Standing Firm - The Crosswalk Devotional - September 21
Standing Firm
By Emma Danzey
1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”
Be on Your Guard
The Scriptures make it clear that believers in Christ are to be on our guard because the enemy is against God, so He too will attack the Father’s children. We are part of a spiritual battle that many days we wake up forgetting is going on. When our lives are consumed with the temporary, we forget the eternal.
When you stop and think about how you need to specifically be on your guard right now, what comes to mind? In what ways is the enemy attacking you, your family, your friendships, your workplace, and your church? Just as God is active, the Devil is active too. He is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for people to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) Being on our guard works best when we are not reliant on our own strength but on the help of the Holy Spirit and the armor of God. We are not left in the battle unguarded and vulnerable, we are equipped and empowered with the victory of Jesus and hopeful that this temporary suffering is for His glory.
Stand Firm in the Faith
Here is the call to stand firm. When we think of the word firm, what do you picture? I think of a rock, a strong muscle, or a wall. I imagine something immovable and steady, something that will not shake or even give the idea that it would fall. We have a firm foundation in Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11 says, “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
There is nothing that I can create to build my life on that will be more firm than choosing to trust in Jesus. When Christ is the King over our lives, when we have placed our faith in Him, we too are now stable and immovable in Him. He is the reason that we can have confidence and a place of refuge in the difficulties in life. He gives us peace and bravery. When a hurricane comes, it matters more what the homes are built out of to withstand the storm. Although all will be hit by the storm, not all will crumble. Because of Jesus, even though we are in the storm of sin in this world, we will not crumble.
2 Timothy 2:19 says, “Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.’” We can rest assured that God knows that we are His. He can help us, and He can remind us that He is our firm foundation in this life. We can place our full trust in Him, more so than when we sit in a chair and it holds us up or ride in a plane and hope it lands. We have the promise that He is always with us, and He will keep us safe in His arms.
Be Courageous; Be Strong
It is easy to live in fear when trials occur around us. We can fall into the pit of anxiety and worry. However, Christ has called us to be courageous and strong. Just like Joshua in the Old Testament was chosen and invited to be strong and courageous, we too have been chosen and called by God to do the same in our generation. Although Joshua battled real people, we have a great spiritual battle going on around us. The calling for both is still the same, and the promise that the Lord is always with His people remains as well.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
How do you sense the enemy trying to work in your life? In what ways is your faith being tested? How can you remember to stand firm on Christ and not in your own abilities in the midst of trials? How is God equipping and enabling you to be courageous and strong through His Spirit today?
Further Reading:
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