This is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. (1 Peter 5:12 ESV)

Post-Christian America is rapidly becoming an anti-Christian society. Through a sustained assault on God’s created order and biblical morals, progressives are successfully implementing an agenda favorable toward homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and gender autonomy. But they do not merely seek tolerance and acceptance. They demand approval and affirmation. It is not enough for Christians to love sinners; we must also love the sin.

Christians are only beginning to feel the weight of societal intimidation and government coercion. The militant opponents of biblical truth will continue to push until Christians are silenced. Simply speaking what Scripture says about sin is deemed evil; possibly soon, it will be prosecuted as hate speech. How long will the Bill of Rights protect us?

Christians should be prepared to be demonized, ostracized, and vilified. In this kind of hostile world, a soft and shallow Christianity will not survive. We need a deep and defiant faith.

Scripture tells us to stand firm in the true grace of God. To stand firm requires a deep foundation in biblical truth. Christ told us that when we hear and do His words we will be like the wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7). To not obey His words is like building upon sand. Only those with a foundation on the rock will withstand the storm.

We need to sink the pillars of our spiritual life deep into the foundation of Christ through His Word. Our faith is being tested, and only a faith deeply-rooted in biblical truth will hold firm. When the storm of opposition and persecution comes, Christianity Lite will not hold up. We need deep truth – truth we can stake our faith and lives on – in order to stand firm.

To stand firm also requires defiance – an unwillingness to move from the rock of biblical truth. In response to the devil seeking to devour us, we are told to “resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:9). This resistance means “to stand up against.” As we wrestle against the spiritual forces of evil, we are to take up the whole armor of God to “withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13).

When a hurricane hits the shore, a post in the sand is blown away. But a poll embedded deep in bedrock is not moved; it stands defiantly, beaten up but bearing up, never bowing to ferocious forces. So stands the Christian, anchored to the Solid Rock.

Now is a time of choosing for professing Christians. Will we be conformers or contrarians? Will we allow the world to press us into its new mold, or will we resist as followers of Christ? Will we walk the easy path of capitulation to the world’s demands, or will we remain faithful to Christ and His truth, regardless of how unpopular it may be?

We need a deep and defiant faith to withstand the forces gaining momentum against Christ and His people. We need to know Scripture, believe Scripture, and secure our faith to the Christ of Scripture. Let us drive our stakes deep into the Rock of truth and defiantly proclaim, “Here we stand; we can do no other.”