor of God. It is to be put on permanently and supplies the believers with spiritual power , “TO STAND FIRM” which was used in a military sense-
It had the idea of HOLDING A CRITICAL POSITION while UNDER ATTACK.
The word “SCHEMES”– IS where we get our English word “Method “ from. It carries the idea of craftiness, cunning, and deception. It was often used of a wild animal who cunningly stalked and unexpectedly pounced on its prey. Such are satan’s attacks…cunning, deceptive ways…he appeared as an angel of light in 2 Cor 11:14 ;
What Are some “schemes,” he uses…
A. -DECEPTION;
These “schemes” include DECEPTIVE lifestyles – like TV, movies, magazines, programs, society that promote sex outside of marriage as though it is safe or right and no consequences; Or young good looking athletic looking people, who appear in advertisements promoting alcohol, drinking, laughing, like they are having a great time, that this drink is what can promote happiness, beauty and this is life, and if you are not drinking it, you are missing out. The purpose of the ad is to deceive you into believing, “This is what real life is… You can have all these, good looking friends, laughter, happiness, seemingly, not a care in the world, if you …drink this brand of alcohol!” But they do not show the destruction alcohol can and often causes. It will not show the damage of homes, or bodies mangled being pulled out by fire men at the scene of a crash; Philosophies which profess wisdom but leave out God for who He is. Other advertisements that appeal to your covetousness and insecurities and desires and lusts…all to trick you into thinking a satisfying life can be found in the world’s system, values, outside of a right relationship with God, exclusively through the LORD Jesus Christ.{Read John 10:10; 14:6}
B. – DOUBTS
“One of the most effectual tools satan uses is to seek to tempt you to embrace the thoughts to your mind regarding- DOUBT’S about GODS GOODNESS. This was his greatest tool against Martin Luther.
Luther’s biographer writes, “The Content of his depressions was always the same, the loss of faith that God is good and that He is good to me.”
Satan’s fiery darts to the mind are to tempt to convince that God cannot be trusted nor His Promises…to doubt what God has said…like in the Garden where in Gen 3 he tempted Eve to believe a lie and she did that, God is not good- God is holding out good from you… Get her to question what God said and does God really mean what He says.
” For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. “-{1 Tim 2:13-14}. The temptation that God was holding out by forbidding Adam and Eve from taking the fruit of one tree…he had them major on what God would not let them have and minor on ALL He gave them and they could have! A bit like a photo of a cow sticking his head through a wired fence trying to chew on a piece of grass outside the fence and ignoring acre’s and acre’s of lush grass within its boundaries. “The grass is greener” on the other side, comes to mind. The evil one tempts with such thoughts outside the boundaries God has set for your GOOD, is where real life is to be had. Liar! Deceiver!
That is why the Believer must learn from Jesus when tempted in Matthew to response with the Word of God; “It is Written…It is Written…It is Written.” He refers to the authority of God’s Word because it is GOD’S WORD! Using the Force of God’s Word accurately, Jesus defeated the evil foe when tempted at that time. {Read Matt 4:4-10}.There is power in the Word of God. “ For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,…”-{Heb 4:12}
Col 3:15 tells us to “LET THE WORD OF CHRIST DWELL IN YOU RICHLY….”
satan is powerful, intimidating, cruel and evil beyond our comprehension, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood…” satan hates the Lord Jesus, he hates God’s People, he hates God’s church.It is his nature.
The hymn writer well puts it “For still our ancient foe, Doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great and armed with CRUEL HATE, on earth is not his equal”- What a picture, what a picture of hopelessness if it were not for GOD AND HE BEING GOD, GOOD, LOVING, and the VICTORY of Jesus Christ. But make no mistake you have to KNOW You have an enemy.
C. – DEFIANCE.
A thief, …he hardens peoples hearts to the Word of God.
The story is told back in the days when horses would draw the cannons up to the front line… And as the shells were loaded into the cannon- the noise of the cannon being fired would cause such a great noise that the horses would be startled and bolted… but eventually with the repetition and becoming familiar they became used to the sound of the cannons and no longer were moved- they had become use to and DULL of what they heard. So too, many a Sunday soul becomes DULL to the Word of God as satan uses his schemes of the “worries of this world,” the potential riches and cares to snatch the seed away, sometimes through frivolous conversations afterwards. -{Read Mark 4:19}.
