Stand

By Kim Beach

  “Stand on your feet.”  

                                                             Daniel 10:10

I am a soldier. I am part of an eternal army. The Commander says, "Go!" I go.  And when He says,"Stand," I also obey. 

Standing gets wearisome. My muscles ache for action. The sword gets heavy. My biceps long to stretch out and lash the air. My thighs struggle against the weight of my body, longing to spring into action and sprint into battle.   

The small of my back seeks to stretch, bend, push against the weight of the world. My arms quiver under the weight of the shield. The helmet of truth is hot and heavy and my tongue pushes against my teeth, longing to shout out in a righteous war cry. My feet are wrapped in readiness to run into battle.

But I stand. Fully dressed. As the Commander as decreed in the Battle Plan of Ephesians 6:13, I take my stand.  

Silent. Fighting against my will. My flesh. Battling the very nature that the Commander has placed in me; He requires self control.  

The enemy roars.

From his battle line he paces, spewing vile defamation. Accusations. Curses against my leader. Baiting me to battle.

I stand.

The enemy draws closer. I can feel his spit on my brow as in desperation he curses me.

I do not move.

The enemy begins to tremble. The tried-and-tested tactics of the Bully do not work. I am not baited.

I wait for the Battle Commander to blow his trumpet! With sweat in my eyes, the iron taste of blood on my tongue, muscles primed to strike, I wait for the enemy to draw near.

For the Commander is nearer still. And His whisper is greater than the shouts of the accuser.  

Nothing frightens the enemy more than an army he cannot predict, manipulate or conjole.

I stand. Ready. The enemy will be defeated in the timing, on the day the Commander decrees if I obey His battle plan.

The enemy I fight most resides in my helmet - my mind. That tells me I am alone. Everyone else has fled. No one stands with me. My vision is obscured from my helmet but I dare not look left or right. I steady my mind with this firm resolve - I will not run from battle nor will I run before I am called.

I am a soldier in the army of the my Lord. I do not stand alone.  

He stands with me.