Standing Firm in The Last Days

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Standing Firm in The Last Days

by Kenneth E. Ware

Stand up. Now, sit down. Stand up again. Now, sit down again. Now, stand up and sit down at the same time. Impossible right? Absolutely. You cannot stand and sit simultaneously. You can only do one or the other. Spiritually, Christians have the same choices in life. Faced with many moral challenges, social injustices, demonic attacks, and political issues, believers must not compromise their faith in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul exhorted his fellow saints in Ephesus to stand firm amidst a pagan, Roman influenced society. Clearly, we too, are no different. We are faced with similar challenges in our generation. Laid out for us in the last chapter of Ephesians is the key to How to Stand Firm in the Last Days.

I. Stay Strong in the Lord (Eph. 6:10-11)

a) Be Strong in the Person of Christ (v. 10)

Believers are to keep growing in their strength in Christ. In order to do so, Jesus must not only be your Savior, He must also be your Lord. He must sit upon the throne of your heart to rule and reign as both Lord and King of your life. Many verses in the Bible command the people of God to be strong. For example, at least four times in the book of Joshua do we read, “Be strong and courageous…” (Josh. 1:6-7,9,18). King David exhorts, “Wait for the Lord, be strong…” (Psa. 27:14). Again, the Minor Prophet Zechariah admonished his contemporaries to “Let your hands be strong, you who are listening to the world in these days…” (Zech. 8:9). b) Be Strong in the Power of Christ (v. 10b-11)

There are multiple ways to accomplish this great task. For starts, we will observe three ways to reach this goal of being strong in the power of the Lord. 1. Prayer—Five times in verses 18-19 is the term “pray,” “prayer” or “petition” referenced. The more you pray, the stronger you will become. The less you pray, the weaker you get. Prayer protects you from yielding to the strategies of Satan. Prayer guards your heart and mind with peace (Phil. 4:6ff). Prayer is essential to spiritual victory in your life. 2. Praise—Prayer, when combined with praise, equals power. King David prayed, “I love you, Lord, my strength” (Psa. 18:1-2). Moses wrote, “The Lord is my strength and my song…” (Ex. 15:2). Ezra encouraged the sons of Israel, saying, “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). 3. Pursue—If the lovers of Jesus Christ desire to grow stronger, then a pursuit of God’s Word must become top priority. Daily Bible reading enhances one’s knowledge of

God, spiritual growth, and adds strength. The psalter said,

“Strengthen me according to Your Word” (Psa. 119:28).

In fact, it was our Lord Himself who cited the words of

Moses, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).

II. Stand Still in the Lord (Eph. 6:12-17)

c) The Spiritual Warfare (vv. 12-13)

Adversaries. At the moment of salvation, believers were immediately thrust into spiritual warfare. There are several adversaries that combat the children of God on a daily basis. It is important to understand that, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood” as clearly stated by Paul. So then, what exactly are we struggling against? Answer, the demonic hosts of Satan influenced in human governments of the world (Rulers, Powers, World Forces of Darkness, Spiritual Forces of Wickedness). d) The Spiritual Wardrobe (vv. 14-17)

Armor. The armor of a Roman soldier was nothing short of intimidating splendor. In God’s economy, like the Roman Empire, believers are enlisted as soldiers of war. The saints of God must both “put on” (v. 11) and “take up” (v.13) the full armor of God. After all, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Armor believers must put on for spiritual victory over the flesh and the adversaries of this world (Rom. 13:14).

About The Author Kenneth E. Ware, M.M., M.A.B.S., M. Div. is a husband, father, pastor of New Scholar Avenue Baptist Church, and graduate of Temple Baptist Seminary. Pastor Ware is also a Christian writer and an Expository Bible Teacher at Samford University Ministry Training Institute in Chattanooga, Tennessee.