Presented, January 10, 2010 pm
STAND FAST (1)
Tonight I want to
begin a two part study of a disposition every Christian needs to develop
AND that we need together as the Lord’s Church in this community.
I want to talk about the need to stand fast.
In our lesson tonight we are going to identify the term and
examine its use in the New Testament.
Next week we want to examine one passage, Ephesians 6:11-18 which
gives greater detail on how to stand fast.
a.
The
phrase, “stand fast”, used in most of our texts tonight, is actually one
word which means to be stationary or to persevere.
(Strong’s)
I am reminded of a strong wall that is impenetrable.
No matter what assaults it (whether it be the elements, the enemy
or some other force, it will not move).
That ought to describe the life of a Christian.
b.
When I see
this word, I think of one who does not quit.
Christian’s are continually called upon to endure (1 Corinthians 15:58, Galatians 6:9).
But in this expression, we find even greater strength – one that
does not even buckle or bend.
I am reminded of the soldier, who stands for his cause and will
not back down, even to his death.
Ephesians 6 in describing the spiritual soldier uses the word
stand 3 times (11, 13 &
14). We will address this in
our next lesson.
c.
Also
implied in the word is acceptability.
Romans 14:4 says, “Who
are you to judge another’s servant?
To his own master he stands or falls.
Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him
stand.” This text is
dealing with the Christian’s liberty (matters about which God is
indifferent) and how we need to allow one another to exercise their
personal liberties, even if we don’t agree with them or like them.
Paul notes that in such matters, God is able to accept one
regardless of which way one approaches some action.
NOTE: This passage is NOT an open
invitation to compromise and disregard doctrinal and moral differences.
Such is an oft abused use of this chapter.
a.
1
Cor. 16:13, “Watch,
stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”
The faith addressed in this verse is not your personal faith (though
that is certainly involved). It is a reference to everything that
comprises the Christian belief system (Cf. Rom. 1:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:7).
Consider
1 Corinthians 15:1-2, “Moreover,
brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which
also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved,
if you hold fast the word which I preached to you – unless you believed
in vain.”
Paul’s admonition here is that these brethren not give up on God’s word!
Believe it, live it and defend it.
How much do you really believe God?
How much do you really believe what He says?
How much are you willing to defend ALL of it?
b.
2
Corinthians 1:24 – “For by faith you stand”.
The faith here IS your personal faith.
And the way the word “stand” is used points toward
acceptability.
Paul’s point to these struggling brethren was that their ability
to stand before God with hope AND before others was because they
BELIEVED GOD, not just believing in Him.
Consider this for a moment:
i.
We
cannot be saved without faith
–
Hebrews 11:6,
John 8:24.
Of course we understand this faith must be accompanied by
obedience (Matthew 7:21-23, James 2:14-18) and involves more than mere
mental assent. But NEVER let
us forget that it DOES involve mental assent (or acknowledgment)!
Romans 5:1-2 says, “Therefore,
having been justified by faith, we have peace with god through our Lord
Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace
in which we STAND, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Emphasis mine – TT)
ii.
To
stand before others we need faith
– If we are going to with resolve resist
the devil and His forces; if we are going to confront those in error,
whether it be our friends or our brethren; if we are going to teach
others the WHOLE truth (1 Pet. 3:15) we have to stand with a strong
personal faith.
2 Timothy 1:13 says, “Hold
fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard form me, in faith
and love which are in Christ Jesus.”
iii.
Am I
standing by faith as firm as I ought to?
Does my faith CAUSE me to be able to stand before God?
If not, I need to do something about it.
c.
Galatians 5:1,
“Stand fast therefore in the
liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again
with a yoke of bondage.”
The context of Paul’s message here was to Jewish Christians who were
wavering in the freedom (liberty) Christ had afforded them from the Old
Law. Paul’s point is that
the Old Law was overbearing and impossible to keep.
But in Christ they were free from that law and its tedious
sacrifices, tithing, dietary restrictions and other rules.
NOW Paul’s point was not that they had NO obligation whatsoever,
but their New Hope was so much better and liberating (because it CAN be
kept and its provision are achievable).
Paul tells them to stand firm in such.
To return to the Old Law would be failure and Paul said, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified
by law; you have fallen from grace.” (Gal.
5:4)
The lesson for us: in Christ there is freedom (from the bondage
of sin). When we obey the gospel
our sins are washed away (Acts 22:16, 2:38, 2 Cor. 5:17, etc.).
We are pure in His sight and saved from the condemnation of sin.
DON’T give up that freedom for anything!
As Cain sold his birthright
and was called profane (Heb. 12:16), sadly many today will sell their
spiritual heritage to return to sin.
Don’t return to the world that you have escaped!
