What Does it Mean to Stand?
Recently something very bad happened. It was my worst nightmare come true, the very thing I would have dreaded most in the world. After my initial moments of shock and panic, by the grace of God and the support of Derek, I turned to the Lord, declared that He is good and thanked Him for using this situation for my good and that of the concerned parties. I meant it by faith, certainly not by my feelings. I instantly sensed the peace of Christ like a blanket around me as I set off to face the reality of what had occurred. His peace didn’t remove the situation or the horror of it, but it certainly cushioned me.
This event was horrific in my mind, and I wanted to be on the other side of it instantly–or, at the most, in ten minutes’ time, but that wasn’t going to happen. I didn’t want to endure the emotional turmoil that came with the trauma of it for days and weeks, and perhaps even beyond that; I really wanted God to rescue me quickly from that process.
God knew He would deliver me; that was without question in His mind and plan, but what mattered to Him was how I was going to walk through it. It’s the walking through that matters. Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, Your rod and staff comfort me (Ps 23:4). That’s the ground upon which our metal is tested. Would I lose my mind with fear and anxiety? Would I doubt God’s goodness? Would I rant and rave at Him? Or would I trust, give thanks and lean into Him? Would I believe He is who I know Him to be? This was the challenge: to stand. The dreaded event was out of my control and totally in His hands. All that I could affect was how I would cope with it.
The night of the event was a sleepless one, and the next day left me numb, as though in deep grief. All I could do was lie on my bed. Over the next couple of weeks, I found comfort and strength in the support of my husband and one Christian friend to whom I did not disclose any details, but she stood with me in the Spirit, in the darkness. Oh, the power and strength of the love of God in the body of Christ! It is real; even as we face demonic spiritual forces, we never need to face them alone.
The event took place on July 27th and today is August 30th. I’m on the other side. In fact, I’ve been on the other side for a couple of weeks already. How did I get here? Nothing more than by the life of Christ.
What God needed me to experience during that time was Christ as my victory. If, by His life in me, I could come through the worst thing imaginable, what would be left to fear? What could ever happen that I could not have victory over? This was a crucial victory that, God willing, would change something deep inside me that He knew needed changing.
Further, all my words, which I write in my books and seek to encourage others with, needed to be tested and found true in me to the nth degree—‘where the rubber really meets the road’, as they say. This was a test, but one from my heavenly Father, who disciplines those He loves as a father disciplines his child. This event had received sovereign approval.
Under my Father’s watchful, loving eyes, the days and nights that followed on the heels of July 27th took me into a spiritual storm. I could sense the taunting and prodding of dark powers around about me. The questions teased my mind as my prayers went this way: You are good, aren’t You, Lord? I can trust You, Lord, can’t I? Can I really?’ I knew that I knew that I knew the answers to these questions were yes and amen, but the pressure to give in and fall for the lies that God is not good or trustworthy, was extreme. Hence, the call to stand. Even though my mind was being plagued with doubts and evidence to support the case of the prosecutor, I realised the only position I could take was to stand. As Paul exhorts us, ‘…and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm, therefore…’ (Ephesians 6:13b-14a). That would be my only defense and was the position of faith reserved for me by Jesus.
As I say, I’m now on the other side. The Lord Jesus brought me through into victory. A heart of genuine thanksgiving and a refusal to entertain lies despite the appearance of things took the sting out, drew out the poison, and healed the wound. It healed quickly, if you ask me. It took longer than ten minutes or a week, but it took less than a month, and I reckon that’s pretty amazing.
In myself, I was a shaking little worm; it was the strength and life of my Lord Jesus living in me that enabled me to overcome, to walk in the power of His resurrection life and see victory realised. It was the counsel of the Holy Spirit that brought to remembrance the truth: Scripture verses and past testimonials, and I understood how the saints mentioned in the Book of Revelation overcame by the blood of the lamb and ‘the word of their testimony’ (Revelation 12:11).
