Standing firm...

I recently completed writing some Bible study materials for young people and families. (Read here.) One of the tools we often use when studying a whole chapter of the Bible is to identify what words or ideas are repeated within the text. If something is repeated again and again, it is probably an important truth to be grasped from that passage, and something that we should pay attention to.

When re-reading in Ephesians 6 this morning, I was struck by how often the idea of standing firm is repeated in the text. Throughout the description of the spiritual armour, there seems to be a recurring theme of perseverance:
vs 10: Be strong
vs 11: Take your stand
vs 13: able to stand your ground... and, in the end, to stand
vs 14: Stand firm, then

Our perseverance sends a powerful message to the enemy. It declares that we are commimtted to God and are not going to give up. But our standing strong needs to be in God’s power (vs 10) and needs to be bolstered by prayer (vs 18) - prayer that is also “in the Spirit” and characterised by tenacity: “Be alert and always keep on praying....”

Prayer and perseverance; they are the important foundation of our spiritual battle. Just by standing firm, and by not giving up, we are waging warfare against the enemy.