Hold That Line!

F

riday evenings were sacred in my hometown, especially from August to November.  This small slice of the calendar was affectionately known as football season and our entire community arranged its activities around the local high school football schedule.  No matter what occurred during the week, if the ballgame was being played at our stadium, chances were that the vast majority of the community would be in attendance

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My dad used to take us to the ballgames when we were small.  I loved going to the stadium, seeing the game, listening to the band, eating hot dogs, and playing on the sidelines.  It was an experience I cherish to this day.  Even now, when the autumn winds begin to blow, I think about my days in high school and the football games we used to watch.  If you were to visit Cherryville today, you would find that this tradition hasn’t changed.  Friday nights still find the stands filled with local fans and the traffic around the high school stadium is still tedious, challenging, and sometimes impossible to navigate.

In addition to the players on the field, there are other participants who contribute to the atmosphere at a high school ballgame.  The band performs on the field during the halftime festivities.  They also provide music during the game, especially if the team scores a touchdown!  The hometown fight song is played with each successful drive and the fans stand to their feet, clap their hands, and become rather boisterous.  The band also provides snappy tunes to entertain the crowd and to spur the team on to victory!

Lastly, there are the cheerleaders who stand in front of the crowd in all kinds of weather, leading them in cheers, raising their spirits, and maintaining positive momentum, even when the team is losing.  That’s the real test of a fan isn’t it?  It is easy to support a team when it’s winning but it takes real dedication to remain positive when defeat is certain.  The crowd usually joins in, following the cheerleaders example, repeating and participating in the various cheers the girls are performing.  New cheers are introduced each year but there are some old, traditional standbys that are always popular.

One of these is a cheer written to encourage the defensive team.  It is very simple and is composed of only three words: Hold That Line! This is repeated over and over again with the crowd joining in.  It is especially effective when the home team is trying to prevent the opposite team from scoring.  The cheerleaders begin that cheer, starting off with gusto and the crowd takes up the chant and the sound becomes deafening.  Hold that line!  Hold that line! Hold that line!  Clearly, the cheerleaders and the fans don’t intend for the defensive players to allow the opposing team to gain one inch of ground.  Thus, the pressure falls on the defensive team to make sure that the line holds firm and is not broken.

            The Apostle Paul was not thinking of high school football when he wrote his letter to the Ephesians.  However, there is a striking parallel between the defensive line on a football team and Paul’s admonition to Christians.  At the end of Ephesians 6, Paul writes his often quoted commands to his fellow Christians to put on the whole armor of God.  He describes each piece of the armor, explaining its purpose and use.  However, he then makes an interesting and somewhat startling statement.  Paul simple writes in Ephesians 6:14 “Stand firm, then…”

Yes, you read correctly, “Stand firm, then…”  This seems to be contradictory, doesn’t it?  Why would a soldier put on his armor, prepare himself for battle, and take up his position only to stand?  It doesn’t seem logical, and standing still seems to guarantee that the soldier will become injured in the battle.  But remember that defensive line.  Its job is just to “Hold that line!”  The coach on the sidelines calls the plays, he has the master plan in mind, and he knows exactly how the line should be formed in order to stop the opposing team.  It is not up to the individual players to decide how the game should be played.  Instead, they are to follow their training, put all their effort into standing firm, and they are to present a united front so that the line will not break and the opposing team will not gain ground.

This is exactly what our Heavenly Father tells us today.  In Paul’s words, we find God’s admonition to us to stand our ground, to remain faithful in the fray, to lock our feet and our shields into position, and to “Hold that line.”  It may seem a difficult task.  We want to run ahead, to get into the thick of battle, and to participate in the campaign.  However, the place God has given you may be one of the most important areas of the battle line.  The enemy must not gain ground, he must not be allowed to move forward, and he must never be given the chance to do an end run and come up from behind.  Holding that line is important, it is essential, and it is vital to your walk with God.

We do have an enemy.  He is relentless and would like nothing better than to cut you off from the ranks and break your line of communication with God.  Don’t you dare give him that opportunity!  Stand firm!  God knows where you are, he is familiar with your position in the line of battle, and he knows that the enemy is coming against you.  Moreover, he knows you are able to hold your position or he would not have placed you in your present situation. 

Today, take a moment and listen!  God is sending in orders from the sidelines of life.  He has all the confidence and faith in you and your ability to stand firm for him in life’s battle.  Over the bustle of battle, over the clanking of spiritual swords, over the drumming sound of the enemy’s approaching march, you can hear his command to you.  “Hold That Line!”