Stand Firm

I don't know if anyone comes here anymore considering none of us has posted in...well, it's been awhile. Because of that fact, this post is mainly for Scott, but if you read this, take a second to leave me a comment. In the Roman army, one of the main tactics used was a formation called a phalanx. In this formation, there would be a block of men 10x10 (100 men) that would all hold their shield in front of them, with the outside border all facing to the outside, so as to make a walking tank. A term they were taught (that is, those in the phalanx) was "stand firm". They were taught that if one of the front men fell, they must move into their place and stand firm. You'll notice often in Paul's writings that he will use many military terms. Well, this is one of them. He says in Philippians 1:27, "...standing firm in one spirit..." Paul makes reference to the Roman phalanx because the church at Philippi was predominantly Roman war veterans. He makes sure they know, and that we know, that a Christians battle is one where those on whom you rely may fall, but you must always stand firm.