A Note from Michael Gossett
Battle Ready: Standing Firm in Christ
On the night of April 18, 1775, the steeple of Boston’s Old North Church served as a lighthouse to alert the coming invaders. Riders sped through the countryside, waking households with urgency, saying, “The British are coming!” Farmers, shopkeepers, and blacksmiths, startled from their sleep, pulled on boots and grabbed their muskets. The air was thick with fear of what was to come, but nonetheless, with great resolve. Everyone knew that something decisive was in front of them and that their response in that moment would matter for generations to come.
Many of us know this scene in Boston. But it is with this is the same energy and urgency that Paul is writing to conclude his letter to the Ephesians. After walking the reader carefully through the grace of God that is eternal, Paul now sounds the alarm. “Finally,” he writes, “be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God…. for our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:10-12).
Our lives in following Jesus cannot be seen as neutral territory. We are already on contested ground. The question is not whether you will fight, but whether you will stand.
Knowing the Enemy
Paul begins with a sobering reality check: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (v. 12). The word “struggle” evokes the image of close combat, such as grappling, wrestling, or exhausting physical engagement. But the point is that the real opponent is not other human beings.
People may oppose you. Governments may restrict you. Friends may betray you. But Paul insists they are not the ultimate adversary. The true enemy is unseen: “the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers of this present darkness, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Notice how Paul piles up terms: rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, spiritual forces. He wants us to grasp both the scope and the seriousness of the opposition. Satan is not chaotic—though his effects are chaotic. He is organized, strategic, and deliberate. The word “schemes” points to carefully crafted methods. He attacks through lies, deception, discouragement, division, and temptation. His domain is described as “this present darkness”—a phrase that echoes John’s Gospel (“men loved darkness rather than light,” John 3:19) and Colossians 1:13 (“He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves”).
To belong to Christ is to live as a soldier behind enemy lines.
And this means the church must be careful not to mistake its enemies. When Christians turn on one another, when congregations fracture into factions, when believers treat political or cultural opponents as if they were the ultimate foe, Satan’s scheme is already working. A church that demonizes people will never evangelize them. But when we recognize that people are captives of a darker power, compassion replaces rage, intercession replaces resentment, and the gospel becomes our weapon instead of bitterness.
The Call to Stand
Paul’s central charge in this entire section is summarized in one repeated verb: stand. He uses it four times in just a handful of verses (vv. 11, 13, 14). The command is straightforward, yet it carries extraordinary weight. Paul is not describing just a physical posture. He is calling the church to spiritual perseverance in the face of relentless warfare.
The word “stand” is actually a military term. It was used of soldiers who held their position when the enemy advanced, even at great cost. The emphasis is not on attacking ground not yet taken, nor on retreating to safety, but on holding firmly the ground already won. In the larger sweep of Ephesians, this is deeply significant. Christ has already secured the victory. Back in chapter 1, Paul declared that God “exercised his power in Christ by raising Him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—far above every ruler and authority, power, and dominion” (Ephesians 1:20-21). Christ is victorious. The believer is already united with Him, “raised up and seated with him in the heavens” (Ephesians 2:6). Our role, then, is not to carve out new victories as if they were uncertain, but to stand firm in the triumph already secured by Christ.
This explains the structure of Paul’s commands across the letter. In chapter 2, we are told that God has seated us with Christ. In chapters 4 and 5, the dominant metaphor shifts to walking: “walk worthy of the calling,” “walk in love,” “walk as children of light,” and “walk carefully.” Now, in chapter 6, Paul moves from walking to standing. The progression is absolutely on purpose. This is the rhythm of the Christian life.
- Seated: Our position in Christ is secure.
- Walking: Our progression in holiness is active.
- Standing: Our posture in battle is steadfast.
You are not asked to create your own position. You are not asked to invent your own progress. You are asked to stand in what Christ has already accomplished.
Standing in the Evil Day
Paul says the purpose of the armor is “that you may be able to resist in the evil day” (v. 13). The “evil day” is not one particular date on a calendar. It is any season when the assault of the enemy intensifies—times of temptation, persecution, doubt, or discouragement.
In those days, you do not suddenly discover strength you never had. You lean on the strength you have already received. You do not strap on the armor after the arrows are already flying. You prepare in ordinary days, so that when the extraordinary day comes, you are ready.
This is why spiritual disciplines matter. Daily prayer, steady immersion in Scripture, fellowship with other believers, faithful worship—they are not optional add-ons. They are the training ground that readies you to stand when the evil day comes.
