How to Stand Firm in Faith Amidst the Storm
In a world where we are called to stand firm in grace, why does it seem like so many of us are sitting down? There are many Christians who are giving up on their faith because they don’t understand what it means to stand or because they don’t understand grace in general. Peter, however, understands grace. We are talking about a man who told Jesus he would never turn away from him, only to deny Jesus in his time of need three times—all in one night. He was so stricken with grief with what he had done that he ran away all while Jesus went on to die on the cross, be buried in the tomb, and be raised again.
Upon being raised, the Lord went off to find Peter and restore him to his place in the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells Peter and all of us that we are called to have a place in this Kingdom. All he asks of us? To stand firm in our faith.
How Do We Stand Firm Through Trials?
To stand does not mean we are to throw punches at the Devil—it's not about physical confrontation but about our spiritual posture. As Christians, it is expected to feel tired from all our sins, tired of praying to God, and feeling as though we aren’t getting the answers we desire.
Our dwelling on what we don’t want to do only leads us to live in that sin more because the truth is what you dwell on will be what you dwell in. If we dwell on our anxieties, then we will live in our anxieties, and if we dwell on our depression, we are going to live in that depression.
These following verses are to remind us that our struggles in our sin, guilt, and shame are covered:
Philippians 4:8-9 reads, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you have learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
Colossians 3:1 says, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.”
Our job is to rest in that victory and make it a habitual reminder. If we shift our mindset from dwelling on our sins and instead, dwelling on our victory, it may just change our lives.
There may be a part of you that won’t fully believe in God’s grace because we are programmed to think that this is not possible—something the world has taught us. It is not our job to fight Satan. Our job is to withstand the enemy’s attacks by correctly understanding grace.
Clothing Ourselves in God’s Armor
As Peter writes in Ephesians 6:10-20, "Be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you can stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 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. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you can resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then, after the battle, you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep speaking boldly for him, as I should.”
Our defense mechanism is to fight Satan in our daily lives instead of resting on the victory of Jesus. He doesn’t say to pick up the sword, swing it at the Devil, and cut off his head. Peter says to start praying through the hard times, that these are our armor pieces. This is in the Bible and something we should declare over our lives. Nothing in this piece of scripture says retreat in every moment; it says to stand firm.
Walking in God’s Grace
We must trust that God has us in these moments. In Greek, the word “stand” translates to being secure, strong, and established. So why are we sitting down when God is asking us to stand? The Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the grave lives inside us as long as we believe in him. We should live confidently and walk into every situation with our heads held high because we stand in the victory he has given us. To understand this lifts off a weight that we willingly carry on our shoulders. God’s grace is the only plan of salvation—it is divine generosity in the most seemingly mundane places. Something we couldn’t earn and we don’t deserve but we certainly can stand firm in.