2 Peter 2:20-22, Hebrews 10:26-31.
In
Hebrews 10:25 the writer
said, “Therefore do not cast away
your confidence, which has great reward.”
STAND FAST in your purified state!
d.
Philippians 1:27, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether
I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you
stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith
of the gospel.”
One of the saddest problems the church has faced through the centuries,
and even in the first century, was division.
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to a bitterly divided congregation.
1 Corinthians 1:10, Ephesians
4:1-3, Philippians 2:1-4, etc.
Over and over scriptures speak of Unity.
Jesus spoke of unity in
John 13:35, etc.
What is the answer to division?
Paul said it in this text:
Stand fast in one spirit!
Continually, it has been emphasized from this pulpit that unity
is possible, but ONLY if all parties involved are willing to act like
Christians in all things.
Where there is division, someone IS SINNING!
e.
2
Thess. 2:15, “Therefore,
brethren, stand fast and hold
the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.”
In this text we turn back to the word of God.
When Paul speaks of traditions here, he is not using the attitude
some have where they refuse to budge because “we have always done it
this way”. When God’s
authority and pattern is respected we ought to be flexible and willing
to examine if there is a better way to do what we are commanded to do.
BUT, when it comes to the TRUTH of God’s word we can NEVER COMPROMISE!
1 Thess. 2:3-4 – “For
our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in
deceit. But as we have been
approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not
as pleasing men, but God who tests the hearts.”
2 John 10-11, do not
receive one who does not bring the truth.
Also
Rev. 2:20 with the church
at Thyatira which allowed “that woman Jezebel…to teach…”
It is no secret that far too many today are willing to sell their souls
and sell out the truth in the name of compromise.
Whether it be members seeking the church that complies to their
wants and desires (instead of God’s); seeking preachers who will stay
silent on given subjects (usually the one’s needed the most – cf. 2 Tim.
4:3-4); or a softening of doctrinal views for “the sake of unity”.
Whatever the reason, they are willing to sell out the Lord and
His word to please themselves!
Such is unacceptable and NOT standing fast on the truth.
According to this passage, we know that tradition is NOT wrong within
itself. In fact, there are
certain things about which we can NEVER change; i.e. the Lord’s Supper
on the first day of the week, singing instead of playing (Ephesians
5:19), God’s plan of salvation, moral issues, MDR, etc.
In such things we MUST stand fast!
f.
Philippians 4:1 – “So stand fast in the Lord”
This is a summary of everything we have said about standing fast.
It is when we do these things that we will stand fast in Him.
After all, is not Jesus the
reason we do what we do?
Friends, don’t let anyone or anything jeopardize your relationship with
the Lord. Hebrews 3:14 says, “For
we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our
confidence steadfast to the end…”
And thus we can see
the need to stand fast. It
is taught throughout the New Testament and applies to everything we do
as Christians. Let us not
let down our guard. Next
week we will conclude this study by talking about the soldier of the
cross (Eph. 6:11, 13 & 14) – an excellent example of HOW to stand fast
in the Lord.
Presented, January 17, 2010 pm
STAND FAST (2)
Last week we
examined a number of passages in the New Testament that call for us to
‘STAND FAST’. The idea of
standing fast is to stand your ground and be immovable.
It can also indicate acceptance, as in our godly lives allows us
to stand fast before God in judgment.
We talked about
standing fast in the faith (1 Cor. 16:13), standing fast BY faith (2
Cor. 1:24), standing fast in our liberties (Gal. 5:1), standing fast in
one spirit and unity (Phil. 1:27), standing fast as we hold to the
traditions of the apostles (i.e. the gospel of Jesus), and standing fast
in the Lord (Phil. 4:1).
Today we want to
examine one text,
Ephesians 6:10-20.
It is a text that does not use the expression, “Stand fast”, but
it speaks of standing 3 times.
And the idea is a firm, immovable stance or STANDING FAST!
The text has reference to a Roman soldier, who in battle fights
for his cause to the very end.
He will not compromise, betray nor retreat from the battle.
Based on the command
to STAND FAST, this text helps explain HOW we can do that!
a.
It is
obvious that Paul is not so much concerned about the Roman soldier
engaged in battle throughout the empire and against its enemies.
BUT, like our Lord in parables, He made oft analogies with
concepts the common man could relate to and made spiritual application –
in this case, the Roman soldier.
b.
Let
us NEVER forget that we are at
war! Of course what Paul
had in mind was the spiritual battle that we are engaged in.
We need to take this battle
seriously!
One concern that I see is that we acknowledge the war and perhaps we
even run around making a lot of noise about it, BUT WHAT ARE DOING ABOUT
IT? Are we
STANDING FAST of sitting
still?
c.
