Stand Together

A 12 year old Lakota Sioux boy was about to become a man. all that was left was for him to pass through the warrior rite of passage ceremony and be welcomed back by the men of the tribe. His father who was also the chief of this proud nation explained to him what must take place. after a dance and the beating of drums he would be dressed in a buffalo robe and lead into the wilderness where he would stand on a stump alone in the dark all night. He was to stay standing on the stump no matter what passed by him.

And so the night came and nervously sat trough the dance and he heart pounded at twice the speed of the great drum. Then he was lead blindfolded by his father in the moonlight some 3 miles journey outside the camp and across the river to the edge of the wilderness and he was shown the stump on which he would stand.

He climbed up and began to stand and His father the chief sang a war song. The song became so faint that the boy could no longer hear it. He knew he was all alone now in his buffalo robe.

the first 30 minutes passed and the coyotes began howling. The hairs stood on the back of his neck. He felt like something was watching him in the dark. was it a bear or a wolf or a warrior from any enemy tribe.

As he stood there he felt all alone and he wanted to give up but did not know how to get back without his Father. He began to weep.

Have you ever felt abandoned or all alone? like that little Lakota boy. left to face the wilderness of life without supply or knowledge of how to get back in the dark.

We live in a culture of loneliness. people feel more isolated and alone than ever before. Social media has actually made us less social and this is having a negative effect on peoples mental health.

But also like the little Lakota boy in our story our passage today calls on us to take a stand.

Ephesians 6:13–14 (CSB)

For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore...

You see from our passage today one of the ways to strengthen our mental health is to take a stand. That is to say putting on the armor of God is an exercise in standing firm.

the word resist as in (resist in the evil day) could itself be translated stand against. ἀνθίστημι, in it root is the word stand. So in total we are told to stand in some form 3 different times in the space of a few words.

We are NOT told to attack or advance we are told to stand.

Too many Christians want to pick a fight with Satan which is probably not wise. Picking a fight with the devil will not help you mental health. He would love to be that distraction to you. He would love to have you chase him around.

What does it mean to stand? How do we Stand.

Lets look at the text and then at history and see if we can’t discover some truth we have never considered about this passage before.

From the text - We stand in God’s strength

1. His person

this is strength that comes for God not strength that we as humans somehow obtain. Be strong mean that God continually empowers us. This is not pull yourself up from your bootstraps, suck it up butter cup kind of strength. It’s source is God. We look to Him.

2. His resources (spiritual gifts)

Sometimes we need a reminder don’t we of Just have strong God is!

Philippians 4:13 ESV / 1,136 helpful votes I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Isaiah 41:10 ESV / 943 helpful votes Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV / 714 helpful votes For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV / 683 helpful votes Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Psalm 73:26 ESV / 599 helpful votes My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV / 586 helpful votes Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Joshua 1:9 ESV / 513 helpful votes Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 46:1 ESV / 506 helpful votes God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV / 477 helpful votes No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV / 460 helpful votes But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Ephesians 3:16 ESV / 344 helpful votes That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

John 16:33 ESV / 344 helpful votes I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Psalm 23:4 ESV / 327 helpful votes Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 18:1-2 ESV / 301 helpful votes A Psalm of David, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV / 264 helpful votes Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

1 Peter 5:7 ESV / 251 helpful votes Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Picture of a knight in shining armor and then a roman soldier

From History - A Roman solder’s armor and how they took a stand in rank.

There are lots of misconceptions about what this passage means because people think of this passage as a knight in shining armor.

Picture: They would use there shields of faith (we will talk about that in a few weeks). And to do tortoise formation.

The Christian life was never meant to be lived out in isolation.

In fact we are made in what the image of ______. Who is God? He is a being that exists in 3 persons. These persons are in relationship with each other. Being made in God’s image means that we are relational beings.

When we stand in unity with other believers we don’t become healthy we become holy.

Single out the Devil don’t let the Devil single you out.

When we stand together we are not alone. The Devil is the one who is soon to be isolated from God don’t pick a fight with him but isolate him by not letting him isolate you. Don’t let the Devil single you out stand with other Christians.

The little Lakota Sioux boy noticed that the sun was coming up and he realized that he had fallen asleep standing up. The morning frost could be felt on his neck and he was terrified by what might have happened to him in the night.

Just then he heard a noise behind him again and he turned to look around an it was his father the chief who must have suck up on him because he was only about 40 feet behind him.

Father I did not hear you coming.

Yes my son you did not hear me coming because I was hear all along. I stayed the night here to watch you and keep you safe. So that you would learn the lesson when you stand as a man in our tribe you do not stand alone. And as he finished saying these words several other warriors some of them being his older brothers and uncles walked out from behind the trees as well.

You may feel as if you are all along when you take a stand but God the Father stands with you and you may not see it but other Christians stand with you as well.

Big Idea: Don’t let the Devil single you out…STAND!