Standing is Underrated

Romans 6 and Galatians 5 have impacted my life more than any other scripture passages in the Bible. For years, my life was filled with the pain that came from living a life of bondage, and the truths I learned from these two chapters set me free. If you’ve never heard my testimony there’s a link at the bottom of this post.

Romans 6 is all about how to become free from bondage while Galatians 5 is about staying free. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than fighting to become free, only to fall right back into bondage, and yet it happens to so many. It happened to me until I learned what it meant to stand. Paul actually begins Galatians 5 with this truth:

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery Galatians 5:1(NIV)”

This is a truth I often share when someone asks me for counsel, and honestly,  I can tell it’s usually not what they want to hear. Why is standing so underrated? I believe it’s because of the two misconceptions below

Misconception # 1: Standing means doing nothing… 

When all hell breaks loose, let’s be honest, we usually take matters into our own hands, or rather we try to control and manipulate things to ensure our desired outcome. Standing ensures God’s outcome and if you don’t know this already, His outcome is always better than ours.

Standing is in no way passive. The word standing is actually an action verb that implies a repetitive action. According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary “stand” means:

• To take up or maintain a specified position or posture
• To remain firm in the face of

When God sets us free, He brings us into a position of victory and it’s our responsibility to maintain it. We do this by submitting to God’s Word each day. That’s easier when things are going well, but when difficulties come, we often get tempted to move from our place of victory. This is not the time to move.  James 4:8 says:

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

When we stand firm: We don’t allow ourselves to be moved by the circumstances. We don’t listen to ungodly counsel. We don’t allow fear to control us. We don’t try to control our circumstances. We DO resist Satan and continue to submit to God’s will, not ours.

Misconception # 2 – Standing doesn’t accomplish much…

Standing actually accomplishes a lot! Standing gives God the opportunity to move supernaturally on our behalf. We see this in the lives of the Israelites when God delivered them from the bondage of Egypt.  As they journeyed to the promised land, the enemy pursued them and immediately they became afraid and began to doubt God.  Then Moses delivered this powerful word to them:

But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 

Exodus 14:13(CSB)

We all know what happens next. The Red Sea is supernaturally parted, and the Israelites cross over to greater freedom as their enemy is swallowed up and destroyed.

Wow. I get goosebumps when I read that. I think of my own freedom walk and how the enemy has used his scare tactics in my life. Friend, there will be times it appears as if all is lost …but it’s in those moments we have the choice to either give in to fear or stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord. Fear is never the better option.

Maybe you’re going through it right now. Remember God is faithful. He didn’t take you this far to let you fall. Will you give up your freedom, or will you stand firm knowing that God will preserve you? I think of the supernatural things God has done in my own life as I’ve stood firm. Relationships were restored, my body was healed, I discovered true peace, and my life was totally transformed. God did things in my life that only He could do as I took my hands off and continued to stand firm in my faith. Friend, don’t allow the enemy to move you from your place of victory. Don’t allow fear to cause you to take things into your own hands. Standing will not only enable you to maintain your freedom but ensure even greater freedom in your life.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.

Ephesians 6:13

Click here to view my testimony: Jill’s Testimony on YouTube