Having done all to stand, stand therefore.

Many consider spiritual warfare an ongoing battle to defeat the devil, but that’s not what the Word of God says. The devil is an already-defeated foe. But, if this is true, then why is there so much evil in the world? It’s because there are two different things at work here. Warfare is an act of standing, an act of guarding what has been given. By contrast, anything that involves anyone or anything outside yourself is not spiritual warfare; it is a matter in which evil must be overcome by good. It is mercy and love in action.

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 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 6:10-12)

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:44-48)

17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21)

Spiritual warfare is warfare, but not in the way we typically think about it. It is a personal, internal battle where the pressure shows up in the mind, in the will, in what is yielded to, and in what is obeyed. It is subtle, often unnoticed at first, and if not guarded against, ground can be lost before you even realize you were under attack.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; ) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Jesus did not wage a war that we are now responsible for continuing. His was a flawless victory! He utterly and completely defeated the enemy and brought the battle to a decisive conclusion. Let’s let the scripture confirm this for us.

30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30)

When the work was done, He sat down. Jesus’ victory was so complete that he had to yield to death to physically die, but that’s a topic for another blog. The truth in this scripture is that His work, in this part of His ministry, was done. He had completed all that He was sent here to accomplish.

3 Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)

That is not the posture of someone still engaged in battle. That is the posture of someone who has completed their work. And what He accomplished was not left half done.

7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Ephesians 4:7-8)

The authority that once held man in bondage was not negotiated with. It was stripped, exposed, and overcome. And, He didn’t accomplish all of this without making provisions for us.

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins:(Colossians 1:12-14)

1 [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 [And] having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:13-15)

Let’s park here for a minute. These verses detail some of the primary reasons for Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. The point, and the resulting victory, was to free us from the ordinances (laws) of sin, to forgive us ALL trespasses, and to blot out the handwriting of the ordinances that would convict us of sin, and nailing them to His cross. And in so doing, He moved us out of the power of darkness and into the Kingdom of God. Part of the reason for doing that was to free us from the law we were subject to our entire lives (the law of sin and death), which would then allow us to be governed by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.

We are not waiting to be delivered. We have been delivered. We are not trying to move into victory. We have already been placed securely within it.

This means the enemy is not a constant threat to be defeated. He is a defeated foe whose power has already been broken, stripped, and rendered ineffective.

So, if sin is no longer an issue, what is? If the enemy is defeated, what fight are we fighting? Who are we fighting and what are we fighting for?

Jesus answered this directly.

26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. 28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. (Mark 4:26–28)

This is how the Kingdom of God operates. The Word is sown and brings forth fruit of itself because it carries life within itself to manifest. Once it is received, that life begins to work, grow, and produce. The process is not effort-driven, and it’s not done by force. The life required is already within the Word itself.

But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He goes on to explain what happens to that Word once it is planted.

14 The sower soweth the word.15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit… (Mark 4:14–20)

Notice what is being targeted. Not the person, but the Word received. It is taken, or it withers, or it is choked, not because it lacks life, but because of what it encounters after it is planted. This is the war we are waging. It is not a battle to defeat the enemy again, but a conflict over the Word that has already been given. The pressure is not directly against your position in Christ. It is against the Word that has been sown in your heart that maintains your faith and alignment with that position.

This is why Scripture calls it what it is: fighting the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). The fight is not for victory, nor is it against people or circumstances. The fight is to prevent faith from activating, or, if it’s already activated, to stop it from continuing its operations. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17), which means faith is directly tied to the Word received and keeping it active in the heart. When the Word is taken away, faith is disrupted. When the Word withers under pressure, faith weakens. When the Word is choked by competing influences, faith becomes unfruitful.

That connection is not incidental. It is central to how life in the Kingdom operates, because faith is not only how we believe God, but also how Christ dwells in us. The Word says in Ephesians that Christ dwells in our hearts by faith (Ephesians 3:17). So the pressure against the Word is neither random nor superficial. It is aimed at the very thing through which Christ abides, governs, and is expressed within us.

