Stand Firm
Epistle to the Ephesians
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Eph 6:13-15
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist
Pastor Alan tells us this belt is one of those massive belts of a champion. Belts are practical. They hold up your pants or they hold your tools. One of the biggest tools we have to be able to stand and keep on standing is to know who our God is. Of course, we all know who God is, right? I made a list according to scripture and I encourage you to make your own list. I read my list every day. Here are some of my bullet points:2
He is the Holy One (1 Sam. 2:2)
Apart from God there is no Savior (Is 43:11)
Redeemed me, summoned me by name; claims me as “mine” and created me for his glory (Is. 43:2) – I really like knowing that God knows my name and claims me!
The God who makes me a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17)
He sets my path before me (Josua 1) – even cancer.
My Lord, my Rock, my Redeemer (Psalms)
Light of the world (John 8:12)
Adoni Elohim – My Lord and my God (John 20:28)
Intercessor (Rom 8:26-27)
Advocate (John 14:16, 14:26; 1 John 1:2)
Guides us into all truth (John 15)
My list takes up one and one-third side of paper. There is so much more. I have read this almost every day since 2020 because I need to constantly to remind myself of WHO God is. My God is in charge. My God is my champion. Pastor Alan kindly reminds us that God is our champion and Satan is already defeated. I challenge you to make your own list and start reading it.2
I can stand firm because I know who God is and who my champion is. I pick up that belt and put it on!
Here’s another important point to remember, the next item, the breastplate of righteousness, is not my righteousness. It is not what I “have done for God.” It is not my church attendance or my Bible study. It is Christ. He is my righteousness. It is always Christ. His sacrifice makes me worthy. He is the one who gives me the right to be called a child of God. His righteousness is what makes me a joint heir with him. It is because of Christ that I can call the Father, daddy.2
Put the belt around your waist. Buckle it tightly. Strap on the breastplate of Christ’s righteousness. You are preparing for battle. Now prepare for the shoes of peace.
The shoes of peace. This is such an interesting concept, and it has its roots in the well-known passage of Isaiah 53:
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
Before you put on these shoes of peace – take off your dirty socks. Take off attitudes, habits, tempers, and lifestyles – Gentile futility of thinking – and instead, take on everything that shows you are children of Light. That breastplate of righteousness, which is Christ, is going to expose your dirty socks. Don’t cling to dirty socks. Instead get rid of that vileness and imitate Christ.2
When I was about six, I and a group of other pastor’s kids, surrounded Stuart Hamblin. His father was the founder of the denomination that I grew up in – he was a pastor’s kid too. He had become a great gospel singer, but the extraordinary draw was that he was a real cowboy. You know, Saturday morning television movies type cowboy. He also had a ranch and raised horses for movie sets. He was enmeshed into Hollywood. He had lived an often-drunken life far from Christ and had returned to the Lord. He must have been talking about always walking with the Lord and not getting off that path. Someone asked him, “What is the worst thing you have ever done?” Mindful of who he was talking to, because he had not lived a good life he answered, “My mama always told me to wear socks.” He pulled his foot out of his boot and said, “I don’t wear socks.” Stuart Hamblin went on to write many gospel songs you may have heard: Until Then, Help Thou my Unbelief, and more.
Put on the belt of truth – know who God is.
Put on the breastplate of righteousness – that’s the glory of who Christ is.
Put on the shoes of peace – Christ’s own punishment gives us peace, and we rid ourselves of anything that is vile within.
More tools are coming, get ready to stand firm.