"Ye stand this day all of you before the LORD your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel: . . . That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day." (Deuteronomy 29:10-12)
The Old Testament soldier of national Israel needed physical armor and weapons, but more than that, he needed the covenant protection of the Lord. Today, the New Testament saint seldom must fight in the physical sense, but a much more intense fight is raging: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). We are safe and victorious as long as we "put on the whole armour of God" (v. 11). The third verse of "Stand Up for Jesus" refers to this cosmic battle:
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you--Ye dare not trust your own;
Put on the gospel armor, Each piece put on with prayer;
Where duty calls or danger, Be never wanting there.
Years ago the Assyrians came against God’s people. King Hezekiah reminded them: "Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed: . . . With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles" (2 Chronicles 32:7-8).
The source of our salvation and victory is the same. Our "gospel armor" includes "truth . . . righteousness . . . peace . . . faith . . . salvation . . . and the word of God" (Ephesians 6:14-17). When we do it "with all prayer" (v. 18), we will "be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (v. 13). Share the victory! "Stand Up for Jesus." JDM
