We continue with the modern rephrasing (with some input from me, too) of William Gurnell’s “The Christian in Complete Armor”.
Now we find out how we can have a nation where the majority of people identify as Christian but there are so few people who have a relationship with Christ. So many go into battle against Satan, but so few come out conquerors. All people have a desire to be happy, but few have the courage and resolution to grapple with the difficulties that obstruct their path. All Israel came joyfully out of Egypt under Moses’s leadership. But when the hungry pains struck… when they found out that they had to go to battle with the Caananites to free their promised land “flowing with milk and honey”, they were ready to bail out and give up. This is how the greatest part of people who, when push comes to shove, will deny or grow weary of Christ. Hardship and suffering stand all along the way on our journey to heaven. And there are many who will not have the heart to venture forward through it. They will not have the perseverance to take hold of the joy that is set before them. They may hate the idea of losing heaven, but they hate more to pay such a dear price for it. The young rich ruler heard the cost of gaining eternal life, he turned away sorrowfully. The parable of the sower, throwing out seed to grow, shared that “some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants”. Hardship is thethorn that can grow up and choke out growth. Suffering can be that sun that rises and scorches the plants that don’t have a chance to build deeper roots. We require the Holy Spirit empowering this difficult walk to faithfully follow Christ. This holy resolution, this empowerment from God is the only thing that allows you to be faithful to what you profess. Heaven is not for the cowardly of heart, it is for the valiant, the brave, the bold! God grows a heroic spirit within his children. That is how we can “glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us”.
Jesus tests His followers by their courage. He calls us to pick up our crosses and follow Him, even if it means facing death and danger. It’s unfitting for Christians to shrink back in fear while sinners are bold in their wickedness. Stand firm and don’t hide your faith, even when the world mocks you or pressures you to give up.
Take heart, Christians—your cause is worth it. God Himself is on your side, and Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, leads the charge. He lived, died, and rose again for you, and He’s with you every step of the way. No leader is as compassionate or as powerful as Jesus, who heals your wounds with His own sacrifice. Even when He faced the combined forces of hell’s malice and heaven’s justice, He stood firm, winning the ultimate victory through His death and resurrection.
You’re not alone in this fight. Look around at your fellow believers—some are fighting alongside you on earth, enduring trials and temptations. Others have already reached heaven, and are cheering you on to join them. They call out, “Keep going! The victory is worth it!”
Remember, every victory you win over sin and temptation brings joy to heaven. Your Savior watches over you, celebrating your faithfulness and preparing to welcome you home with honor. If you want to stand firm in your journey to heaven, focus on building a solid foundation for your faith. Without a clear understanding of what you believe and why, your courage will falter, and you’ll struggle to stay the course.
To stand firm, you need a solid grasp of God’s truth. If you’re unsure what you’re fighting for or why, it’s easy to switch sides or give up altogether. Some people call themselves Christians but can’t explain their hope or faith. They’re like autumn leaves lying on a roof, blown away by the slightest breeze. Don’t let that be you—ground yourself in God’s Word and stand firm in your faith. Blind zeal quickly backs down in shame, it’s a bright flame that you start with leaves and twigs, but which lacks the fuel to be long-burning. True resolve, grounded in strong principles, stands firm like a rock in the middle of the waves. As it says in Daniel 11:32, “Those who know their God will be strong and do great things.” It takes knowing God; His character, His promises. The angel told Daniel that only those who are rooted in their faith, who truly know the God they serve, will stand firm during times of temptation and persecution. Some people will be swayed by flattery or intimidated by threats, but those with strong convictions will remain unshaken and resolute because of their deep roots and faith in their God whom they serve. They are the ones who remain unflappable in the face of flattery, manipulation, and shows of force.
Secondly, having the right motivation is key to our faith. A person can know all there is to know about Christ, but if their motives aren’t pure, their commitment will be weak. They’ll only go as far as they can without risking their own comfort or self-interest. They just won’t fully commit to Christ if it threatens their own personal comfort, reputation, or security. A hypocrite might show initial zeal, but eventually, they’ll back down when it costs them something.
Someone with impure or self-serving motives in their faith will eventually abandon their commitment when they are faced with a situation that challenges those selfish desires. When they are asked to sacrifice or deny the things they truly desire (such as power, pleasure, or personal gain), their faith falters because their heart was never fully devoted to God. They can’t go any further in their commitment because their true aim was not aligned with God’s will, but rather with their own selfish interests. Be careful of worshipping your own comfort, reputation, profit, pleasure, or anything else that is not God. Your love and attention, when spent on lesser things as if those were ultimate, will crowd out any courage and excitement you may have had for Christ.
Take Jehu, for example—his zeal started out strong, but his ambition for power caused him to stop short of completing God’s work. Sure, he was ready to do whatever reform he needed to do in order to wrest the kingdom and throne from Ahab’s hands, but once he had gotten the throne, he was good. He wasn’t going to rock the boat by imposing a thorough reformation on the Israelites, who might balk at this and overthrow him. He got what he wanted; his kingdom. His love for God’s kingdom was overthrown by his own lust for power. He was ready to rest on his laurels when God was still calling him to action.
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