In basketball, there is a move called “post up” where the player moves to the low post for an easy layup, dunk, or jump shot. There are a few key elements to the move: get in a good position, stand firm and low, eyes on the ball, and rotate the body away from the defender to prevent a steal or block. The most important part of this move is to stand firm.

The phrase “stand firm” appears almost 20 times in Scripture. Paul writes in Ephesians about putting on the full armor of God, and he then instructs us to stand firm. Interestingly, he does not tell us to advance or retreat but to stand firm knowing that the battle is God’s to fight.

With the current pandemic, many are being swayed by the media with a worldly view and are becoming fearful, disillusioned, and hopeless. We, however, must be prepared to stand firm. We must be positioned close to God, standing firm in His Word, eyes fixed on Jesus, filled with His Holy Spirit, and ready to make the play. George Mueller once said, “To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testing.”

These days we are being tested through trials in many ways. We are on the frontlines in a very real battle. We must stand firm together as a strong Christian community and put our complete trust in the One who has the answers.