The Minstrel's Wife

Ephesians tells us of the armour of God that we need to put on every day to withstand the attacks of the evil one. It tells us to STAND in the armour. Stand, not run or march which we would normally see when a soldier of old put his armour on ready for war or attack. Stand. The Greek translation as far as I remember is to “hold fast”. To hold fast to the position we are at when we put the armour on. Not to go forward, but to protect that which is behind us. Our life and our salvation. We don’t need to fight by going forward, the fight is already won by the Cross. We don’t stand alone either. We have the whole host of heavens armies with us to our back and sides and all around us. At our side is our friend, healer and saviour, Jesus. We don’t hold our position on our own, ever. It may feel isolating going through difficult times and tough periods of illness or loss. We are never alone though. We are standing with our Lord protecting ourselves from the attacks and darts from the Devil, and the armour doesn’t cover our backs. We are protected at the front because that is where the attacks will come from. If we are retreating, we don’t need protection. There is no need to attack someone who is on the run. Keep looking forward. Keep standing in faith with your Friend. Keep standing and facing what life and the Devil throws at you, in the full knowledge that you are not alone, you are fighting with the best army in the whole of history. With the best Commander and Captain you could possibly imagine. He knows how the fight ends, and He also knows that the fight was completed and won 2000 years ago. The fight now is a desperate one from the Devil who lost and is trying to pull as many as he can from being with their God. Don’t let him win, it has been Finished and it is won. Stand. Stand with the knowledge that the fight was for each of you. It is finished.