Warrior - Stand Your Ground

A few years after I became a follower of Jesus, I began dating a young woman who was also a follower of Jesus, very active in her church, and a student at a local Bible College in Ohio. We met at a Christian coffee house through mutual friends. I was flattered that she demonstrated interest in me, so we went on a few dates. I ended the relationship with her quickly after I understood a bit more about her view of God’s grace and mercy regarding physical intimacy between a man and a woman.

Shortly after I became a follower of Jesus, I attended a “True Love Waits” weekend with our student ministry. I made a commitment to keep myself pure until marriage so that I could give myself to my wife and my wife alone. I had already messed up once in this area, and I committed to the Lord I would not fall in this area again.

Would you like to know the reason I ended the relationship with this woman who was a follower of Jesus, active in her church, a student at a Bible college, and who actually thought I was attractive? Granted, it wasn’t a long relationship, but would you like to know why I ended the relationship? When we were alone together, she pressured me to sleep with her. I told her about my commitment to abstain until marriage. I explained to her that I believe “True Love Waits” and that it would be a sin if we slept together before marriage. The line she said to me that caused me to end the dating relationship was something like: “God has already forgiven us for all of our sins at the cross, so it is okay if we are sexually active. God has forgiven us.” Shortly after that, I ended it.

What she said was true: God has indeed forgiven us for all of our sins—past, present, and future. That’s true. But that doesn’t mean she was correct.

And that leads us to our sermon today, “Stand Your Ground” from Ephesians.

Ephesians 6:10-14 (NLT2)

10  A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12  For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13  Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14  Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.

Regarding spiritual warfare, one of the strategies that the devil and his demons employ is to deceive through false teaching, false teachers, and false shepherds. His strategy is to create deceptive teaching that appeals to our flesh and looks like the truth. The old expression shared for hundreds of years is true:

THE DEVIL PUTS A QUESTION MARK WHERE GOD PUTS A PERIOD.
(Matt 4:3)

Satan, false teachers, false teaching, and false shepherds design lies to have the appearance of the truth. After all, if lies looked and sounded like lies, nobody would believe them. But to deceive and attack the people of God, deception must appeal to our sinful nature and have the ring of truth to it. To be honest, there was part of me that wanted to put a question mark where God put a period.

The young woman I had been dating was attending a Bible College, and one of her Bible teachers actually taught the principle that since God has already forgiven us for all of our sins, we may as well enjoy what sin has to offer. I know because she placed me on a phone call with him, and we had a very long discussion. He tried to present it as right, but I knew, based on my relationship with Jesus, it was wrong.

He quoted scripture like:

Romans 8:1 (NLT2)

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:20 (NLT2)

God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.

Galatians 5:1 (NLT2)

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Every verse he shared with me was accurate, but it was out of context. What about in context? Well, I told him flat out he was wrong. Then I started flipping through my Bible and quoted these scriptures to him:

Romans 6:1-2 (NLT2)

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2  Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

1 Peter 2:11 (NKJV)

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

He couldn’t believe that I, an untrained new believer, was repelling his false teaching by standing firm in the truth. He continued to attempt to make me question the truth of God’s Word. He wanted me to begin placing question marks where God had already placed periods. Finally, I ended the conversation with one final scripture:

Galatians 5:13 (NLT2)

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

Look, there are no loopholes when it comes to following God in obedience. You can bet as a young 20-year-old man, I wanted physical intimacy with a woman, but I knew that God planned for physical intimacy to happen inside the boundary of marriage. That situation I faced as a young believer helped me realize the incredible power of knowing and applying God’s Word. I realized this simple truth that has become one of our guiding values today:

WHEN WE APPLY GOD’S WORD TO OUR LIVES, WE REPEL ATTACKS
(2 Tim. 3:16)

When we apply the Word of God to our lives, we repel attacks of the enemy.

