Philippians 1.27-28
“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents.”
The apostle Paul gives us six directives in this passage:
- Live the standards of the gospel.
- Be an example.
- Stand firm.
- Be unified.
- Work together.
- Defeat fear.
Today we look at the third directive for authentic Christianity: Stand Firm. Read the New Testament carefully and you will notice that “stand firm” is a consistent theme. A distinguishing characteristic of an authentic follower of Christ is the faithfulness and discipline to stand firm in response to the challenges of life.
In the Greek text, the word for “stand firm” is steko. It is a military term that defines the warrior ethos. It defines the spirit of a warrior. Steko describes three attributes — three disciplines — of how an authentic Christian stands firm in response to the situations of life and work.
1) Be prepared.
Steko describes a warrior, a follower of Christ, who has prepared himself to fight and win. The true warrior can stand firm in battle because he is skilled in the use of his weapons, and he is skilled because he has been trained. He has done the work to prepare. So it should be with God’s people. Standing firm in today’s world requires training. It requires building discipline and skill into your life so that you are prepared to fight and win the spiritual battles you will face.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6.10-11)
2) Hold your point.
Steko describes a warrior, a follower of Christ, who in the midst of a battle holds his position and defeats the enemy. It’s a warrior who holds his point. A warrior is part of a unit, and in that unit he has a position. He has an assignment. The true warrior does his job. He holds his point. He stands firm.
“Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” (2 Chronicles 20.17)
3) Be relentless.
Steko describes a warrior who is relentlessly persistent and continues to stand firm and hold his point not just once, but again and again and again. The true warrior — the authentic Christian — is tenacious. Unrelenting. Relentless. “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16.13)
It is worth noting that Paul begins the last chapter of Philippians with a final admonition to steko … to stand firm. “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord.”
(Philippians 4.1)
It is essential that the Christian community in the 21st century stand firm. It is particularly important that we stand together as Paul says in Philippians 1: “Stand firm in one spirit.” We will discuss that principle next.
The Lord is calling.
