Stand Firm

Ephesians 6:13–14 KJV 1900

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. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

This passage is taken from our theme this year - THE ARMOR OF GOD - while I’m going to leave the armor of God pieces to others I do want to tell you that if we are Christians we are able to be equipped for any spiritual battle we may face

One soldier in South Korea, was assigned guard duty and was issued a gun and a whistle,

they quickly realized to their dismay and horror however, there were no bullets.

Brandishing their empty weapon, they asked, “What do I do if I run into trouble?”

His answer - “That’s what the whistle is for”

Well I’m not sure I would want to attempt to guard anything with only an empty gun and a whistle - and as Christians we are able to put on the whole armor of God for any spiritual battle we encounter -

What i really want to talk to you about today though is a little clause found in the passage

Ephesians 6:14 (KJV 1900)

Stand therefore,

Some other translations put it: “STAND FIRM”

I want to encourage you to stand firm in your God given convictions

Stand firm on God’s Word - be obedient to what God says

Stand firm for the TRUTH -

Don’t compromise at all

Someone has said if you give the devil an inch he’ll become the ruler

I want to illustrate what it means to stand firm with a story:

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, stood a splendid castle. It was a strong beautiful castle. It had great stone walls,and a high gateway, and turrets that rose away above the tallest trees. It was surrounded by a moat with a drawbridge.

This great castle was located in the middle of a very dark and very dangerous forest.

In and around this very dark and very dangerous forest lived many cruel giants. These Giants would come in and wreak havoc, hurt any poor traveler who happened to come through the woods when they were prowling about.

And in this Castle was a group of Knights placed there by the King of the land who had given them strict orders to keep the castle and fight the Giants and take care of any travelers who got lost in the woods.

These were a tremendous and courageous lot of Knights. Their armor glimmered in the sunlight. They had long sharp spears. They helmets with tall red plumes that could be seen from a great distance.

But as impressive as that sounds, the most impressive thing about the amazing and courageous knights were their shields.

These weren’t any common shields. These shields were magic shields. They had been made by a great magician who had lived in the castle many years before.

They were made of silver, and on some days the face of the shield would shine, so much so that you could see your reflection in it.

On other days the face of the shield would be cloudy and misty,

When the shields were first issued to the young Knights they would be clouded as by a mist and you couldn’t see your reflection.

But as you began to fight off the giants, and help the travelers in the forest and other courageous and chivalrous deeds the shield would grow brighter and brighter, so that his face would reflect in it.

But if he was lazy or cowardly, and let the giants get the better of him, or grew careless about the travelers, the knights shield grew more and more cloudy, until the knight would become ashamed to carry it.

You could pretty well tell how the knight was doing, by looking at his shield.

But that was not all...

Every once in a while when a Knight did something extraordinary or especially good or courageous or fought a particularly hard battle, and won the victory.

Not only did his silver shield grow brighter...

...right in the center of that shield right at its heart, a golden star would appear.

Usually a knight was really old and had accomplished a lot of things before he recieved a golden star.

In fact at the time of this story there was only one knight in the castle who had a gold star and that was the Lord of the Castle himself.

As out story continues, it had been a while since there had been a battle and all the giants began to get restless. Big mean ugly giants, ready to do a lot of damage you know the bully kind.

The worst of them began to gather in this big hollow not far from the castle in the very dark and very dangerous forest to battle the knights.

The knights began to make ready, and all through the castle you could hear the sounds of armor being polished and swords being sharpened.

…Now there was a young knight in the castle, named Sir Roland. He was especially eager to go to battle. He was young but his eyes were full of energy and life. And although he was young he had done enough valiant deeds that his shield had already begun to shine quite nicely.

This battle though… it would be the opportunity of a lifetime. Maybe even getting him a gold star.

On the morning of the day when they were to go to battle, they all met in the great hall of the castle to receive their orders.

Sir Roland hoped he would be put in the most dangerous place of all, so he could show what knightly stuff he was made of.

But as the lord of the castle came to him, his command was not as Sir. Roland had hoped...

“One brave knight must stay behind and guard the gateway of the castle, and that is you, Sir Roland., being one of the youngest, I have chosen you for this task.”

