1 Thessalonians 3:8: “For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.”

July 2nd, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The Apostle Paul emphasized this idea of taking a firm stand, standing fast, in several of his letters. Ephesians 6:11 especially complements this admonishment: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” There are times in our walk when we should not try to take new ground but simply hold onto the ground we have already gained. Maybe that is the kind of day you are facing right now.

At the turn of the last century, in a battle on the plains of India, an elephant was used as the standard-bearer, carrying on his huge back a flag with the royal ensign that served as the rallying point for the Poona Regiment. Early in the battle, right after the elephant’s master had given him the command word to halt, the master received a fatal wound and fell, and was quickly covered under a heap of other slain warriors. The obedient elephant stood still while the battle closed round the standard he carried, faithfully obeying his master’s command. He never stirred, refusing to either advance or retire as the conflict became fiercer. The enemy forces were actually overrunning the Marathas. But, seeing the elephant and their standard flying steadily, they refused to believe they were being beaten and rallied again and again. All the while the animal patiently waited, straining his ears to catch the sound of the voice he would never hear again. At last the tide turned and the battlefield was left deserted as the Marathas pursued their flying foe; but still the elephant, like a rock, stood with the dead and dying, the ensign waving on his back. Three days and nights the elephant remained where his master had commanded him to halt. No bribe or threat could move him. Finally they had to send for the master’s son, more than a hundred miles away. They brought the son to the faithful elephant, who seemed to remember how his master sometimes gave his authority to the little child. So with shattered armor clanging, he obeyed the son and followed him slowly and quietly home.

Sometimes the battle rages around us, so close we want to cut and run, but “the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Sam. 17:47). If we will simply stand, like that elephant, God will fight and win the battle.

“LORD, we trust You to fight the battle for us today as we wait on You.”