Stand Firm

“Mom!” my five-year old cries. Her pupils shake with fear. She’s drifting down the creek caught up in a swift current.

I call to hear, giving her instructions, telling her to stay calm. But, I’m out of arm's reach, helping her younger sister stay afloat in the water.

My daughter’s too scared to think rationally, and she’s drifting further and further away faster than I can catch her.

“STAND UP!” I yell.

She stretches her legs into the shallows, no longer caught in the current. The water’s height only reaches up to her hip. She’s grounded. She’s safe.

A giggle of relief slips from her lips. Avoiding the danger was as simple as standing firm.

I left the woods that day thankful for the supernatural message that stuck with me beyond the passing fear: stand firm.

From my daughter’s perspective, she did nearly everything she could to escape the rapids. She kicked her feet, she waved her arms, she tried her best to swim out of the strong current, but everything she tried failed. It wasn’t until she realized that she was taller than the water was deep that she found peace and safety.

This makes me think of Ephesians 6, when Paul is equipping us with the knowledge of the armor of God. In this passage we are told to “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 NIV)

The part that I get hung up on is the last phrase: “and after you have done everything, to stand.”

When I encounter spiritual warfare it comes masked in mundane tasks, petty arguments, stress, anxiety, and worry. Sometimes it feels like I’ve done everything to combat the struggle. I eat better, I try to get more sleep, I cut down on obligations and commitments. But, really, all God is asking me to do is stand firm; stand on the foundation of His word.

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11 NKJV)

Jesus is my foundation.

I think back to a moment of crippling anxiety after my fourth child was born. In the quiet of my kitchen I called out to God, “Jesus!” And, in that moment I felt a warmth consuming my body like a cover of loving arms wrapping me up from behind. Tears streamed down my face when I realized all I had to do to combat the mental warfare was call out to Him—to stand firm in His promise that He would never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5).

There’s an account in the Bible where Jesus walks on water. In the disciples' fear, Jesus calls for Peter to join him on the waves.

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

(Matthew 14:28-31 NIV)

A lot of times, when I’m in the middle of the struggle or the spiritual battle, I allow myself to get consumed by the circumstances. I let worry take the wheel. I let anger steer my decisions. All the while, Jesus is asking me to keep my eyes on Him. Then, and only then will I be able to stand firm in the most physically impossible circumstances. He gives me so much peace when I trust in Him, when I keep my eyes on Him, and when I stand firm on His foundation. That’s when I can withstand the wild currents of life or the spiritual attacks of the enemy. Because, I won’t ever drown when I’m standing firm on Him.