This so disappointed Sir. Roland, he bit his lip, and closed his helmet over his face so that the other knights might not see it. He restrained from replying angrily to the commander, and let him know how unfair it was. It wasn’t right to leave such a sturdy and well fit knight behind when he was so eager to fight.

But he refrained, and went quietly to his duties at the gate.

The gateway was high and narrow, you could only get to it by a narrow drawbridge that crossed the moat surrounding the castle.

When an enemy approached, the knight on guard would ring a great bell just inside the gate. and the bridge was drawn up so that no one could come across the moat.

The giants had long ago given up trying to attack the castle itself.

Today the battle was going to be in the dark hollow in the forest and all Sir. Roland had to do was be a common doorkeeper.

It wasn’t long until all the other knights marched out in their flashing armor, their red plumes waving over their heads, spears in hand on their way to battle.

The lord of the castle stopped only long enough to tell Sir. Roland to keep guard over the gate until they had all returned, and that no one was to enter until then.

Then they were gone. All he could see was the red plumes between the green leaves of the trees and brush and the marching of the knight’s feet as they headed off to battle.

Sir. Roland stood looking after them for a long time wishing he could be there too instead of just standing here watching a gate.

Just as he figured, it was a long time until anything happened, or any word from the battle.

but at last Sir Roland saw one of the knights come limping down the path to the castle. Sir Roland went out to meet him.

Now this was not a brave knight, he had been frightened away at the first little wound. “I have been hurt” said the knight,” I can’t fight anymore. But I could watch the gate for you, if you want to go fight in my place.”

Oh that sounded good to Sir Roland, and for a moment he seriously considered going, but then the words from the commander as he was leaving the castle,

“I would like to go,” said Sir Roland, “but a knight belongs where his commander has put him. My place is at the gate, and I cannot open it even for you. Your place is at the battle.

The other knight was ashamed when he heard this and turned and went back into the forest again.

About another hour went by as Sir Roland silently kept guard at the gate. An an old beggar woman came down the path to the castle.

She asked Sir. Roland if she might come in and have some food. He told her, “No one can enter the castle today, but he would get a servant to bring her some food.” and that she could sit and rest as long as she needed to.

She told Sir. Roland, that she had been out by the dark hollow where the battle was raging.”

Sir. Roland asked how she thought the battle was going.

“Badly for the knights I’m afraid.” said the woman

“The giants are fighting as they have never fought before. I would think you would need to go and help your friends.

Oh I would love to go, replied Sir Roland. But I have to guard the gateway of the castle and cannot leave.

A fresh knight would do a lot of good out there, said the old beggar woman,

but I guess you are one of those knights who like to keep out of fighting. You are lucky to have so good an excuse for staying at home”

and she laughed at him in a sarcastic and taunting way.

Sir Roland became angry, and wanted to show her how he could fight, but chose to again restrain himself.

At that time the servant came and gave the beggar woman some food, so Sir Roland closed the gate so he wouldn’t have to talk to her anymore.

About another hour goes by and Sir Roland heard someone calling outside the gate.

Sir Roland opened the gate, and at the other end of the drawbridge stood a little old man in a long black cloak.

What do you need, why are you knocking “asked Sir Roland

“The caslte is closed today”

“Are you Sir Roland?” said the little old man

“Yes,” said Sir Roland

“Then you ought not to be staying here when your commander and his knights are having so hard a struggle with the giants, and when you have the chance to make of yourself the greatest knight in this kingdom. Listen to me! I have brought you a magic sword.”

As he said this, the old man drew from under his coat a wonderful sword that flashed in the sunlight as if it were covered with diamonds. “This is the sword of all swords,” he said, “and it is for you, if you will leave your idling here by the castle gate, and carry it to the battle. Nothing can stand before it. When you lift it the giants will fall back, your master will be saved, and you will be crowned the victorious knight—the one who will soon take his commander’s place as lord of the castle.”

Sir Roland was sure this was a magician, as the sword appeared to be magical.

Sir Roland was so taken by the sword that he reached out his hand as though to take it, and the little old man stepped forward, as though he would walk across the drawbridge into the castle.

As he did, Sir. Roland remembered what the Lord of the Castle said as he was leaving, “Don’t let anyone enter the castle until we return.”

