Take Your Stand!

Ephesians 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (KJV)

            The Bible tells the story of a man named Job who was upright in the sight of the Lord. He was very careful to stay away from the appearances of evil and God found no fault in him. Despite his attempt to live an upright life, Job encountered trials that were far beyond what he could possibly understand. He lost everything that he had including his ten children. Not only did he lose his material possessions and family, he also became ill with painful boils all over his body. 

            No one could understand how Job, being an upright man, could encounter such an attack. His friends thought that surely he had done something wrong against God and was being punished for his unrepentant sin. However, this was not the case and Job unsuccessfully tried to explain this to his friends. Nevertheless, they still didn’t believe him. To make matters worse, Job’s own wife told him that it would be better for him to curse God and die. A God who would allow such pain and suffering to be placed on someone who had done all they could to reverence Him surely wasn’t deserving of such loyalty or was He? 

            Did his wife have a point? Was God to blame for the misery that Job was going through? Was God a cruel taskmaster who didn’t care about His loyal subjects? Was she correct in saying that he was better off dead than alive? Of course not! And Job let her know as much by calling even the thought of being defiant to God foolish talk.Job 2:9-10 His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (NIV) In the midst of pain and heartache, Job still stood firm in his faith in God. He could have given up and followed the advice of his wife, but he was not about to let even a loved one deter him in his loyalty to God. 

            Paul lets us know that by putting on the whole armor of God, it helps us to stand our ground against the wiles of the enemy. In the case of Job, the enemy was using his wife to make him doubt God and turn against him. If Job had listened to the advice of his wife, he would have forfeit the restoration of blessings that God was going to give to him. However, just as Job stood firm and did not turn away from God, we must also do the same. As women warriors for Christ, we must maintain full military gear and be ready to fend off the darts of doubt, unbelief, and fear that will be thrown at us in the face of trials. The devil will sometimes use those closest to you to throw you off course. Nevertheless, we must stand firm and never give up on the plans that God has for our lives even when it becomes difficult. 1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. (NIV) 

Even though the above passage says, “Be men of courage,” it also applies to us as women. We are to be women of courage because we have a Heavenly Father who has our back and will fight on our behalf. Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (NIV) Don’t let the enemy get you down. Stand firm and know that God will fight for you.

 

These Devotions for Women will be available in print at Amazon.com December 2015. Nice gift to add to your Christmas stocking.