Wednesday-Resist and Stand

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

1 Peter 5:9

There are so many things that are hard to depend on. But living here in Florida, one of the things that you can absolutely depend on is never being surprised by a hurricane. The National Weather Service, a department of the United States government, has all sorts of technology in the air and on the ground to predict the weather.

But that’s only the beginning. It seems like every television and radio station has their own people watching and reporting on the weather. And then there are cable stations and websites with their own take on the weather.

So, when it comes to a hurricane, no one is ever surprised. They never just appear out of nowhere. There’s no such thing as a popup hurricane. Satellites are looking down from space, watching for tropical depressions that can turn into a hurricane. Sophisticated computer software creates the now famous “spaghetti models” that show all the different possible ways that the storm might turn.

And as the storm turns into a hurricane, you can watch it on your television, computer, and phone. They keep showing it spinning. And spinning. And spinning. The word “devastation” is used over and over. As it moves closer and closer, everyone panics more and more until no more food, water, or gas is left to buy.

Just like you can absolutely know that a hurricane is coming, we can also know that our enemy is coming. The devil, who wants nothing but the absolute worst for us, is coming for us. They are coming at us. They are coming to take us down. To take us out.

So, what are we to do? While it’s wise to evacuate and leave the path of the storm, there’s no place where we can go to escape from our enemy. This is why Peter tells us to do these two things to survive and grow through the attack of the devil.

·       Resist. We need to make up our minds and take our stand against the enemy. We need to hold onto Jesus and not let go. The only way to resist is to remember that we can’t fight the devil on our own. We have to put our roots down deep with our relationship with the Lord. It’s the enemy that attacks and our first response is to push back.

·       Stand firm. In addition to resisting, we must remain loyal to God and his people. And this never happens when we’re alone. Standing firm always happens when we’re shoulder to shoulder with other Christians. In one sense, our standing firm depends on the strength and closeness of the people around us.

We may not like to hear this, but that doesn’t make it untrue. Our remaining faithful to God in some ways is directly linked with our connectedness with other Christians. Our growth and maturity in Christ are connected with our relationships within the body of believers[1].

Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder.

Zephaniah 3:9

This idea isn’t very modern. After all, this is the time of the great and all-powerful individual. Each and every one of us is to stand on their own. Armed with determination and their cell phone, they can post any ideas and opinions to a worldwide audience.

But that’s not how we were made to live. After God purifies us in Jesus, then we’re to respond by calling on the name of the Lord. Through worship and praise within the gathering of God’s family, we call on the name of the Lord together. And while that’s all very nice and spiritual, there’s another step for us.

We need to serve God and one another, not as individuals, but as a group. We’re to assemble and stand shoulder to shoulder with one another. We are to live lives of faith that are connected with other faithful followers.

Our ability to resist and stand firm depends on how close we are with God and his people. If we sense that the enemy is pushing us around, then we better look closely at how close we are to the Lord and his people. And we better look really quickly.

I don’t like to ask questions like this, but if I’m to be faithful to the God who loves me and saves me, then I have to ask. So, how’s your shoulder to shoulder life doing? Are there a small group of people that you can open up to? People that you can openly admit your weaknesses and failures with? Friends that will stand with you no matter what?

Other than our connectedness with God through Jesus, there’s no more important thing that we need to do in this life than to be shoulder to shoulder with other believers. It’s the only way to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ[2]. It’s also the only way to be able to resist and stand against our enemy. It’s time to stand together.

Noodling Questions

• Describe a time where the strength of someone else helped you to stand.

• Is it easier for you to resist or to stand? Explain.

• List three ways you can help the people around you to resist and stand.

[1] 1 Corinthians 12:26

[2] 2 Peter 3:18