Stand Firm

The Whole Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10 – 20, ESV)

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Recently, I completed a Bible study of the book of Ephesians.  When I reflected upon the apostle Paul’s words to the Ephesians, two words kept coming to my mind: “stand firm.”  When writing this passage, Paul had been arrested for preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles.  He was in chains, but was permitted to write and encourage the early church to persevere, even though he could not be with them in person. 

Just as the apostle Paul utilizes the analogy of wearing Roman military equipment to stand firm in battle, God has equipped the human body to stand firm. The coordination between the nervous and muscular systems is crucial for the body to maintain upright posture. Three very important leg muscles are:

• Gastrocnemius muscle: The gastrocnemius is the large, superficial muscle located at the back of the lower leg. It forms the bulk of the calf.

Anatomical Structure

• Heads: It is a two-headed muscle, consisting of a medial (inner) head and a lateral (outer) head.
• Origin: Both heads originate on the femur (thigh bone) just above the knee joint.
• Insertion: The muscle fibers merge midway down the leg and fuse with the deeper soleus muscle to form the Achilles tendon (calcaneal tendon), which attaches to the heel bone (calcaneus).
• Soleus muscle: The soleus is a broad, flat muscle located in the back of the lower leg, lying just beneath the larger gastrocnemius muscle. Together, they form the calf muscle. Because the soleus muscle is primarily made of slow-twitch (endurance) muscle fibers, it provides constant, sustained effort to keep you standing upright and prevents you from falling forward. When the soleus contracts, it squeezes the veins in the legs, pumping blood back up to the heart against gravity.

Anatomical Structure

• Origin: The head attaches to the upper parts of your shin bones (the tibia and fibula).
• Insertion: The muscle fibers merge with the gastrocnemius to connect to the heel bone via the Achilles tendon
• Tibialis anterior muscle: The tibialis anterior is the largest muscle in the anterior compartment of the lower leg,

Anatomical Structure

• Origin: The headattaches to the upper lateral shaft of the shin bone (tibia).
• Insertion: The muscle fibers transition into a strong tendon that crosses the ankle to insert into the bottom of the first foot bone (metatarsal).

During his imprisonment, Paul certainly had ample time to study Roman military attire and to observe the soldiers “stand firm” on duty day after day. Perhaps that inspired his connection to donning spiritual armor in our fight against the evil one. But perhaps, too, Paul remembered the words of David in the Psalms. Countless times, David praises the Lord for helping him stand and fight against his enemies. The following verses from Psalm 18 sound a lot like Paul’s description:

Psalm 18:32-36

^32I It is God who arms me with strength
    and keeps my way secure.
³³ He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
    he causes me to stand on the heights.
³⁴ He trains my hands for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵ You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains me;
    your help has made me great.
³⁶ You provide a broad path for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.

God provides us with the physical muscles to stand firm, and He also provides us with the gift of His presence. All we have to do is ask Him to help us – help us put on our spiritual armor, help us remember His saving works from the past, and help us open our eyes to the “broad paths” He has for us. He is the one who helps us stand firm to the end.

https://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/en/the-art-of-standing-still/