Making a StandSample

God’s Call

In Ephesians 6, Paul advises the saints to take their stand against the devil’s schemes. That word, "stand," in the Greek comes from a word meaning "to set, put in place, and establish." It is also used to refer to one who does not waver or hesitate. The term means to keep oneself in an upright position, to take up or maintain a specified position or posture, to be in a position to gain or lose because of an action taken or a commitment made, to endure or undergo successfully, to tolerate without flinching, to bear courageously, and to remain firm in the face of pressure.

Throughout history, God’s call to those who serve Him has been to make and take a stand. When God spoke to Jeremiah, God said, “Get ready. Stand and say whatever I command you. Do not be terrified.” To Ezekiel, God said, “Son of man, stand up and I will speak to you.” Then, the Spirit of God came into Ezekiel and raised him to his feet. To Daniel, God said, “Consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you and stand up,” and Daniel stood up, trembling.

In the New Testament, on Pentecost, Scripture says that the Holy Spirit filled the house where Jesus’ followers were sitting together. After experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit—the fire of God, the communication vehicle of God—Scripture says Peter and the other apostles stood up. The Holy Spirit brought them from a place of fear to a place of courage. Later in the book of Acts, to the apostle Paul God said, “Now get up and stand on your feet, I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness.”

In the age in which we live, principalities and powers want us to run away. They want us to cower, fall back, retreat, regroup, and recoil. But God is calling us to stand at this moment, to take a stand in the face of the enemy and trust that God will bring the victory.