“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13 NKJV
In a story published by Outkick yesterday, it was reported that a courageous high school cross-country runner named Elise Bierer made the difficult decision to walk away from the starting line of a district championship race rather than compete against a male athlete competing in the girls’ division.
There was no group to stand with her in solidarity. No teammate to lean on.
We've seen other girls cross country runners in Washington state walk off the start line in protest of having to compete against a boy, but Elise Bierer was the first to do it all by herself.
It happened Wednesday during the Greater St. Helens League District Meet, where a runner for Camas High was competing as a girl after starting the year racing against the boys. And when the gun went off for the women's varsity race, Bierer walked off the line toward her mother, Sheona, who embraced her tearful daughter.
While her decision meant ending her season, what stood out to me most was something the writer said about the preparation behind it.
“But as her mom explained, Bierer had been anticipating a moment like this for a couple of years, and was prepared to stand — or more precisely, walk — on principle.”
Did you catch that? She was prepared to stand!
Bierer hadn’t waited until she was standing at the starting line to decide what she believed or how she would respond. She had already considered what she would do if that moment came. And when it did, she was ready to stand
And there’s a powerful lesson here for us as Christians.
In Ephesians 6:13, Paul tells believers to put on the whole armor of God so that when (not if) the day of evil comes, we will be able to stand firm. Notice that he doesn’t tell us to wait until the battle begins to start getting ready? He tells us to prepare beforehand.
Think about it. As runners, we would never expect to show up at the starting line of a marathon without training and expect to run well. We spend months preparing our bodies and our minds for the challenges we know are coming. And when those challenges come, we rely on the strength, endurance, and discipline we developed during training.
Our spiritual lives are no different.
You see, we can’t expect to stand firm in our faith when we’re suddenly faced with temptation, opposition, fear, or pressure to compromise if we haven’t been preparing ourselves through daily Bible reading, prayer, and obedience to God’s Word.
That’s why putting on the armor of God must be a daily practice. We need to know God’s truth before we’re confronted with lies. We need to develop our faith before it’s tested. And we need to determine that we will obey God before obedience becomes uncomfortable or costly.
Because let me tell you what…. The middle of a battle is not the time to figure out what you believe.
So, here’s my challenge to you today my friend. Don’t wait until your faith is tested to decide whether you will stand firm. Spend time in God’s Word. Pray. Examine your heart. And make the daily choices that will strengthen your relationship with Jesus.
Because the time to prepare for the battle is before the battle comes. The time to prepare is now. So that when that day arrives, we may be found fully equipped, firmly planted in God’s truth, and ready to stand, even if it means we stand alone.
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us everything we need to stand firm on the truths laid out in the Bible. Give us the strength to stand against the lies of this world Lord that we might not compromise on the Truth, no matter what it costs us. Help us to remember that, at the end of the day, we are seeking the approval of God and not of men that we might not be concerned with the consequences of standing up for what’s right. It’s in Your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!
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