Watch, Stand, Quit, Be

“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

I probably have touched on this verse in the past; however, I feel it is SO MUCH MORE pertinent right now than ever before. Paul, in writing to the Corinthian church, is right in the middle of sound teaching and admonition about charitable giving and taking care of those who served them in Paul’s place but right in the middle of it all he places this strong charge to those believers – and us.

He gives four very distinct charges in this verse. The first one is to watch. Jesus had a lot to say to us about watching and waiting. Watch the times – be attentive to what is going on around you at all times. This is good advice even in the human realm – always be aware of your surroundings. How much more, then, should we as Christians be constantly an our guard and spiritually attuned to our surroundings? You may be standing on the sidewalk outside a store talking with a good friend when a person walks by and suddenly the atmosphere shifts. You may be driving through a section of town when you are suddenly aware something isn’t right. Sadly, you might even be sitting in church and feel the hair on your arms suddenly stand up. What changed? What new person or spirit has entered that space? Be aware. Be attentive. Always be on the watch, for our enemy goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Too many Christians have fallen prey to the devil because they were unaware he had entered their space. It may have come in the form of a sexual temptation, it may have come in the form of a violent confrontation, it may have come in the form of knocking us off our mission at the time. Whatever was the effect, Satan shifted your focus and gained an albeit brief foothold or advantage over you. Be watchful.

Stand fast in the faith. This isn’t about just quoting scripture or even knowing scripture. It is about knowing who your God is and who you are in Him. I have suggested in times past that you go through (especially the New Testament) scripture and mark, highlight, underline, whatever you do any verse that addresses who you are in Christ. The phrases to watch for are in Him, in Christ, and in God. You will be amazed at what the Holy Spirit has prompted his scribes to write down for you concerning your standing before God. Begin to study these scriptures, begin to memorize them, start to make them a part of your identity. Jesus Christ, as our High Priest, prayed in the Upper Room discourse that we would be one with one another and with Him even as He is with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Through His work on the cross, Jesus opened the Way for us to become One with Him, God, and the Spirit. We have access to their strength, their wisdom, their power on the earth. We have the right, as a child of God, to claim and walk in the same anointing and power in which Jesus walked while He was incarnate. Take what you think you believe, apply it into your daily life, and let it begin to become a knowing – a sure thing, a confidence, a super-power (for that’s what it becomes). Begin standing upon the Word and revelation of Jesus Christ in your daily life and see what a difference it will make for you. Stand fast – unmoveable, unshakeable, unwavering, and unapologetic – in God’s Word and in His righteousness.

Quit you like men. This is an interesting statement. We don’t use words like this anymore so its impact is lost on us today. It simply means to “make yourself brave or to appear brave” in the face of something. It is interesting when we go back and study the passage of scripture touching David and Jonathan in the Old Testament. When they swore their undying love for one another as brothers there was an exchange of cloaks. David donned Jonathan’s cloak and vice versa. So from a distance when someone looked at what they thought was Jonathan it was really David; therefore, their approach was different, their attitude was different – everything was different. When they got closer, however, they discovered the truth of the identity. BUT they also realized that there was a sworn covenant between the two. David was protected by the authority and resources of (Prince) Jonathan. If they decided to attack David they would also be attacking and facing the revenge of Jonathan. Likewise, the same held true of anyone approaching whom they thought to be David. In the same manner, we as Christians have been told to put on the garment of praise in exchange for our spirit (or garment) of heaviness. We have donned the righteousness of Jesus Christ, we have assumed our place as adopted sons and daughters of God. As long as we remain in that garment, our enemy is hesitant to attack us because he already had it handed to him by the One Who wore that garment last. Meditate on that for awhile.

Lastly, Paul advised the Corinthians to be strong. This is not a stagnant condition. We don’t reach a place in God where we have arrived. We are to be ever-increasingly strong in Christ. Just because we won a victory over Satan at the level we presently hold, don’t think for a minute he won’t come back heavier. Think about your life: how many times have you held on and been strong when there was only one thing going badly for you? Did you find yourself soon after facing attacks on two fronts? Three fronts? More? He knew you could handle one thing – even if it was big. But if he could distract you with more than one, he thought you would become confused, overwhelmed, and eventually give up. Do you know why a lion trainer in the circus holds a chair in front of that mighty beast? Because the lion, who normally would attack whatever was directly in front of it, gets confused by the four legs of the chair and doesn’t know which one to attack – therefore it doesn’t. Amazing, right? Satan tries the same trick with us! Perhaps that is why we are to have the singular focus centered on Jesus Christ! Satan can waive all he wants in front of us but as long as we keep our focus on the One Who gives us the victory, we can walk straight through the very fires of hell and gain the victory!

I don’t know what is going on in your world today, my friend. I know there is plenty going on in THE world and sometimes that’s enough to distract you and me. I encourage you to back away for a moment and think about these four commands for winning that Paul puts forth to us today. Watch – learn to be aware and just observe what’s around you or in front of you. No judgment, no fear, no pressure – just look at it. Secondly, learn to apply what you KNOW about this in light of God. Measure it against the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful One Who lives within you. Be strong and brave knowing that you have a covenant relationship with the Creator and Ruler of the universe. Nothing is greater than our God! Oh I know it will roar and try to scare you. But never forget Whose you are and Who is in your corner. Lastly, be strong. Take courage, my friend. The victory is already won. We have taken the “W” – now we just have to watch it all unfold in our favor. May this be your experience in Jesus’ Name.

Be blessed.