This week our prayer pastor, Geannine Lebude spoke from Ephesians 6:
Today I want to look at how we are called to stand, through trial, accusation, disease, and even death. But in order to stand we must first understand where we are positioned in Christ and how to allow ourselves to be transformed by the Holy Spirit into His character.
In Ephesians 6:10-20 Paul tells us to stand three times. And all three times He tells us to stand against the enemy. He then explains to us what tools we have been given in which to stand. Watchman Nee states in his book Sit, Walk, Stand “ Every Christian must learn to stand. Each one of us must be prepared for the conflict. We must know how to sit with Christ in heavenly places and we must know how to walk worthy of him down here, but we must also know how to stand before the foe.” He continues by stating “ For no Christian can hope to enter the warfare of the ages without learning first to rest in Christ and in what he had done, and then, through the strength of the Holy Spirit within, to follow him in a practical, holy life here on earth”
Sitting in Christ means to rest our entire weight, which includes our past, present, and future and every aspect of our lives upon Him. By resting in Christ we no longer bear the weight of our lives and rest everything on Him. We rest because we know what the Father has done for us. He sent His son as a ransom and has given us eternal life. Christ provided us with the victory.
Walking describes the practical outer work of the heavenly position here on earth. Walking describes the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is our transformation into the likeness of Christ.
Paul tells us to stand! Standing means holding our ground. This is a relief on some level because we are not told to attack or march into enemy territory. So, where are we standing? We are standing on God’s ground and therefore ours that the enemy is trying to steal. This is where sitting comes into play. If we are truly seated in the heavenly places and living in the accomplished work of the Cross we do not need to struggle to gain a foothold. The ground beneath us is sure.