"You got to stand for something, or you'll fall for anything" warns the old saying. There is great wisdom in the contemporary proverb, but it doesn't go far enough. The truth is that if we stand for the wrong things, we have already fallen.
Some people fall because they never take a stand. Some people fall because they stood for the wrong thing. Others fall because when they took their stand, they didn't stand firm.
Paul encourages the Ephesians, "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand, and after you have done everything, to stand" (Eph. 6:13). Paul seems to be encouraging them to take a stand and persevere in it. When the dust has cleared, we are to be the last people standing.
The greatest struggle for most believers isn't knowing what to stand for, they know that. The greatest struggle is wanting to stand. The flesh presses us to make concessions at every turn. This is too hard. It's too uncomfortable. What will people think? We undervalue the eternal rewards. As we concede to our flesh we barter long term rewards for short term pleasures. We trade what has lasting value for that which has no lasting value.
We must fight tooth and claw for the truth. We must wage war against the enemies of our soul with every fiber of our regenerated being. To paraphrase Paul, "Stand in such a way that you are still standing when it's all said and done." We must be those who persevere in the truth.
What about you, are you standing firm in the Lord? Have you ever fallen for something, because you failed to stand for something? If you have fallen, are you willing to get up and take a stand?
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