Stand firm

Injured sports stars have to take a break. So do injured soldiers, office workers who are sick, and anyone who has been knocked out of action for a while. There's nothing wrong with this; it just happens sometimes.
So if I start this year with a call to stand firm, please don't think I'm asking you to be a superhero who bounces to their feet no matter what hits them. It doesn't work that way.
But I am asking you to remember  that there is a spiritual battle going on and you are part of it. There is a devil and he schemes against us. Sometimes he seems to be quite accomplished at this. Did I say 'sometimes'? Maybe I should have said 'often.'
The Bible (Ephesians 6) tells us to stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around our waist. By 'truth' it means first of all the truth of the gospel. Jesus is alive and we belong to him. His resurrection power is at work in us. We are God's workmanship, created in the Messiah Jesus to do good works. Standing firm isn't first of all about doing anything. It's about, well, standing. It's about making a decision to believe the truth of the gospel. 
So let's speak the truth in love to each other. The truth of the gospel. So we can stand firm in it.