This morning, I’d like to talk to you briefly about standing your ground. But before we get into that, I want to take just a moment to talk about this word shift and what it means.

In my research, I found that someone said shifting is popular among teens and young adults, and that there are large shifting communities on TikTok, Reddit, and other social forums. On TikTok, videos with the hashtag #shifting have amassed millions of views. There are even sites that offer advice for methods to facilitate your shift, how to visit your desired reality, and how to endure your current reality. According to them, shifting offers an escape and a false experience.

This kind of shifting is really about escapism—trying to leave reality rather than deal with it. Of course, as believers, we’re not engaging in that type of behavior. That is not the kind of shifting we’re talking about.

Yes, we should acknowledge that we’re living in a fallen world, and we can understand why some people want things to change. People want change. People want things to shift. But here’s the real question: as children of God, shifts will come in our lives. From that point, what will we do when the shifts come? Are we going to run?

We do have the Word. We have hope. The Bible tells us that we have a hope, which we just heard in the song, as an anchor for the soul—firm and secure in Christ.

We have a secure hope in Christ.

There’s an old hymn that we sing, “My Anchor Holds,” and that song reminds us that our anchor is steadfast and sure. Even while the billows roll, our anchor is steadfast to the Rock and cannot be removed—grounded, firm, and deep in the Savior’s love. Our anchor is not built on sand, but rather on the solid Rock, and that Rock is Jesus Christ.

But here’s the thing: just because our anchor is built on Christ doesn’t mean that we won’t experience shifting in our lives.

Psalm 34:19 (KJV)
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Being righteous doesn’t mean that we are perfect. It means we are trying our best to honor God with a reasonable service, according to Romans 12:1.

What it means is that we must stand our ground, because the Lord will deliver us from our trials.

2 Samuel 23:11–12 (KJV)
And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.

When the people of Israel saw the Philistines, they fled. But Shammah didn’t run. He stood his ground. He stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

He didn’t walk away. He didn’t quit. He stood his ground, and he fought. And he didn’t fight alone—the Scripture says the Lord brought about a great victory.

Ephesians 6:12–13 (KJV)
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

You may not find the exact phrase “stand your ground” in the Bible, but you will find the phrase “stand fast in the faith.” Paul told the Galatians to stand fast in their liberty in Christ (Galatians 5:1).

Paul showed us what it looks like to stand your ground—defending the faith, and even confronting hypocrisy when it threatened the truth of the gospel. We can’t behave one way in church and another way in the marketplace. We can’t serve two masters. The world is watching, and they want to know where we stand.

How do I stand my ground when I’m praying for healing, but the doctors say the tumors are growing and spreading? How do I stand my ground when I get a call about my child, and then another call saying my child has transitioned to be with the Lord? How do I stand my ground when I feel pulled in every direction and I can’t do anything to help?

How do I stand my ground when a husband or wife says, “I don’t want to be in this relationship anymore”? When the job you depended on is gone? When the storms of life are raging and it seems like there is no end to the shifting?

Ask Daniel in the lion’s den. Ask the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace. Ask Paul and Silas in prison.

And think about Horatio Spafford, who lost his son, his wealth in the Chicago fire, and then his four daughters in a shipwreck—yet still wrote, It Is Well with My Soul. Talk about life shifting—and having to stand your ground.

If we look around, we’ll see that our world is moving further and further away from the truth of God’s Word, just as Scripture tells us.

So how do we stand our ground? We do so by holding on to the promises of God’s Word. We do what we can to prevent the world from infiltrating the Church. We may not fight every battle, but we can take a stand wherever we are so others can see God in us.

Though the ship is being tossed, it is safely moored through the storm—secured by the Savior’s hand. Though the tempest rages and the wild winds blow, not an angry wave shall our boat overflow. Why? Because we have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll—fastened to the Rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.

Stand your ground.

God is sovereign. He has full control over everything in heaven and on earth. Nothing in our lives happens by chance—even death, as hard as it is. It is all part of His plan for our lives.

Read Psalm 121, Psalm 139, Jeremiah 1:5, and Jeremiah 29:11.

We must stand our ground. Amen.

Father, we thank You for Your Word this morning. I pray that it was rich to someone’s soul, that someone was encouraged, and that someone will remember to stand their ground, even when times are hard and they don’t see a way. Help us to remember, God, that You are still in control.

In Jesus’ name, Amen, Amen, and Amen.