Life is filled with challenges and tests. And the ever-persistent question is, “Will we stand?”

Have you ever been in a carnival fun house? With undulating floors and rolling tubes and mirrored walls, standing can be a challenge. Our lives can be filled with unexpected challenges that can threaten to topple us.

Have you ever been bullied? Remember in 6th grade, that big kid who calls you names and bumping you down the halls from behind? How could you keep going back? What would keep you strong in the face of that pimply-faced, greasy-haired enemy?

And then there are the spiritual battles. These come with greater danger and consequence. Sometimes they show up in our own tempting desires that are indeed dressed to kill. Sometimes they come in the voice of the Enemy who wants to keep us away from our God. Either way, they threaten to knock us over and send us backward.

In Isaiah 7, there were threats to the house of David. Their enemies were allied against them and promised to topple the throne and overthrow the city of Jerusalem. In verse 7, the “Sovereign Lord says, ‘It will not take place, it will not happen.'” God promised that this threat would not come to pass. It would not be their undoing.

But then the Lord said, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all (Isa. 7:9).” If they were going to stand at all, they needed to stand in their faith! When we face trials, temptations, hardships, or persecutions, this is God’s encouragement. Stand in your faith and you will stand!

What does standing in our faith look like and how do we do it?

Standing in our faith means we hold onto the One we trust. We don’t give up because we know God is always working and He is always good. His purposes for us will prevail! We live with that conviction. We make decisions based on that truth! It’s our confidence in his love for us that gives us the courage to stay there and persevere.

How do we stand in our faith?

  1. Read again about his love for you. (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:19)
  2. Trust in his leadership and protection. (Psalm 23)
  3. Renew your trust in God’s promises. (2 Corinthians 1:20; Psalm 145:13)
  4. Pray words of thanks for the challenges and what they will produce in you. (1 Thess. 5:16-18; James 1:2-4)
  5. Ask for his wisdom as you face your challenge. (James 1:5-8)
  6. Find another believer who will add their faith to yours. (Hebrews 10:25)

If we don’t stand in our faith, we will not stand at all. When we let our faith in Christ wane, we will find ourselves wandering, stumbling, and ultimately moved off the path of God’s purposeful love.

The next time a trial hits. Put the search for relief aside and first renew your faith! Cling to Christ, our Lord. And as we do, we will find true security. We will also see his hand at work in ways we surely would have missed if we had lost our footing.

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