Having Done All: Stand

Having Done All: Stand

Ephesians 6:10-18

Theme: God commands us to to not give up standing for Him.

Welcome to Mountain View Baptist Church. Thank you for being in church today!

Our theme this year is Back to the Basics. As you survey where we are at this time in history, we have to ask how have we gotten here. What has happened to Christianity in America?

Do you know of the first 100 colleges in America that were founded to train preachers no longer believe the Bible is the Word of God? Some of these schools are well-known but have long departed from the faith. Harvard, Princeton, Yale, William and Mary, and Brown University.

What has happened to these schools?

The first time I remember going to church was the early 1970’s. The first church I attended was in 1972 and heard the gospel for my very first time. At least the first time I comprehended it. The building was overflowing with people, the spirit of the service was dynamic, and people were turning the Lord in large numbers. The power of God was at work and there was great conviction of sin.

What has happened to those churches of that day? There are some still alive and still preaching the gospel. However, there are some who departed from the faith. Some of the churches where was God was very much alive and working in our hearts have turned from the faith. They have adopted the woke culture and follow after the trends of the world. Some churches not only have stopped preaching against sin, but have tolerated and allowed sin in their congregation. Some don’t preach against homosexuality but rather they have pastors and assistant pastors who are homosexual. It is sad to think that a person can lead a ministry that goes against everything the Bible says.

In this passage, God gives us the reason we have come to this point in society. We stopped standing. When you stand, you don’t check the local news on what you believe, you don’t watch the latest Hollywood movie to decide what you think it is right, you don’t seek the approval of social media, but you go to God’s Word and stand there.

When you no longer stand, you will fall for anything.

When you stand on the Bible, you realize it is counter cultural to the trends of the world. Mistreatment of races, exploitation of women and children, and oppression of people’s personal lives and finances are all against the very Word of God. The reason we have come this far in society where it is believe there are 58 genders, good is called evil and evil is called good, and God and prayer is being outlawed is because we don’t stand anymore.

“I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world, than stand with the world and be judged by God.” (unknown)

When you stand, you won’t be liked. When you stand, you won’t be popular. When you stand, you won’t be understood. When you stand, the world will hate you and some will criticize you, but you can make a difference when you stand.

God is showing us here how we are to stand. In verse 12, Paul tells there is a daily battle. This is not flesh and blood, but a supernatural battle. We are not fighting our neighbors, our family members, or people of different nationalities. We are in a spiritual battle between good and evil, between light and darkness, between righteousness and unrighteousness, between God and Satan. This word wrestle means hand to hand battle.

The reason we are defeated so often is because we are fighting the battle with the wrong weapons. We are not to fight this battle physically with the flesh. We are not to fight with words of criticism or discord. We are to use spiritual weapons against the spiritual wickedness in high places.

There are three principles of winning this daily battle.

1. We are to be strong in the Lord v. 10

We are to be strong in the Lord. This means we spend time with Him. Nearness is likeness. The more time I spend with Him, the more He will strengthen me. In fact. It is the time alone with Him where we become more like Him. As we spend time with God, we allow Him to work in our lives through His Word.

The Bible illuminates our understanding, teaches us what is right and wrong, and shows us how to make right choices. It is our guidebook of life. “NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

Too many believers have become experts on everything else but the Bible. While it is good to be an expert at your work or job, this should not weaken our time with God. Nothing replaces a daily time with God.

I knew of one Christian who thought of himself as a cult expert. He thought he was stronger than he was and when he explored a cult, he got pulled right into it. This is how Satan deceives and we are lured into error.

It was recently told about a former pastor who preached the gospel here in southern CA. He was the pastor of a thriving church and in time he began to weaken his position on holy living. Before long he stopped standing on the Bible and left he ministry. He is now an professing homosexual and denies the very truths he preached for years.

If you are to build muscle and be strong, you will have to ingest the right amount of protein and eliminate bad things going in. You will also have to invest time working out. All of this is for the physical, but nothing will replace the time you invest with God. There is the strengthening process that develops through that time we spend with Him. Your spiritual muscles can only be built when you spend time with God.

When you don’t pray, you will lose the battle because you only have the flesh to resort to which always fails.

Your spiritual battle is real and God’s strength enables you conquer this daily battle when you rely on His strength. Your flesh won’t give you the strength, only spending time and getting His power.

“Trust ye in the Lordfor ever: For in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:” (Isaiah 26:4)

2. We are to put on God’s armor

Even when we stand, we stand only in the armor of God. We will need God’s amor of protection to be able to stand.

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

Because we are have let down our defenses and did not put on the armor of God and did stand in the strength of God, we have not held on to our traditions. Tradition here refers to God’s truth. In the book of Jude we learn:

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3)

Since we are at war with Satan right now, we must put on our defenses and guard ourselves against the attacks Satan throws at us. When we stand with God and in God, we will not fall into the wiles of the devil. Our standing is not a human effort, but it is God working in and through us.

If a man is to have victory over sin, he will need the strength and the power of God. If a Christian is to live Godly in an ungodly world, he will need the strength and power of God. This armor is the covering God wants us to have in the battle.

Jesus stood against sin when He went to the cross. There He died for the sin of mankind He stood against Satan to defeat sin for us.

Before you can stand before Christ and call yourself a Christian, you must put on righteousness of Christ. It is only through Him can any of us stand. Have you accepted His free gift of eternal life?

3. We are do all to stand v. 13-14a

Billy Sunday was one of America’s most beloved evangelists. Before he accepted Christ, he was a professional baseball player. Right after the liquor prohibition, he joined others in drinking alcohol and before long he was hooked on it. He would play baseball and then go to the bars to drink until he was drunk. Finally, he came to the end of himself and made his way into the Evansville Rescue Mission where he heard the gospel and accepted Christ. His life was changed and he travelled all over the country telling people about Christ. He would preach: “I hate liquor. I will preach against it as long as I have breath. When I die, I want them to skin me and put my skin on drums and beat the drums against liquor.”

Billy Sunday did everything he could to stand against the liquor industry. We need believers to stand against the liquor industry, immorality, pornography, messing with children’s gender. It is time believers stand up for truth and righteousness.

Notice: Having done all to stand, stand. God is not asking us to do anything we are unable to do. Paul is saying stand with God and on God’s truth. I cannot help but believe in 1963 when God and prayer was thrown out of the public schools our nation has cascaded downwardly because preachers and parents did not stand against its removal.

Verse 13 says the armor enables us to stand. Parents, let me encourage you to stand with God in rearing your children. Husband and wives, let me encourage you to stand with your spouses in a world where spouses are unimportant. Teens let me encourage you to stand on truth and righteousness. Live right, do right and don’t let social media and the pressure of friends ruin your life.

If you here today and have never accepted Christ as your Savior, will you choose to accept Him as your Savior? Will you turn to Him today?

If you are a Christian, will you choose to stand with Christ and His Word? The world has taken enough territory because we did not stand. Today, my challenge to you is having done all to stand, stand.