Satan and his allies are the enemy
– our text in
vs. 12 says, “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 heavenly places.”
This is a description of spiritual warfare.
Certainly there are physical enemies in this world who are
influenced by Satan, but ultimately our battle is against Satan and it
is FOR eternity! The expressions used in this verse describe the
influences that lead to evil and persecutions, etc.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 also
describes this battle. It
notes that we are not battling with physical weapons, but against “strongholds”
“arguments and every high thing
that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought
into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
d.
Vs. 11
speaks of the wiles of the devil.
Like the devices of the devil in
2 Cor. 2:11 this refers to
his weapons with which he seeks to attack us.
1 Peter 5:8 describes him
as a roaring lion, “seeking whom
he may devour.”
The point: SATAN has weapons and he will use them.
We need to prepare ourselves so that His weapons will not pierce
us AND so that we can possibly defend others as well.
a.
As
mentioned earlier, 3 times in our text the word “stand” is used.
In all of them it has reference to us putting on the armor of
God.
b.
Put
on the WHOLE armor –
Vs. 11, “Put
on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand.”
Vs. 13 - “Therefore, tae up
the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil
day, and having done all, to stand”.
It needs to be mentioned that if we are to be effective in this
battle we need the entire ensemble.
One thing emphasized of soldiers is that they must learn to carry ALL of
their gear and wear ALL of their protection.
To leave off any piece is to render oneself vulnerable in that
area.
Christians are to be equipped –
2 Tim. 3:16-17 tells us
that with scripture we can be “complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 2:21, “Therefore
if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel of
honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good
work.”
Even
1 Peter 3:15 implies this,
“…and always be ready to give a
defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you…”
c.
In
describing our armor, Paul mentions various pieces of the soldier’s gear
and equates it to characteristics that will help us STAND FAST as well
as engage in battle. In fact
as he begins to describe the armor he says in vs. 14, “Stand therefore having
girded your waist with truth…”
The gospel armor consists of:
i.
The
girdle of truth – the
“girdle” was not an ornamental piece of clothing, rather it was the hub
of the uniform which kept all the other pieces of armor together.
It was around the waist and was designed to be loosened when
there was a need to move and tightened in the heat of battle.
IF we are to fight the battle we need TRUTH!
TRUTH can mean two things:
1.
The
truth of God’s word
– John 17:17 - His word
sets us apart.
1 Thess. 2:13 where Paul
commended them he noted how they had received “the
word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of
men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively
works in you who believe.”
2.
Our
confidence in that word –
1 Peter 1:13 says, “Therefore
gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon
the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus
Christ.”
John 8:31-32, Jesus said,
“If you abide in My word, you are
MY disciples indeed. And you
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
3.
BOTH
are needed! Unless we have TRUTH on our side, we are fighting this
battle in vain! Unless we
have TRUTH, we will not fight fervently NOR will we STAND FAST!
ii.
The breastplate of righteousness
– a piece of armor that covered the neck and torso and was designed to
protect the vital organs.
Equivalent to the bullet proof vests worn by soldiers and police
officers today.
1.
Our
“breastplate” is righteousness.
The word righteousness means, “the
character or quality of being right or just.” (Vine’s). It used to
be spelled, “rightwiseness” which describes what we are talking about.
2.
Righteousness means that we are living right!
Our lives have integrity, justice, character, holiness, purity
and honesty. We live above
reproach! Romans 6:13 says, “And
do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin,
but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your
members as instruments of righteousness to God.” The Christian needs
to live an honorable and godly life!
3.
It is also
needed in our battle. If we
are not living rightly we are not going to fervently fight for the
cause. We may render lip service, but we will waver and doubt.
We will not STAND FAST!
iii.
Feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace – if any
soldier is to be effective in battle, they need to protect their feet.
It provides them with the ability for swift movement and
protection. The Roman
soldier was no different, having leather sandals or some sort of boot,
probably with spikes (like cleats) to give traction and help as they
pushed forward. They were
designed for forward
mobility! It has been said
that Roman Soldier’s armor was designed to make retreat difficult.
1.
Our feet
are to be shod with the gospel of peace – I find it interesting here
that PEACE is mentioned while dealing with military armor.
But is that not the objective?
To gain peace?
Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Sometimes to MAKE peace, we have to fight.
We need to use the gospel of peace –
Romans 10:15 speaks of, “How
beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things.”
2.
There are
so many avenues of peace afforded by the gospels – peace with God, with
ourselves and with one another.
With God’s word we can solve all sorts of conflicts!
3.
Perhaps
the main point in this illustration is found in the word, PREPARATION.
In our spiritual battle we MUST be prepared!
1 Peter 3:15 (again) tells
us to be ready to give a defense.
