Stand

December 5, 2022

I’ve often heard people talking about “making progress” in their Christian walk; I’ve said such things myself. Nearly four centuries ago, John Bunyan used such language in the title of his allegorical book, “The Pilgrim’s Progress,” which at one time was second only to the Bible in popularity in the English-speaking world. But what happens when we get stalled, when there is no discernible progress? What does this mean for the Christian life?

Some have said such things as, “If you aren’t moving ahead, you’re going backwards,” implying that a lack of progress is actually regress because of course, God is always on the move. I wonder about that. God is continually at work; this I believe, but I’m not sure he is always “moving forward.” How else can we explain St. Paul’s words in Ephesians when he tells his readers to

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore…”  —Ephesians 6:11, 13-14 

Four times in these few verses, Paul tells them simply to stand. Not to move forward, not to “make progress,” but merely to stand. This is comforting to me. Sometimes standing is all you can do. Sometimes life gets so convoluted, so confusing or difficult that it’s all you can do to simply stand your ground. You read your Bible faithfully, but the words seemed lifeless to you. You tried to pray, but words wouldn’t come. You didn’t retaliate when you were goaded or humiliated. You came out of it beaten down and discouraged, but you didn’t quit. 

Some battles are won not by advancing, but by refusing to yield ground to the enemy. It doesn’t look as glorious as an advance, but it may be all you can do right now, and the fact that you haven’t yielded is proof enough of the power of the Holy Spirit and grace of God in your life. Sometimes you look at the battlefield rubble all around you, amazed that you’re even alive. You stood your ground, you didn’t give in or give up, and it took everything you had to stay in the fight, but you did. “Having done all,” you stood. Be encouraged by God’s Word:

“As a father pities his children, 

So the Lord pities those who fear Him. 

For He knows our frame; 

He remembers that we are dust.”

—Psalm 103:13-14 

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

—Hebrews 4:15-16 

God knows you. He understands you. He loves you. If you are still standing, it is enough.