History gives us flesh-and-blood examples. Polycarp, the aged bishop of Smyrna, stood before Roman officials who demanded he curse Christ. His reply still echoes: “Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” Or Martin Luther at Worms, standing before emperor and church alike: “My conscience is captive to the Word of God. Here I stand; I can do no other.” These men did not just make up courage in the moment. They stood because they had been walking with Christ for years. They were prepared in ordinary days for extraordinary moments.
Good Defense Makes Good Offense
All good coaches usually say the same thing. Good defense can easily turn into good offense. This is certainly true of basketball, football, and soccer. But it is also true of your life as a believer. Standing firm is both defensive and offensive in the right sense. It is defensive in that we resist the enemy’s lies and refuse to be moved from the gospel. But it is offensive in that our very act of standing is a declaration of the lordship of Christ. Every time a believer resists temptation, clings to truth, endures suffering, or proclaims the gospel without compromise, the enemy loses ground in his schemes. Standing, therefore, is not passivity, but rather a faithful endurance that advances the kingdom by refusing to yield to the devil.
Notice this final detail: Paul ties standing not to our strength, but to the Lord’s. “Be strengthened by the Lord and His vast strength” (v. 10). The imperative to stand is framed by the indicative of Christ’s victory. We are not commanded to stand alone, balancing somehow on our own two feet. We are commanded to stand in the strength of Christ, who has already triumphed. His resurrection guarantees that our standing is not futile. His exaltation guarantees that our enemy, however fierce, is defeated.
So when Paul calls us to stand, he is not calling us to stoicism (ignore the pain as if it is not there) or stubbornness (which is a sort of badge of honor for our pride). He is calling us to cling, by faith, to the unshakable ground of Christ’s victory. To stand is to trust His victory is sufficient, His Word is true, His armor is enough, and His strength is available. Standing firm, then, may look unimpressive to the world, but in the eyes of heaven, it is a cause of rejoicing!
Not a Museum but a Mission
The Old North Church in Boston still stands today but is a sad display of gospel advancement. Its steeple draws thousands of visitors each year. For most, it is a museum—an artifact of history, a monument to what once was. A church that was once standing firm and clear on its mission.
The danger for any church is to become just that. To live off borrowed courage, to rest on past victories, to become a relic of faithfulness long gone. Paul’s call in Ephesians 6 is the opposite. It is urgent, present, immediate: stand today.
Not in your own strength, but in Christ’s. Not in your own armor, but in God’s. Not as a museum of what once was, but as a mission of what still is.
The night is loud. The enemy is real. But Christ is stronger. So take your stand—today, tomorrow, and until He returns.
New Discipleship Opportunity
I want to make you aware of a new Discipleship Class starting on Wednesday evenings. Deeper: What We Believe and Why We Believe It. In 1 Timothy, Paul contrasts strange doctrine with sound doctrine. Strange doctrine leads to a shipwrecked faith, while sound doctrine leads to a ship-shape faith. The message is clear: sound doctrine is vital for those who want to live for God’s glory and by God’s grace. So, what do Christians believe, and how do we defend our faith in a culture that embraces strange doctrine? Professor Jim Little will guide us through key doctrines and the biblical and historical reasons we believe them. It’s time to go Deeper. This class will meet on Wednesday evenings immediately after the Prayer Gathering, from 7-8pm, September 10 – November 19, in LH 362.
This Sunday at Green Acres
What is one Bible verse that every pagan knows? “Do not judge!” But what did Jesus really mean when He said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged”? Our culture twists these words to excuse sin, but Christ uses them to call us into a deeper way of living and helping others live a life of blessing.
By God’s grace, this Sunday, we will open Luke 6:37-42 and discover what it means to live with a “Kingdom Perspective.” Jesus shows us that forgiveness is not optional and it is the unmistakable mark of those who truly know Him. In this passage, He calls us to freedom from bitterness, to a life overflowing with grace, and to the kind of spiritual discernment every believer desperately needs in a confused culture.
Don’t miss this opportunity to be shaped by the Word of God. Come ready to be challenged, encouraged, and transformed together in worship.
Bring a friend and come discover “Kingdom Perspective” at 9:30 or 11:00 at the Tyler Campus or Flint Campus, and 11:00 in Español.
We also have Connect Groups, which are essential for your growth in Christ, that meet at 8:00 am, 9:30 am, and 11:00 am. Come and join us!
You are loved and prayed for!
Michael Gossett