1 Cor 16:13 (NIV) Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. We are currently looking at the four principles in this verse. We allowed Jesus to teach us some Biblical principles about being on our guard. Now let’s allow Him to expose us to the truths about standing firm in the faith.

1 Cor 15:58 (NIV) Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. How long should we stand; is there a moment when we should retreat, give up, give in, or surrender? No matter how bad it looks, we are to stand firm; but, that determination, commitment, resolve, or faithfulness CANNOT come from us; they must flow into us from Jesus. . Your labor is IN the Lord; it is not FOR the Lord. Jesus is doing the work in you, for you, with you, and through you; your job is to yield to it.

James 5:7-8 (NIV) Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. We can stand in Jesus’ armor with frustration, anger, fear, doubt, and a lot of improper motives. However, patience is the attitude Jesus wants to give us. The victory doesn’t always come immediately; it can take A LOT of patience for us to win. But, if we give in to other attitudes, we will suffer while getting to the place of victory.

2 Th 2:15 (NIV) So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. What are you thinking about while you are standing there in the full armor of God? If our thoughts are constantly going over Jesus’ words in the Bible, then we will stand with power. But, if our mind wanders off of Jesus’ words, our armor will keep us from getting killed. However, it will be quite a knockdown, drag out event.

Jesus has been speaking to you through many different sources. He has been leading you to the right people and away from those who are not speaking His truths. He is helping you get taught the right things so you can stand firm in the faith.

1 Cor 16:13 (NIV) Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. We allowed Jesus to teach us Biblical principles about standing firm in the faith. Now let’s allow Him to expose us to the truths about being a person of courage.

Heb 3:6 (NIV) But Christ is faithful as a Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. Jesus is God; He operates, functions, and accomplishes things on a God-sized, supernatural level. When we get into His armor, we must have it on with Jesus-courage. We are about to go to war against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms; we need to be filled with Jesus’ courage.

2 Cor 10:4 (NIV) The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We aren’t fighting using an armor that is dealing with just human issues. We ARE moving into the solution to human issues; but, the cause of all these problems is coming from a negative supernatural power. It is important for us to get ready for divine power to demolish strongholds. To do this, we have to allow Jesus to empower us with His courage.

Acts 4:13 (NIV) When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. We are always the weak link in the relationship with Jesus. If Satan can cause us to start looking at ourself, he can convince us that we are an unschooled, ordinary person. This armor, this battle, and we as warriors are locked inside Jesus. Jesus-courage and Jesus-training only has to do with Him. What can Jesus do with this full armor of God?

You have been with Jesus; Jesus is making you the most schooled, unordinary person known to mankind. But, it is up to you to accept this fact in your heart and mind.