Having done all, stand

Jesus never told us that once we are saved we would never face trials. In fact, He assured us that we would have to deal with opposition to our faith.

The Apostle Paul reminded us that we have spiritual forces arrayed against us who sought to stumble us by putting pressure on what we believe.

Being a Christian is not for the faint hearted. It is for the whole hearted. We can’t be double minded about what we believe or who we believe. Faith is the way in. It is also what sustains us. The just shall live by their faith (Rom.1:13).

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

So warns Jesus. How do we define ‘tribulation?’ The Greek word ‘thlipsis’ means ‘a pressing together, pressure.’ It is metaphorically ‘oppression, affliction, tribulation, or distress.’ Vines calls it ‘anything which burdens the spirit.’

So Jesus guaranteed that we would come under pressure in this world. It could be through natural circumstances, or through persecution, or simply because we announce that we are followers of Jesus.

The good news is that He also told us to ‘be of good cheer’ because He has ‘overcome the world.’ He has given us His peace. We can rest through the challenges to our faith.

His victory is ours

His victory, then, is ours. He is inviting us to be partakers of His ability to overcome all tribulation that may come via the worlds’ systems. How do we do this? By faith. Everything in the kingdom is by and through faith, that is, trusting God and taking Him at His Word.

Paul tells us that there are times when we simply have to make a stand against these pressures.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Ephesians 6:10-13

We should take this as the bottom line of resisting the pressure that comes our way. ‘Finally,’ he says, as if to emphasise the importance of being able to stand our ground when the enemies devices are arrayed against us, finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. His strength is now our strength. We can be strong in His might.

We are not wrestling with people, although sometimes it feels this way. No, there are spiritual forces arrayed against us. They want to tear us down, or m ore particularly smash our faith, because if they can disarm our faith they will have defeated us.

Therefore, we’re told, take up the whole armour of God. Not just a part of His armour, but all of it. You remember when David took on Goliath and King Saul offered his armour? David tried it on, but it wasn’t built for him. His armour was not of the metal kind, or of the fleshly kind. His armour was the very same armour of God that we are being required to put on.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:14-20

God’s armour is ours

Paul also calls it the ‘armour of light (Rom.13:12).’ It is the very armour Jesus used when defeating the devil at the temptation in the wilderness, from which we can take many clues (Mat.4:4). Jesus used the Word of God to end the ‘pressure’ the devil tried to put on Him. In the end of that session the devil sauntered away in defeat because Jesus applied the power of the Word against his wiles (Mat.4:11).

This was also what David used against Goliath before he launched the stone from his sling that brought Goliath down to the ground in a heap. He came at Goliath in the name of God.

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

1 Samuel 17:45-47

The battle was won right there. David’s covenant with God and his words of faith sealed Goliath’s demise. Having God’s armour is part of the covenant. He has given us all we need to stand against the trickery and deceptions of the devil, and to overcome all the pressures of the world.

The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. We can speak it, like David, into our situation. We can declare the Word, like Jesus over every circumstance.

Our defences include the shield of faith. It quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Whatever he throws at us can be stopped at source. Faith is strong enough that it will not be penetrated, but we have to stand in faith, not wavering.

If the armour is God’s, so is the battle. We will win every time if we don’t allow ourselves to weaken in the pitch of the battle, when it’s intense, when the tribulation we face is fierce. We can ‘be of good cheer’ in adversity and faith will see us through.