STAND FIRM AND ANCHORED
Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11 (NLT)
Do you remember playing tug-of-war as a kid? In this game, two teams would hold onto one rope and tug back and forth, trying to pull the other team across a line in the middle. If you wanted to win, you would join the bigger team with the strongest anchor person. The biggest, strongest team could hold its position without giving an inch to the opposing team — because every inch is critical. One shift in momentum could give the whole game away!
In the Scripture verse above, Paul implores the Ephesians to put on all of God's armor so they can stand firm against all the enemy's strategies. At this point in his life, Paul was very familiar with Roman soldiers and the gear they used daily. One piece of that gear was their spiked sandals. Their spiked sandals let soldiers dig in and stay firm no matter what came their way. This digging in is the imagery Paul had in mind as he described how to stand firm against the enemy's strategies.
When we think of standing firm in our faith, we're not just standing up passively; we're actively digging our feet in the dirt. We're holding our ground; we're positioning ourselves to keep the enemy from gaining even an inch. Anchoring ourselves to the Truth of who God is and what He says gives us the weight and resistance needed to keep the enemy from gaining an inch of ground in our lives. Arming ourselves like this gives us an active stance against the enemy's tugs.
APPLICATION: Consider the difference between standing up and standing firm. Understand that, like in a tug-of-war, opposition will be actively trying to pull you off balance today, and the only way to win is to dig in and remain anchored in what you know to be true. Dig your feet into the dirt as you walk around today, knowing God has supplied everything you need to stand firm in Him!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for supplying all that we need to withstand the enemy's attacks. Thank You for being our anchor, our provider and our source of strength. Help us lean into You more, remember all that You supply us with, and actively dig in so we can withstand any attack of the enemy. We can't do it in our own strength, but we can do it in Yours. We trust You for this. In Jesus' name, Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?