Walking With Bruised HeelsSample

Stand Firm

In Exodus 14, the Israelites were trapped in the desert with the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptian army coming behind them. The Egyptians were right on their heels and the Israelites were honed in on all sides.

Satan, the ultimate Heel Grabber, was definitely at play here, coming after them to stop their freedom. They had just come out of the pit of slavery and now he desperately wanted to pull them back into the pit. He wanted them back in bondage.

We can expect this same opposition whenever we’re coming out of bondage. The Israelites panicked and contemplated going back to slavery. They complained, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us out to the desert to die?…It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

They momentarily glamorized their bondage and started believing the lie that it wasn’t so bad. Satan will always attack our minds because our feet follow our thoughts.

However, God was with them. They cried out to Him and He made a way. God spoke to the people through Moses and Moses answered them, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.” He goes on to say, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

I love that line: Stand firm.

When you find yourself vulnerable and contemplating going back to the slavery of addiction, spending, control, or any other bondage you’re vulnerable to, remember to stand firm—and whatever you do, don’t go backwards. Don’t return to bondage. God will fight for you, and all you need to do is be still.

God went on to supernaturally part the Red Sea. Miraculously, all the Israelites make it across, then the sea closed back over the Egyptians, destroying the entire army. Scripture tells us that not one of them survived. God defeated the enemy and the Israelites made it to freedom. All they had to do was stand firm and trust God.

In Ephesians 6:10-18, God tells us exactly how to stand firm in faith.

First, we are to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. We’re not fighting alone. The Bible goes on to tell us that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, and powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. We’re up against more than meets the eye.

The Bible tells us to put on the full armor of God so we can take our stand against evil. How do we suit up in this armor? First, we stand firm with the belt of truth around our waist. Truth is revealed to us in the Word of God.

Next, we put on the breastplate of righteousness, which is His righteousness. We’re covered and we don’t have to live in shame.

Our feet should be fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Just like we put on our basketball shoes or Nike running shoes, we need to put on our gospel shoes so we can stand firm. Knowing where we stand with God and who we are in Christ is key to experiencing peace in our struggles.

When we have the mind of Christ, we can be at peace, no matter our circumstances. Our feet will stand firm on the rock of His Word and we will crush the head of Satan, knowing he has no real power over us.

We then put on the helmet of salvation, knowing that we have the ultimate victory. Our salvation is secure and we fight with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Finally, we pray like crazy, seeking God “on all occasions with all kinds of prayers” and asking for His will to be done.

The devil will not let you escape bondage easily. You can count on him to try and pull you back into a pit. Our job as believers is to stand firm. There will be times when we can’t move forward or simply don’t know how to. In those moments, follow the example of the Israelites and don’t go backwards. Stand firm and trust God.

When you do, He’ll crush Satan under your feet. He’ll always make a way.