Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Psalms 1:1-6 (NIV)
All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life. Luke 21:17-19 (NIV)
The Lord does not delight in the vacillation of His saints rather He desires for them to stand firm in all the will of God mature and fully assured - all through His power and for His glory – no matter how hard the winds may blow against us. This is achieved by our being rooted and grounded in His love and strengthened through the power of the Holy Spirit. Neither does He want us to remain mere infants in Christ blown by every wind of doctrine, rather we are to grow up in Him. We do this by having a firm grasp of God’s Word and applying it to our lives for His glory and for our good. It is not to be mere head knowledge which simply puffs up. It is to go from our head to our hearts to our hands. It is important for us to watch our life and doctrine closely.
A coward does not stand firm often tucking tail and fleeing. Yet Christ directs His saints to stand our ground to repel the enemy. If Satan sees he is getting nowhere, he will leave us for a more opportune time and further, we should earnestly pray not to give him one. We are to always be prepared. God has given us everything we need to battle the adversary. The best approach is to never give Satan a foothold. Do not have a crack in your armor as the adversary is a very good shot and he aims at our weakest points. The wall of self-control around you is your “city wall” of safety. Be continually checking for breaches in it. We do not have to give him an inch. God desires for us to triumph over Satan and He furnishes the armour for us to stand firm. He equips His saints with all they need. Remember, there is no armor given for the back leaving those who flee vulnerable. Stand firm then, in His power for His glory and take hold of the life that is truly life.
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)