2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

When Paul wrote these words to Timothy, it was instruction on how to teach others, but also instruction on how to live. If you want to live your life in a way that repels the enemy’s attacks, you must know how to apply God’s Word to your life. It is one thing to know what the Bible teaches about some things. The woman and the man who challenged me to question God’s Word knew a lot of scripture and Bible passages that could cause me to question God’s Word. And the very first thing that happens when you begin to question God’s Word is that you stop applying His Word to your life. Then you become a target for the evil one to attack, discourage, and destroy. Applying God’s Word to our personal battles, struggles, and relationships is the only absolute way to repel the attacks of the evil one.

When Jesus was tempted in the desert by the Devil in Matthew 4, He quoted scripture and spoke of the scripture as application. Since God’s Word says this, then I will live this way. Although the Devil misused and twisted the meaning of scripture that he threw at Jesus, Jesus understood the heart of God’s Word, its meaning, and precisely how to apply it to His life. All scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.

When you apply God’s Word to your life, you demonstrate that Jesus is the LORD of your life. When you do this consistently, you repel the attacks of the Devil.

When you live your life consistently in this manner, you discover that…

LIVING IN THE TRUTH MAKES YOU BRAVE
(Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10)

Living in the truth doesn’t just help us stand our ground and stand firm in the midst of a spiritual battle. Living in the truth makes us brave and gives us courage we never imagined we could experience.

Let’s take a look at two passages that teach this.

First, let’s look at something God said to Joshua.

Joshua 1:9 (NLT2)

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Now, let’s understand the context: Joshua had just taken over the leadership of Israel after Moses. He was tasked with leading God’s people into the Promised Land, a land full of enemies, battles, and unknown challenges. God wasn’t telling Joshua to muster up his own strength or bravery. He was telling Joshua that as he moved forward in obedience and lived in the truth, “I will be with you. My power and My presence will go before you.”

That kind of bravery is what you and I will experience when we live in the truth and follow God in obedience. Not bravery because of who we are, but because of who God is.

When Kristy and I accepted God’s call on our lives in December of 2022 for me to serve the Lord as the Lead Pastor of Beach Church, I did not want to be here! The church faced division in 2021, and tackling the challenges was far too much for me to handle. But I knew that if I stayed out of God’s way and let Him work, God would work great miracles… and He has.

Now, I no longer feel that way about Beach Church. I am grateful to be a part of the movement of God that we have seen. And maybe there are roles and things that God is calling you to do right now that are frightening and scary for you. Like Joshua, when we stand in the truth and live in obedience to God, we will not be alone. God is with you.

Memorize the promise of God from Isaiah 41:10:

Isaiah 41:10 (NLT2)

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

This is a direct promise from God. You will find bravery because of three things. God says:

“I am with you.” That means you will never face any situation alone.
“I will strengthen you and help you.” When you feel weak, overwhelmed, or out of options, God steps in with His strength.
“I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.” The “right hand” in biblical times symbolized strength, power, and authority. Kings and rulers often held scepters or made decrees with their right hand.

So, when God says, “I will hold you up with My right hand,” He is telling us that He is using His full strength and authority to sustain us. The word “victorious” is key!

God has already won every battle. He doesn’t operate from a place of uncertainty or defeat. He is not wringing His hands and worried about your future. God is holding us in the same hand of power that parted the Red Sea, defeated death on the cross, and raised Jesus from the grave. We are secure in His strength, sustained by His authority, and protected by His victory. Even when we feel weak, discouraged, or overwhelmed, if we walk in obedience, God holds us steady, and He will not let us fall.

OBEDIENT LIVING MAKES US BRAVE!

Whatever you are facing today, you can trust that His mighty right hand is holding you up. You are not alone, and you will not be defeated. Living in the truth makes us brave because we stand in God’s strength, not ours. His presence gives us confidence, His power gives us strength, and His promises give us peace.

So let me ask you: what are you afraid of today? What battle are you facing? Maybe it’s a temptation, a relationship, or a fear about the future. Whatever it is, God is with you.

He hasn’t left you.

He hasn’t forgotten you.

Stand in His truth and live with courage.