2 Timothy 2:15 calls for
us to study so that we can “rightly divide the word of truth.”
2 Cor. 2:11 says, “we are not IGNORANT of his devices.”
Are we?
4.
When we
are prepared, we are ready to STAND FAST!
iv.
The shield of faith – a shield made of leather, and often reinforced.
This shield was the long shield.
It measured about 4 feet by 2 ½ feet.
Used in formations, but was also mobile enough to move so that it
could repel fiery arrows, sword slashes and spears.
1.
It is
obvious that if we are to be prepared in battle we need faith.
Hebrews 11:6 – we have to
trust God and believe Him.
1 John 5:4 - says, “For
whatever is born of God overcomes the world.
And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.”
1 Peter 5:8-9 which warns
of the devil walking about as a roaring lion tells us, “resist
him, steadfast in the faith.”
2.
With
faith, it doesn’t matter from which direction the devil hurls his darts.
We are prepared and we simply redirect our protection toward his
charges and then we STAND FAST!
v.
The helmet of salvation
– it is obvious why in battle the head needs to be protected.
A wound to the head can be fatal. Romans soldiers wore helmets,
just like virtually every army.
1.
For us,
this piece of armor represents our hope.
It is WHY we do what we do.
It is why we are engaged in battle in the first place.
Paul repeated this description in
1 Thess. 5:8, “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of
faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”
2.
There are
many in this life who give up and quit serving God when times get tough.
They have surrendered to the enemy.
In their own lives, Satan has won.
How tragic as the scriptures warns of their fate!
But the prepared Christian, engaged in battle knows there is
something better waiting for him beyond this life (cf. Heb. 11:39-40; 1
Peter 1:6-9) . Therefore he
STANDS FAST!
vi.
The sword of the Spirit which is the word
of God – up to this point we
have noted the armor of the soldier.
It is primarily defensive to protect.
Here we have the only OFFENSIVE weapon – the sword.
In Rome there were at least two different types of swords.
This one, was a short, personal sword (machaira), like a dagger.
The point is this was
a PERSONAL weapon, wielded by the solder to defend himself and to ENGAGE
the enemy.
1.
Friends,
we need to use the word of God to go out and FIGHT our enemy!
We need to have confidence in the power of the gospel (Romans
1:16). It is described as
being sharper than a two-edged sword in
Heb. 4:12 (same sword as
our text).
2.
With use,
we will be able to teach others and further the borders of God’s
kingdom. Don’t be caught
merely cowering in the building waiting to fight off the enemy.
Go out and fight and STAND FAST!
vii.
One other
important piece of “equipment” is mentioned in vs. 18, “Praying always
with all prayer and supplication…”
A key element to engaging in battle is communication.
Prayer is how we communicate with
God. Take advantage of this
blessing as a Christian. You
don’t have to fight this battle alone.
With God’s help we can all STAND FAST!
A study of the Roman army is very interesting. The Jewish historian, Josephus, in The Jewish War, described the Roman army by noting, “Every soldier is every day exercised, and that with great diligence, as if it were in time of war, which is the reason why they bear the fatigues of battle so easily” (Book III, Ch. 5, p. 17). It was this discipline that made them such a great army. However, it did not remain that way.
Edward
Gibbon, in his work, The Decline and Fall
of the Roman Empire had this to say about one of the causes of
the fall of the Empire, “The relaxation of discipline and the disuse of
exercise rendered the soldiers less able, and less willing, to support
the fatigues of the service ; they complained of the weight of the
armour, which they seldom wore ; and they successfully obtained the
permission of laying aside both their cuirasses and their helmets. The
heavy weapons of their ancestors, the short sword and the formidable
pi/um, which had subdued the world, insensibly dropped from their feeble
hands. As the use of the shield is incompatible with that of the bow,
they reluctantly marched into the field ; condemned to suffer either the
pain of wounds or the ignominy of flight, and always disposed to prefer
the more shameful alternative. The cavalry of the Goths, the Huns and
the Alani had felt the benefits, and adopted the use, of defensive
armour ; and, as they excelled in the management of missile weapons,
they easily overwhelmed the naked and trembling legions, whose heads and
breasts were exposed, without defence, to the arrows of the Barbarians.
The loss of armies, the destruction of cities, and the dishonour of the
Roman name ineffectually solicited the successors of Gratian to restore
the helmets and cuirasses of the infantry. The enervated soldiers
abandoned their own and the public defence ; and their pusillanimous
indolence may be considered as the immediate cause of the downfall of
the empire.
Brethren, let us not
let down our guard and relax.
Instead, let us stand up and fight the battle for truth and STAND
FAST fully prepared to engage the battle for our souls and the souls of
others. Instead of
apologizing for the gospel, let us contend for it (Jude 3).