” For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them “-{Matt 13:15}
D. – DISUNITY.
The evil one uses schemes to separate brothers and sisters in the LORD, and seeking to tempt them to choose not to stand in unity- to Disobey God, is his aim for you and me.
E. – DEMONIC.
We read in Luke 8:12 “the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved”-
“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ.”{Romans 10:17}.”and that from childhood you have known the Sacred Writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” -{2 Timothy 3:15}. “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”– {John 8:31-32}. “Now I commit you to God and to the Word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ” -{Acts 20:32.}.
His Word is POWERFUL; It sets us free from the bondage of sin as it gives us the wisdom to know how to be saved from the wrath of God, the penalty of sin and freedom from the control of satan. And grows us up in our faith in who He is and who we are in Christ and is our weapon in the spiritual warfare we are in! So we see why the evil one opposes it. For it is God’s Word and powerful!
We are told to dwell on truth.“Dwell” is a continuous command to evaluate, consider, calculate continuously on things that are TRUE! -{ Read Phil 4;8} His Word is truth {John 17:17} And we are to be renewing our mind with the Truth {Read Romans 12:2}, To think His thoughts through His REVEALED WORD… in order to influence, control our thinking so we may apply it to what end? ” to love the LORD your God with All of your …MIND.”- {Read -Phil 4:9; Luke 10:27}.
We are to use His Word as our spiritual weapon!
“And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. ” -{Eph 6:17}. The Holy Spirit uses truth to combat error and the “schemes” of the evil one. Truth is not optional, it is imperative and the evil one seeks to rob us of hearing it, exposed to it and doing it! A good prayer is, “Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. “-{Psalm 119:18}. And a good prayer for others and also for those who are lost. ” A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” -{Acts 16:14}.
F. – DESPAIR.
“so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow… so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, FOR we are not Ignorant of his schemes. “-{2 Cor 2:7, 12-13}.
Despair; The despair the repentant one feels when still isolated, ostracized, the despair of no fellowship with his friends in the family of God. The despair of rejection. The despair of being unforgiven. The despair his sin has caused him and now compounded by the unforgiveness, lack of mercy shown towards him where he can never be restored, because love is with-held, unforgivenss the evidence and instead of comfort only despair and excessive sorrow is his companion,a horrible companion at that and caused by the family of God who chose not to forgive!
Are you causing anyone emotional pain through unforgiveness?
One reason we fail to extend forgiveness is we think too highly of ourselves. PRIDE!
Paul warned the Galatians 6:1-43, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. ” Note Spiritual people , as mentioned and seen in chapter 5 of ‘The Fruit of the Spirit, shows who the Spiritual are. these ones restore a sinning believer. Why do we often turn away from someone, rather than go seeking to restore? Because we are not spiritual people at that moment! But the warning is to pay close attention to yourself, for it is only the grace of God it is not us, and if we think otherwise beware of pride for it will sink you faster than a mortar hitting a ship at sea! Unforgivenss, pride , looking down on others who have sinned are “schemes” he tempts us with!
We are not to be “IGNORANT,” so that no advantage can be taken of us! Beware of being taken advantage of, by, with- holding love from another!
To with-hold forgiveness is bitterness, is a lack of love and needs to be recognized, owned as sin and immediately repented of, as it dishonors God!
Paul shows us how not to be taken advantage of the schemes of the evil one towards a repentant brother, namely
Reaffirm your love towards them
Comfort them
Forgive them!
To fail to do the above will lead to you being taken advantage of and being duped, deceived by satan’s scheme, to tear apart the body of Christ and adding sorrow upon sorrow for the repentant brother or sister! Don’t be a tool of the evil one’s scheme!
Are we so arrogant in our ignorance of ourselves that we falsely believe we are beyond sinning of the most heinous crime apart from the Grace of Almighty God!
“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.” {Luke 6:31}. Treat others the way the LORD JESUS WANTS YOU TO TREAT THEM!
G. – UNFORGIVENESS
“Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.“-{2 Cor 2:8-13}.
A believing brother had sinned and been disciplined to win him back from the error of his ways. He had repented and Paul wants the believers to Reaffirm your love for him. HOW? Comfort him and forgive him. WHY? “So that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for {gives the reason, the explanation}, we are not ignorant of his schemes.”
