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It Is Vital To Stand Firm

by Dr. Henderson Ward  
1/15/2017 / Christian Living

Contrary winds have been blowing across the path of Christians for centuries, and over those same centuries events have occurred that were capable of destroying one’s faith in God, or debilitating the walk and witness of believers to make them ineffective. But still the faith “once delivered to the saints”, to quote Jude 1:3, refused to lie down and die.

People of different persuasions, philosophers, atheists, scientists, scholars, historians, communists, sociologists, and even some liberal theologians, are amazed, baffled, and some are perturbed that in spite of the hard going journey through the ages, Christianity has managed to survive, and even thrive.

They are surprised that Christianity has emerged virtually unscathed, and that spirituality and religion are so highly valued even in today’s godless culture of materialism and secular domination. They thought that once newfangled ideas came on the scene, ideas cultivated by people like evolutionary scientists, militant atheist, and New Age advocates, to name a few, that Christianity would not only be sidelined or submerged, but possibly killed off permanently. It has not happened, it will not happen.

Christians need to remember that all these fanciful ideas are just that, fanciful, and in time they will vanish as surely as the flat earth theory vanished after it was shown to be  just another European fantasy.

If Christianity survived the murderous external assault of the Muslims, the wretched, blood-spattered warfare of the Crusades, the internecine battles for doctrinal orthodoxy, and the enormous rupture caused by The Reformation, then it must have done so because of something beyond human’s ability to destroy.

That something beyond human’s ability to destroy can be identified, and as always, when you are stumped for answers, when the magicians, and soothsayers, and philosophers, and talking heads, and the willfully blind are clueless, as they so often are, then look to the scriptures for proper enlightenment.

The Bible tells us why Christianity is very much alive today, why all attempts to destroy the faith has failed, why the so-called intellectuals are baffled at its longevity and continuing appeal and vitality. The Bible puts it like this, “And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.” (Acts 5:38-39)

Whole countries, indeed entire empires, have fought against God and none has won that battle. The Babylonian Empire fought against God, and they lost, and are no more. The Persian Empire fought against God, and they also lost. The Greek Empire, that brought so much to civilization, also fought against God and lost. And the mightiest of them all, the Roman Empire, fought against God and lost too. They all lost out in the end because they turned to secularism and ungodliness as their way of life.

Even in more recent times we saw powerful countries, even so-called “superpowers”, who tried desperately to wipe out Christianity, and failed. A good example is the Soviet Union that tried to wipe out Christianity agrees perhaps that, “Religion is poison,” as Mao Tse-Tung was said to have stated. The Soviet Union failed, its legacy is now a footnote in history, but Christianity is still going as strong as ever. Believers, and indeed the whole world, should remember the mantra, “...if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it”.

In a previous article I said, “So Satan’s ploy, in pushing an evil, many-sided agenda, is to sift you, to move you away from the verities of the word of God and the Christian faith, to detach you from the groundings that will guarantee your anchorage in Christ and let you be lost.”

The tactics may differ, but the aim is always the same; to get you to relinquish your godly stand, to unbalance you, to get you into a state of uncertainty and equivocation, because it is then that you may move away from God.

Paul was very conscious of this, of the real possibility that under pressure some believers may go away from God, and so he encouraged the believers like this, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1)

The plain truth is that when some people are confronted with certain events, or when they are certain to face some upcoming challenge, they allow themselves to be intimidated. It is true that some challenges can be tough, but challenges also provide opportunity for you to see God at work if you stand your ground.

Let us be mindful of what happened to Moses when he led the Israelites out of Egypt, and was confronted by the formidable challenge posed by the Red Sea. God was about to do something unheard of, something spectacular, and mighty, but first, Moses had to stand firm and keep his cool, and not allow the Israelites to panic. Moses did as God instructed and was able to achieve success, “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord”, and as we say the rest is history.

The Apostle Paul was the most persecuted and abused apostle of Jesus Christ, the list of some of his sufferings is listed in 2 Corinthians 11: 23-25, and before he finally left Asia Minor he called the leaders to say goodbye, made them aware of his upcoming tribulations and ended the discourse with these words:

“And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.” (Acts 20: 22-23) It was going to be perilous going forward, undoubtedly not something to look forward to, but Paul was determined, “But none of these things move me” (Acts 20: 24) 

Believers everywhere are in a similar situation, no one is immune from the assaults of the enemy; although the specifics may vary. As long as you are a believer, no matter how strong your faith, or where on this planet you live, you will be sorely tested. And if, for some reason or another you think you are different, then I warn you what the Bible says, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)

So how are we to make sure we stand firm in the faith?

Here are some things believers can do to stand firm in the faith.

1. Refresh your belief in God and his power to aid you. It is often the case that we get lulled into a state of helplessness, and forget that God is the God of miracles, and can do what to us might seem impossible. Just like a Christian revival, certain bad habits can diminish our fervour and reliance on the Almighty God and his power, and we are not firing on all cylinders. We often know the scriptures, but do not bother to petition God to act on his word, like here, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7”14) God’s power is available to assist you, but you must not only want it, but request it in times of need. Refresh, test, evaluate; this is the way to success.

2. Refuse to be over-burdened by circumstances. This is harder than it may seem at first sight because, sometimes, tragedies in the family, and such, can be extremely tough to handle. But the excuse some believers make, that they tried, but could not help themselves, or that the pressure became too great, are instances of being over-burdened. Being over-burdened is evidence that you are taking on your shoulders what you should not. God knows what you can bear, will not place on you more than you can handle, and the Bible tells us, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22) Even when you are over-burdened, when things become too much for you, it is still time to reach out to God in faith. I believe this is what David meant when he said, “From a faraway land I call to you for help. I feel so weak and helpless! Carry me to a high rock, where no one can reach me.” (Psalm 61:2 Easy-to-Read Version)

3. Remember to focus on God and eternal things. The truth is, that there is a strong tendency to become too strongly attached to earthly things, to let matters concerning property, wealth, general matters of living, family, and the like, consume our time and attention. We must make time, quality time, to study the Bible, pray, meditate and do the spiritual things that bring us closer to God. Sometimes we forget that earthly things are trivial and fleeting, whereas the heavenly things are glorious and eternal. The Bible puts it like this: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2)

What we know, what is certain, is that the devil has not the power to move you if you stand firm in the faith. It is up to every believer to be strong-willed, determined, resolute, not budging from what is true and unchanging. God will give you the victory if you stand firm, “I must calm down and turn to God; only he can rescue me. He is my Rock, the only one who can save me. He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me.” (Psalm 62:1-2 Easy-to-Read Version)

Enough said.

Books by this author you may wish to read.

THINGS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW (e-book)
Volume 1 – Five tough facts to be faced
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YX5NSI

STAND UP TO THE DEVIL  (e-book)
Volume 1 – You must first identify him
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005BQVLSS

BASTARD: A STORY OF REDEMPTION(e-book fiction)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006OF3SD6

ONE MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT ON GOD’S CLOCK (Hard copy)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002X78D16

ONE MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT ON GOD’S CLOCK (e-book)

http://tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60799-630-9

Dr. Henderson Ward received his Doctor of Divinity in theology, with distinction, from Masters International School of Divinity, USA, where he is currently a post-doctoral fellow. Dr. Ward's career involved pastoring, evangelism, and teaching. Copyright 2017

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