Sir Roland called out “NO!” to the little old man, so he stopped where he was standing.

The little old man waved the sword again toward Sir. Roland. How it glistened and gleamed in the sunlight. How it looked so perfect for him, so magical.

But Sir Roland knew he dared not look at it any longer, so he struck the great bell at the gateway, and the servant inside began to pull the great chains of the drawbridge, and it began to raise so the old man could not cross anymore, nor could SIr Roland go out.

As Sir Roland looked out across the moat, he saw something that shook him. The little old man threw off his black cloak, and as he did so he began to grow bigger and bigger, until in a minute more he was a giant as tall as any in the forest.

The giant shook his fist at Sir Roland across the moat - but knew there was nothing else he could do - so he ran off into the forest toward the dark hollow.

Sir Roland shuddered to think what would have happened had he took the sword and left the castle unguarded.

Sir Roland resolved not to open the gate again, and to pay no attention to any other visitor.

But it was not long before he heard a sound that made him spring forward in joy. It was the bugle of the lord of the castle, and there came sounding after it the bugles of many of the knights that were with him, pealing so joyfully that Sir Roland was sure they were safe and happy. As they came nearer, he could hear their shouts of victory. So he gave the signal to let down the drawbridge again, and went out to meet them. They were dusty and bloodstained and weary, but they had won the battle with the giants; and it had been such a great victory that there had never been a happier home-coming.

Sir Roland greeted them all as they passed in over the bridge, and then, when he had closed the gate and fastened it, he followed them into the great hall of the castle. The lord of the castle took his place on the highest seat, with the other knights about him, and Sir Roland came forward with the key of the gate, to give his account of what he had done in the place to which the commander had appointed him. The lord of the castle bowed to him as a sign for him to begin, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, one of the knights cried out:

“The shield! the shield! Sir Roland’s shield!”

Every one turned and looked at the shield which Sir Roland carried on his left arm. He himself could see only the top of it, and did not know what they could mean. But what they saw was the golden star of knighthood, shining brightly from the center of Sir Roland’s shield. There had never been such amazement in the castle before.

Sir Roland knelt before the lord of the castle to receive his commands. He still did not know why every one was looking at him so excitedly, and wondered if he had in some way done wrong.

“Speak, Sir Knight,” said the commander, as soon as he could find his voice after his surprise, “and tell us all that has happened today at the castle. Have you been attacked? Have any giants come hither? Did you fight them alone?”

“No, my Lord,” said Sir Roland. “Only one giant has been here, and he went away silently when he found he could not enter.”

Then he told all that had happened through the day.

When he had finished, the knights all looked at one another, but no one spoke a word. Then they looked again at Sir Roland’s shield, to make sure that their eyes had not deceived them, and there the golden star was still shining.

After a little silence the lord of the castle spoke.

“Men make mistakes,” he said, “but our silver shields are never mistaken. Sir Roland has fought and won the hardest battle of all today.”

Then the others all rose and saluted Sir Roland, who was the youngest knight that ever carried the golden star.

The devil will tempt you to let up a little here or there - it would be so much better if you were doing someone else’s job rather than just watching the gate - but stand firm - keep your post - be on guard

Luke 16:10 KJV 1900

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Ray Comfort paraphrased this verse this way:

“If I am not a straight-shooter with a pistol, He won’t let me near the cannon.”

Faithful - reliable, trustworthy, dependable

The whole point of this verse is that a person who is unfaithful in the small mundane ordinary things, cannot be trusted in the big ones.

Today it’s not Sir Roland being tested - it’s me, it you, its us

Today it’s not standing up for your rights or your convictions - it’s staying faithful at your post - no matter how insignificant or unimportant that may seem to be.

Being reliable, trustworthy, dependable

It’s not about winning stars in our crown, or being the swiftest, or strongest, or even the bravest - the one with the most miracles, or answered prayers

It’s about being faithful - keeping our post staying true to what God says whether or not that brings any recognition or notoriety.

It’s standing firm - being faithful

being faithful in your classrooms - to do your homework and respect your teachers

being faithful in your homes - respecting and obeying your parents and guardians

being faithful in what God tells us in His Word

Don’t settle for anything less than standing firm