Abiding in Christ — Resilient
When you abide in Christ, you are connected to the source of spiritual strength and resilience that gives you the ability to stand strong.
All 10,000 to 15,000 grape vine varieties produce grapes, but each has varying resilience to destructive conditions. Certain varieties thrive exclusively under a very limited range of conditions. If it gets too hot or too cold, they will die. Other vines exhibit remarkable resilience and consistently yield fruit even in diverse climatic conditions and challenging circumstances.
Resilience is the ability to return to the original state of health and position even after a change for the worse. That is the kind of life we have in Christ Jesus. We are all exposed to varied situations, temptations, test, and personal attacks that have the potential to destroy. When you abide in Christ, His strength and mighty power work within you.
Ephesians 6:10 TPT I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.
Ephesians 6:11 TPT Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser!
God wants to make you so strong in Christ that you are resilient and victorious over every evil thing that comes against you.
Although your connection with Christ has infused your inner being with the Spirit of Christ and His power, we are told to equip ourselves with His strength to stand victorious. We know by experience that many destructive forces come to steal, kill and destroy anything that is attached to Christ.
1 Peter 5:8 NLT Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.
Although the devil is coming against you, there is good news! Your faith and connection with Jesus Christ has made you more than a conqueror. God has supplied defensive mechanisms that constantly draw strength and resilience from the Lord Jesus Christ.
To maintain a resilient overcoming life, we must be strengthened “in the Lord and in the power of His might”. (Ephesians 6:10)
Consider the implications of your connection with Christ. When you abide in Christ, you are going from victory to victory. In Christ Jesus, you are more than conquerors. In Christ, you have the power of the Holy Spirit working within you. Jesus said, “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you…” things are going to happen. This connection provides overcoming victory in Christ. The resilience of Christ is working within you. God is constantly giving us the ability to stand firm against every strategy and trick of evil.
Ephesians 6:11 TPT Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser!
What are these evil strategies of the accuser? Satan uses anything he can to mislead and destroy. He does anything he can to weaken and hinder your growth, fruit bearing and connection with Christ.
God has given us strong defense in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Although the Apostles knew that Jesus was their strength and that the Holy Spirit was equipping them to stand strong in every situation, they told the church to be careful and watch out for attacks of the devil. Simon Peter was often faced with his own weaknesses. When he was walking on water to the Lord, he became overwhelmed with fear. When you take gigantic steps of faith and trust in God, don’t be surprised if a large wave of doubt and fear hit you. Peter learned that when you walk on water, you need to keep your eyes on Jesus.
Later, he told Jesus, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” Before the night ended, Simon Peter denied the Lord three times. The Lord told him, “Simon, Simon! Satan has come excessively to try to take you out of the keeping power of God to sift you like grain. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail…”(Luke 22:31-32). Although he had walked, talked, and prayed with the Lord, his faith was tested and he knew what it was like to be under the attack of the enemy.
1 Peter 5:8 NLT Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.
How can we remain resilient when there are so many attacks?
God has made you a partaker of the victory that Christ gained when He conquered death and the grave. In Christ Jesus, you have the victory over all of the enemy’s schemes. Through Christ Jesus, you have been given authority and power to trample down the devil and defeat every evil scheme. You have the name of Jesus in you and you have been identified with Christ Jesus and have His authority and power. Through Jesus Christ, you have power to resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Jesus Christ has become our victory.
Everyone who abides in Jesus Christ must clothe themselves with the whole armor of God. According to Ephesians 6, we must apply the armor of God in order to actively resist the pressure or power that comes against us. We are not born with the armor on. We must put on the armor of God.
This is our protection against every deceitful scheme of the adversary of your soul.
Every method and scheme of evil will be stopped with this armor. Consider the resilience of the vine and the branch that enables it to rebound from every evil thing that comes against it.
There are two illustrations that will help us to see how we can become resilient against the attack of evil.
We remain resilient by continuing to abide in Christ and then by being covered with the whole armor of God. When we accept Jesus Christ and abide in Him, we receive a natural resilience, hardiness, or toughness that is associated with the Vine. Jesus Christ in you gives you the hope of glory. It is Christ in you that is your victory. It is Christ in you that is your power.
If our connection gives us so much, why then do we need to “Put on the Armor”?
This second phase of developing resilience against the attack of evil sounds like a natural and normal aspect of the Christian life. They appear to be characteristics of a healthy Christian life.
Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph, (Ephesians 6:14)
The truth is not relative or situational truth. This truth is definite.
John 14:6 NKJV Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
We must put on and wear truth. If Jesus Christ is the Truth, how do we put it on? Acts 17:28 says, “In Him we live and move and have our being…” Live your life in Jesus Christ. Don’t allow the waves that hit you on the outside room to get on the inside.
Put on holiness and righteousness as the protective armor that covers your heart, (Ephesians 6:14).
2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Putting on the breastplate of righteousness is a conscious decision to maintain faith and trust in Christ. Jesus Christ is my righteousness and nothing is going to take me away from Him.
Stand alert so that you may readily speak the Gospel of peace the message of Christ, (Ephesians 6:15).
Romans 5:1 NKJV Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 4:7 NKJV The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The gospel of peace is the good news that we have peace. This peace will guard and keep your heart and mind. Don’t allow anything to rob your peace.
In every battle, take faith as a wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish every fiery dart of the Evil One! (Ephesians 6:16).
Galatians 2:20 NKJV …the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Faith in the Son of God is your shield against evil. Keep your faith strong in the Lord.
Fully embrace the power of your salvation’s full deliverance, like a helmet to protect your thoughts, (Ephesians 6:17).
Do you know that you are saved?
2 Peter 1:10 NKJV “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.”
You can know for certain that you are saved and that the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed you from your sins. There is power and strength in your salvation.
Take the razor-sharp sword of the Spirit which is the spoken Word of God, (Ephesians 6:18).
Hebrews 4:12 NKJV The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…
The Word of God in your mouth that is quickened by the Spirit of God is powerful.
God has so equipped you so that you have the resilience of Christ working in you.
This is where we find the resilience of the Christian. The victory is yours. In Christ Jesus, you have the victory. Adopt this as a lifestyle. Get up in the morning with victory on your mind. Get up and declare that the Lord is with you. Certify the fact that you are in a right relationship with Christ.
Romans 8:31 TPT So, what does all this mean? If God has determined to stand with us, tell me, who then could ever stand against us?
If God is for us who can be against us? Do you see how strong you are in Christ? Be strong in this…