The evil one taken “advantage” of us through, leaving the brother with sorrow piling up more sorrow and the believers refusing to obey God by restoring the brother lovingly,comforting him and forgiving him, totally, through the promise and practice of maintaining an attitude of forgiveness.
Taken “ADVANTAGE “of us through Divisiveness. Through failing to reaffirm love and comfort him through un-forgiveness gives the evil one an opportunity to pummel the repentant brother by adding sorrow on top of his sorrow and he seeks to tempts us not to extend forgiveness which is to withhold love from him which is not of the LORD! Un-forgivenss is the “scheme” he sought to tempt the believers to use and isolate the one repentant brother! Have you fallen for this scheme? is there a repentant brother or sister in the LORD you have failed to reaffirm your love towards through comforting and forgiving them? And now they have double, excessive sorrow. The sorrow of their sin and the sorrow of being rejected and not being reinstated by you through loving forgiveness! “Forgiving each other just as God in Christ has forgiven you.”-{Eph 4:32}.
EPH 6:13 – “THEREFORE TAKE UP THE FULL ARMOUR OF GOD, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, TO STAND FIRM.
The faithful Christian life is a battle! The more faithful the more intense the attack is!
Paul had written “A wide effectual door has opened for me but with it are many adversaries.” Faithfulness brings with it an onslaught,opposition, from the evil one. It does not get easier. It is possible to be lethargic and indifferent and experience little conflict but not for the committed whose life is to honor God and are concerned about souls that are damned to Hell and about brethren who need to be equipped and matured. God gives us His Word, Prayer, His Spirit and Obedience as means to fight but we must PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD FOR THE EVIL DAY. Each day there is evil, some subtle, some not so. Put on the armor , don’t quit, don’t give up but RESIST in the evil day and STAND FIRM in Who He is, His Promises and your Position in Him and Power.{Read 2 Peter 1:3-4}
But what about satan and his fiery darts to our minds, darts of confusion, disillusionment, fear, anxiety to mention but a few- attacks on the promises of God, the fears of the future and the failures of our past? Listen again to God’s Word, AS A CHILD OF God- a follower of Christ you have the supernatural ability to “stand firm,” and be established in your faith.
A. FULL ARMOR OF GOD
It is a command and a promise Verses 11-13. A Roman soldier would wear six essentials pieces of armor when going into army; his belt, breastplate, sandals, shield, helmet and sword. Paul adds PRAYER , emphasizing the armor for spiritual battle
B. RESIST in the evil day –
In v 13 In this great spiritual battle we are called to RESIST and STAND FIRM.
James 4:7 – says “RESIST the devil and he will flee from you.” 1 Peter 5:8=9 tells us to “be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your Adversary the devil, prowls about a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But RESIST him, FIRM IN YOUR FAITH.” Only through the ARMOUR OF GOD CAN we fight such a powerful and wicked and scheming foe. STAND FIRM IN GODS PROVISION AND PROTECTION FOR YOUR LIFE- YOUR MIND.
STAND FIRM IN THE TRUTH THROUGH PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
EPH 6:14 “ STAND FIRM, therefore HAVING GIRDED your loins with TRUTH, and having put on the breastplate of Righteousness “
A. HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH
The Girding of the loins WAS WHAT SOLDIERS DID IN THAT DAY…IT WAS A WAY OF PREPARATION AND THE SOLDIER WOULD MAKE SURE TO SECURE HIS TUNIC WITH HIS BELT. The Belt for the Believer is …TRUTH-{John 17:17;}, and not only knowing and applying the truth in discerning but being TRUTHFUL ourselves. To be girded shows an ATTITUDE of READYNESS and being PREPARED – to be genuinely Committed to the cause…No half-hearted but TOTAL COMMITMENT TO CHRIST AND HIS CAUSE- WITH HIS TRUTH…which is able to set people FREE..!{Read John 8:31-32}
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. “-{2 Peter 1:3-4}
You can be tempted by the evil one’s schemes but you do not have to succumb to the temptation and seduction of his schemes! God’s Word, The Truth exposes and when applied defeats them!
“Stand firm” In The LORD. This is your position of Victory and Security. RESIST the evil one by using the TRUTH of God’s Word… in the day of evil!