It was the body of Christ standing with me in prayer, ministering and encouraging me towards Christ, speaking the truth in love. These things strengthened my legs for the hard climb as my Father took my hand and brought me up higher because of it. It was the assurance of the love of God in Christ Jesus from which I could never be separated that empowered me to refuse to give any ground to my adversaries, though they seemed as close as my skin. Christ alone is my victory. He has won, and He has won in me.
On the 29th of July, the Lord greatly comforted me with this image. It is supposed to represent King David and is based on Psalm 18. It is titled ‘The Defiance of Evil’. This picture sums up my experience during that dreadful spiritual storm. And what I love about this image is that though the evil is gigantic and threatening, all it can do is intimidate. But we can stand. In this image, David isn’t falling down. He’s not pushing forward, he has no weapons in his hands, he’s not crying, he’s not leaning back, he’s facing off with his enemy, and he is standing.
God allows bad things to happen, and sometimes they happen to someone we love and hold dear, and for the life of us we can’t equate it with our understanding of a loving God. But the truth is that He is a loving God, He is sovereign, and He is good. We have to start there. That must be our ground from where we survey the rest of the territory. It’s not the ground we stand on that isn’t up to scratch; it’s the surrounding territory. It’s not our foundation in Christ Jesus that’s at fault; it’s the activities of evil. Let’s not forget that because the father of lies will seek to twist and turn the truth with his trickery in the hope of weakening our faith in Jesus Christ. So, we must always come back to the truth and take our stand there.
Whether we have to endure sorrow for three days, three weeks, three months or three years, that is the ground upon which we are tested, proven, and brought into close fellowship with Jesus. That’s why God won’t deliver us immediately from a crisis. In His wisdom, and for His purpose, He will allow a crisis and will allow us to walk through the aftermath of it, and that is to glorify Him! There are many saints in the Scriptures in whose testimonies we witness this permission of God, and His victory to His glory and the building of their faith. It is during that aftermath that we need to take His hand. He is there, He is for us and not against us, and He is using it for our good. He loves us more than we can comprehend. He is a kind, loving and gracious God and Father and is also completely over all other realms.
Jesus is our all-conquering Christ, who overcomes in us. His resurrection life has the final say. We are privileged to be taken through these trials and storms and to experience the power of that resurrection life. That only serves to build and strengthen our faith for the next trial, in which the Lord Jesus will glorify the Father even more.
I share all of this with you, dear brothers and sisters, to encourage us all to stand! Though the times are evil, though our adversary prowls around like a roaring lion, we are equipped with the armour of Jesus Christ! In Christ, we stand on the solid ground of who He is and what He has done. So, stand, saints!
Jesus is Lord, Jesus is King, Jesus is Victor!
3 thoughts on “What Does it Mean to Stand?”
A very honest yet powerful testimony, Donnalee. And Eph. 6 is so ‘key’ to overcoming. Many years ago our family of 5 went through such a time of demonic attack that an agnostic but helpful psychiatrist helping us said, “Mr. Mulder, I think satan is trying to kill you and your whole family!” After many many months of personal agony and fear we conquered the enemy through Christ! As with you, golden lessons were learned during that time. God is great! May he continue to sustain us all until we see His face.
Wow, Erroll. That must have been some time for an agnostic to speak those words. And what a testament to your being children of God that you would be caused to endure so much opposition. I’m so grateful the Lord brought you all through to victory as you trusted in Him because you belong to Him. I’m sure you all learned many valuable lessons, and with the comfort you received, you now, no doubt, comfort others. I was reflecting on Psalm 34 verse 2, which says, ‘My soul will make its boast in the Lord; the humble will hear it and rejoice’. What I realised is that a soul whose boast is in the Lord is a humble soul, one who has learned there is no boasting in self but only in the Lord. They have walked some miles and some rough terrain to arrive at that place. Therefore, those around who have grown in the exact same way, through trials and testing, recognise it in others and therefore rejoice. Amen to your prayer; may He continue to sustain us all until we see His wonderful face. God bless you and your family always.
2 Cor. 1, as a result of being comforted, we can by grace comfort others in a new way. Bless you and your hubby.