Standing Firm in the Gospel: Sometimes I Stand

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.   Ephesians 6:13

As I mentioned in my last post, we have a very real enemy and we are engaged in an active battle. This is not a fight we can see with our eyes, but we sense it with our spirit. Accordingly, we must have both a good offense and a good defense in this battle.God did not drop us into the middle of a war with no weapons or armor. No! On the contrary, He has provided us with everything we need for life and godliness (2Peter 1:3) according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). 
Many more capable than I have broken down the armor of God, but today what stands out to me is the ending of this verse – “and after you have done everything, to stand.” In my life, I often feel like I am looking for the next thing I should try, the next job to do. I go through my checklist, and add to it regularly, and yet things are still not as they should be. So what am I to do? Paul put it very succinctly here. After I've done everything I can, everything I should, then I am to stand. 
 I don't get the impression that this is a passive stance, just standing around waiting for something to happen. Instead, I think this is a very active positioning. You are standing in readiness. You are alert and anticipating what is coming next. This is not an anxious posture, worried and distressed. Rather it is a pose of calm assurance. Yes, you know that difficult things may come your way, but you are certain that God’s got your back. You are secure in the knowledge that the Maker of the universe is holding you in His hands, and nothing can snatch you out of them (John 10:28-29). 
 I feel as though I have entered a season of standing. For a very long time I have been doing everything I can,  with my health, with my spiritual life, with my family. Now, I think, I am supposed to just stand, to exist in what has been done without trying to add to or improve it. As nice as this sounds, I have found that even standing can be exhausting! In fact, I wrote a post recently on how I bought a saddle stool so I didn't have to stand so long in the kitchen. 
Here's the Thing: I think that even in this God is providing and caring for me. When attack gets too hard, Jesus is my saddle stool. He props me up and stabilizes me just enough to get me through.

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