STAND, AND KEEP ON STANDING.

Ephesians 6:13,14

13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to WITHSTAND in the evil day, and having done all, to STAND.

14. STAND therefore...

The courage to stand firmly on the promises of God without wavering till your answer comes is the real test of faith.

The devil isn't moved about how much religion you profess, so long this vital spiritual ingredient is missing in your life. Thank God for the place of prayer in a Christian's life, but at times, there could be a little delay to your answer or expectation from God. What are you going to do in a moment like this?

It is in times like these that many Christians make a shipwreck of their faith. They throw in the towel, so to speak, and then blame everyone including God for their predicaments.

Worst still, those who are already discouraged, disenchanted and in despair, resorts to witch doctors or occultic men for help, and they try to manipulate or bend the scriptures to justify their actions by saying something like, "give to God what belongs to Him, and to Ceasar what is Ceasar's." But you can't mix a little concoction and incantation with a little Jesus!

"And what harmony can there be between Christ and the devil" (2 Cor. 6:15 LB).

The common erroneous expression: "heaven helps those who help themselves" is just a religious cop out often employed by those who have apparently compromise their total allegiance to God. The truth is, "heaven helps the helpless - those whose expectations are of the Lord.

"... for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

So that we may boldly say, THE LORD IS MY HELPER..." (Heb. 13:5,6).

The Bible says that when you've done all to stand, keep on standing (Eph. 6:13,14). What do I mean by standing on God's Word? I mean that in the face of every contradictory situation that opposes you, you refuse to quit nor opt for something that has no scriptural basis as an easy way out.

You can't afford to lie so low, not when you understand your spiritual identity. You are royalty by birth; you belong to a divine dynasty. You are an heir of God's Kingdom, and a joint-heir with Christ!

It's more like bowing down to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's golden image as it were. Instead of bowing down to worship the popular images of fame, position and money that are commonly worshipped today, you are suppose to be standing on your two feet lifting up the banner of Jesus'victory!

This was exactly what the three Hebrew brethren, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did. They would neither budge, bend, nor bow, and thus they weren't burnt! The burning fiery furnace couldn't prevail against them because they stood their ground on God's Word (Dan. 3:16-30). The only thing that got burnt in the fire🔥was the cord with which the King's men bound them!

They were set free and promoted while all their peers who compromised for the fear of going through the fire remained under perpetual servitude to the King. You can never reach your full potential in God until you stand out from among the crowd. 

GOD IS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE THAT WILL CONTINUE TO STAND ON HIS WORD IN SPITE OF THE PREVAILING CIRCUMSTANCE; HE IS READY TO SHOW HIMSELF STRONG IN THEIR BEHALF.

The fact that everyone is doing it doesn't make it right especially if it's not in agreement with the Word of God. It's better to travel alone with God on a rough route to destiny than to be applauded by a crowd of religious praise singers on a smooth route to destruction.

A renowned minister of the gospel once said, "Those who have many friends walk with their friends, but those who have no friends walk with God."

Now God could bring people of good quality into your life that would build you up, bring wisdom and add value to your life.

But sometimes you have to know when friendship with another person is leading you away from the Lord. In this case, you must choose Christ or that friend. The answer is always going to be Christ. "You don't need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you are certain of."

God is looking for people that will continue to stand on His Word in spite of the prevailing circumstance; He is ready to "show Himself strong in their behalf" (2 Chr. 16:9).

Someone said, "I  prayed and believe God and I've done all I know to do. What am I supposed to do now?" The Bible tells what to do: "Having done all to stand, stand!"

When you are standing on God's Word, you have got to just keep on standing until you see your answer! "But how long will I have to stand my ground?" someone asked. As long as you need to stand! When you've got God's Word and you are standing on it in faith your victory is assured. All the promises of God are yes and Amen in Christ.

So get your mind off the problems or circumstances and keep your heart and mind fixed on the Word of God. Learn to stand your ground against the devil so that no matter what comes against you, you can remain steadfast and calm because God's Word is holding you up, and His Word can never fail!

                  Emmanuel B. Afolabi

About Me: I'm passionate about helping people to know the Lord personally, and to relate with Him intimately.