“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt abut with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints…”
Ephesians 6:13-18
In the above scripture notice how many times it says to “stand”. One of the keys to a successful faith walk is our ability to take our stand without wavering. No matter what the circumstances, we stand in faith. In Mathew 13, Jesus tells a parable regarding the keys to a victorious faith walk and illustrates how important it is for us to stand fast on the word. In the parable, He likens the word of God to seed. He then describes the different ground that the seed was sown upon. In one case, the seed never made it into the ground because the birds came immediately and ate the seed. Then there was seed sown on shallow ground and when the plant grew, it was scorched by the sun because it had not much root. The third seed was sown on thorny ground, so that the weeds came and choked the seed. The last seed was sown on good ground and produced a mighty harvest.
The seed is the Word of God. As believers we must learn how to stand in faith on God’s promises (His Word). The key to the victory of the seed that took root and flourished, is the person’s ability to stand in faith with a pure heart. Having done all, they continue to stand steadfast in their faith that God’s word will come to pass in their lives. They refuse to let go, they refuse to fear, they refuse to be offended, they refuse to go off course. Instead, they stay rooted and grounded in the word of God and they eventually receive the harvest of that seed sown in their heart.
In the case of the seed that sprung up quickly, Jesus related this to those who receive the word with joy at first, however when persecution or trials come for the WORD”s sake, they are offended and become unfruitful. They only endure for a while because their faith is not deeply rooted. When the heat is turned up, they get scorched and let go of their stand of faith on the word they received. As a result, they aren’t fruitful. They don’t reap a harvest.
Likewise, the seed sown on the thorny ground represents the cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches which choke the Word and it becomes unfruitful. This is another case where the believer did not continue to stand in faith on that word. Instead, they got distracted with the worries and cares of life. They got their eyes off the promises of God and onto the circumstances they were facing. They ended up choking the word with worry and anxiety. For others, they were so busy pursuing the pleasures of life and chasing after riches, that they became unfruitful in their kingdom walk with God. The word of God in their lives was choked out by other priorities. They became more interested in chasing after the things of this world, than after God’s kingdom.
The key to our victory is having the good ground of a loving heart mixed with our ability to stand in faith against all odds. No matter what is thrown at us, whether distractions, or offenses or persecution, or the things of this world, we continue to stand in faith. We remain unmoved by what we see and seek after God with all our hearts. We simply continue to stand on the promises of God no matter what. Jesus commands in Mathew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
The Believer who receives from God is the one who refuses to take no for an answer. Failure is not an option! They continue to believe, even in the face of impossibilities, until the impossible becomes possible and what they were standing in faith for, becomes a reality.
Too many times, if something seems like it is taking too long, or the persecution is too heavy, people will throw away their confidence in God’s promises. Yet the scripture says: “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” Hebrews 10:35
Galatians 6:9 says: “And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
“That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises of God.” Hebrews 6:12.
Notice the key is not just faith, but patience! We need to develop our endurance. The successful runner is the one who can endure. Therefore, run your race with endurance! Never give up and you will see the victory!
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-4
Romans 5:3-5: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
Further Reading: Mathew 13, Hebrews 11
