And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul became a minister. Colossians 1:21-23 NKJV
Paul was writing to the church at Colossae because they were becoming infected with some dangerous teachings. There were those who were teaching Eastern philosophy combined with Jewish legalism as requirements for salvation.
We know as Christians that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life and no man come to the Father except by Me.”
Jesus is all we need, but we must be steadfast. What does this mean? It means we must be dedicated and committed. In this New Year we know that many have started diet plans and workout programs intent on becoming healthy. We also know from history many will abandon these plans by mid-January.
The same happens with our walk with Christ. When we get saved most of us are just on fire for Jesus. We are excited about the positive changes in our lives. But then the trouble comes. The devil doesn’t like for us to be devoted to Christ, so he tries to wedge his way in there and shut us down. John 10:10 tells us the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He wants to steal our joy, kill our enthusiasm and destroy our salvation. However, in John 10:28, Jesus said, “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand.
The devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4. He will do the same with you. Jesus said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”
My friend, if you are going to remain steadfast against the devil, you will need Jesus. If you have devoted yourself to Him but find you are lacking the desire to pray daily, study your Bible or attend church regularly. Pray. God will help you with these things.
The devil will send distractions your way. He will try to convince you that you have no time to pray, study the Bible or attend church. He’s a liar. Trust in Jesus and Jesus will help you.
Devote yourself to Christ. Surrender your life to Him. Go all in. He will take good care of you. He will help you to remain strong and steadfast. Philippians 4:13 is a favorite verse. It says, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” Simply put, if God has called you to do something He will give you the strength you need to get it done.
We all go through periods of temptation, tribulations and may be inclined to backslide. This is when we must dig in and stay strong in our devotion to our Lord and Savior.
Strong and steady wins the race. Don’t let distractions or temptations stop you from a strong finish.
Have a great day!