Only Those Who Sit Can Stand
ICS Daily Devotions
Ephesians 6:14-15 (Amplified) So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news].
In the old days, the soles of Roman soldiers’ sandals, as illustrated by the Apostle Paul, had studs to help them to grip the ground and stay firm.
We are aware of the good news of the gospel of peace with God. Therefore, we should not be easily deceived by the devil. The sandal of the gospel of peace will help us to stand firmly and steadily without being moved. There is no longer any animosity between God and us because Jesus has dealt with the sin issue that separated us from Him.
We are more than conquerors because Christ has won the victory. Christ’s victory has enabled us to sit with Him in the heavenly places beside the Father. We did nothing to achieve the victory. As a result, we are more than conquerors. It is God’s perfect love that has placed us in that position.
The truth that holds everything in our lives together, including all the pieces of armour, is the belt of truth. The truth is that it is God’s good pleasure to have us adopted as His children. We are blessed with all the spiritual blessings in Christ. We have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and our sins have been forgiven. Therefore, we have peace with God. The Holy Spirit resides in us as a seal of our redemption. We are accepted in the Beloved, and are co-heirs with Christ. We have been crucified with Christ, buried with Him, and raised to a new life!
Our righteous position is the most fiercely attacked by the devil. The breastplate protects the heart, the most vulnerable part of the body. The devil is a deceiver, so he will cast doubts in your mind about God’s love for you and cause you to think that God is the source of your problem when, in fact, it is the devil who is killing, stealing, and destroying your life!
The devil, the accuser of the brethren, will always condemn us and make us feel unworthy. However, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! Once condemned because of the weakness of the flesh, we are no longer condemned because we are in Christ. The first spiritual attack always targets our position in Christ and our identity as a child of God. He attacks our standing before God by bringing charges against us, making us feel small, insignificant, and unworthy to do anything for the Lord, when we are supposed to accomplish great exploits for the Lord.
Watchman Nee writes in his book, Sit, Walk, Stand: The Process of Christian Maturity, “Only those who sit can stand”. Therefore, we must know that we are already seated with Christ in the heavenly places and how He sees us in Christ. Otherwise, it would be tough to engage in spiritual warfare with confidence and faith.
Sermon Series: Cell Group Campaign (Stand)
