Stand Firm

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.  Philippians 1:29

From Guest Blogger Colin Proft:

The Philippians were undergoing the same things that Paul and Silas had experienced in Acts 16:16-24. They were being intimidated. Some of them were put in prison. Others may have experienced physical punishment such as being beaten with rods or the confiscation of property. They were suffering.

Not many of us have experienced physical violence because of our faith, but there will come a time when we need to stand firm on what we believe. We live in an age where some treat corporate policy as the basis for morality. You may face pressure from your boss to do something that is immoral or illegal. Others of us may be scorned for believing in God.

For some of us, that persecution will come from our own families or close friends. We will be excluded or ostracized from our own families because of our faith. Believing in Jesus can come at a great personal cost. Yet let us remember what Jesus said to His disciples. “If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!” (Matthew 10:25).

“Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you” (1 Peter 4:12-14).

If you are persecuted for your faith, then the Spirit of God rests on you. And this (not the persecution) causes us to rejoice! We are to bear the image of God to the world, being His ambassadors — His representatives. Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).

Paul calls us to stand firm for the Gospel. He reminded the Philippians that it is the Lord of Hosts, the God of the angelic host, who fights by our side. And He will be victorious. It is God who will deliver us. And if God is for us, who can stand against us? (Romans 8:31)

Therefore stand firm and rejoice. The Lord is on our side.

Prayer: God of angel armies, give me strength to stand firm in the face of every trial and persecution. Amen.

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