Warfare is subtle and sometimes insidious. It rarely announces itself. It doesn’t start through dramatic or obvious moments or interactions. More often, it shows up quietly, in thoughts that contradict what God has said, in pressure that makes the Word feel distant or no longer applicable, in distractions that pull your attention elsewhere, and in desires that draw you away from what God was revealing to you and building you up on. None of these things causes an immediate rejection of the Word; that’s not how it works.

Instead, it is a slow drift. The Word is not removed all at once; it is edged out. Attention begins to shift. Allowances are made that cause the hold you had on the Word to loosen. What was once clear and motivating to you, a belief you joyfully received and held steadfast, begins to feel cloudy or harder to bring back into focus. This is not because the Word has changed, but because something else has been given more place. Left unguarded, this process continues until what was planted is no longer central, and what you once held close and with high regard loses its effect.

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 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]. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:10-17)

If the warfare is over the Word, and the fight is a fight of faith, then standing becomes very necessary. It is not about holding your ground against an external enemy. Standing is refusing to allow what has been planted to be taken, to wither, or to be choked out over time. It is guarding the Word, keeping it in view, and remaining aligned with it as it grows and produces. The outcome is not determined by whether the Word works, because the Word always works. The outcome is determined by whether you maintain it and keep it firmly planted.

It is not a stance you take once. It is something expressed in real time, in the flow of daily life, as the Word that has been received encounters pressure. Standing is not about doing more; it is about remaining aligned with what has already been given so that it is not displaced.

Scripture gives simple but direct instructions on this.

 4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; ) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Corinthians 10:4-6)

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And [having] an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised; ) (Hebrews 10:19-23)

20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; (Colossians 1:20-23)

55 O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory? 56 The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. 57 But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:55-58)

Each of these points to the same thing: Holding, continuing, and remaining. Not producing something new, but refusing to move off what has already been established. Refusing to move or be moved!

This is where standing shows up in practice. It shows up in what you allow yourself to keep hearing. Jesus said, “Take heed what ye hear” (Mark 4:24). What is consistently before you will either reinforce the Word or compete with it. Standing requires awareness and vigilance about what you allow to capture your attention and elicit your agreement.

It shows up in your thoughts. The instruction is to bring “every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Thoughts will come that contradict what God has said. Standing is not preventing those thoughts from appearing, but refusing to yield to them, refusing to let them take root, and choosing to remain aligned with what you’ve already received as truth.

It shows up in what you say. “We believe, and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13). Words are not used to force outcomes, but they do reveal and reinforce alignment. Speaking in agreement with the Word keeps it active and present within your heart.

It shows up in what you yield to. Pressure will come; it cannot remove who you are in Christ, but it will attempt to get you to stop believing it, receiving it, walking in it, and understanding it. Standing is choosing, again and again, and yep, again, to yield to the Word rather than to fear, distraction, or competing desires.

None of this is about striving. The life is already in the Word. God is the one who brings it to pass. But the Word must remain in the heart for it to produce after itself. This is why we are instructed to “keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

Standing is that diligence, not anxious, not strained, but attentive. It is guarding the ground where the Word has been planted so that it can grow without being displaced.

Having done all to stand, stand therefore.

The victory has already been secured. The work is finished. You have been delivered, translated, and placed within the Kingdom of God. The warfare you face is not a battle to defeat the enemy again, but the fight of faith, from a position of victory. Where the objective is to remain aligned with what has already been established so that the Word that has been planted continues its work without interruption.

Standing is not striving. It is not an effort to make something happen. It is the steady, attentive guarding of what you have received, refusing to allow it to be displaced, diminished, or crowded out. As you remain aligned, the Word does what it was sent to do. It grows, it develops, and it produces, because the life required has always been within it.