4:1-9 Five ways to stand firm in 2026

  • Paul says ‘Stand firm IN THIS WAY...’ and then describes five powerful keys to defeating the enemy:

 

Play Audio:

  • Series on Philippians: Part 7

Goal

That we all stand firm in Jesus Christ in 2026, putting these 5 ways into practice in our lives

  • Recap Parts 1–6
  • Today’s passage: Phil 4:1–9

Recap

Recap of Philippians Parts 1–6

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Overview of the Passage

  • Usually in Paul theology—application
    • This last chapter is the closest we get to a shift
    • Therefore – Christians are a colony of heaven, so...

Philippians 4:1–9

  1. Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown,
    • stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved
  2. Euodia I appeal to you and Suntucke I appeal to you:
    • be of the same mind and heart in the Lord!
  3. Yes I ask also of you, true companion, to help these
    • who in the gospel fought together side by side with me
    • together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers,
      • whose names are in the book of life.
  4. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!
  5. Let your gentle reasonableness be evident to all.
    • The Lord is near!
  6. Be worried about nothing
    • but in everything by prayer [worshipful] and petition [expressing need] with thanksgiving
      • let your requests be made known to God.
  7. And the peace of God [his own peace]
    • which surpasses all understanding
      • will stand guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus
  8. Finally brothers and sisters
    • whatever is true,
    • whatever is honourable
    • whatever is just
    • whatever is pure
    • whatever is lovely
    • whatever is commendable
    • if something is excellent or praiseworthy,
      • think about these things.
  9. And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me
    • put these things into practice,
      • and the God of peace will be with you.

AMF

  • v.1 The whole letter is full of Paul’s affection for the Philippians, but here it is strongest.
    “my beloved and longed-for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown”
    • Because of this love, he goes into some detail about how they are to “stand firm”
      • In what way are they to stand firm? —in this way

Stand firm! —how?

  1. Bring harmony to others (v.2–3)
  2. Build joy (v.4)
  3. Develop a special kind of “gentle reasonableness” (v.5)
  4. Be secure in God’s peace (v.6–7)
  5. Fill your mind with the right stuff (v.8)

1. Bring harmony to others (v.2–3)

  • There have been some indications of problems
  • These were not just a couple of women who happened to be bickering—they were core founders of the church
  • v.3 we don’t need to know their names because God knows them and they belong to him

Who is the “True Companion” v.3?

  1. Suzugus
  2. Unknown to us, but they would know
  3. somebody willing to be a true companion
  • E.g. we say “Please would somebody give thanks for the food…”
  • I ask of you, that somebody, willing to be a true companion, would help these
  • Standing firm means living in harmony with one another
  • How well was disagreement handled in your family growing up?
    • not very well...
    • avoid confrontation
  • We just accept situations. Nobody wants to get involved “It’s just not worth the hassle”
    • I have seen some horrible divisions in churches
    • Maybe I could have done something if I had the courage?
  • Right now, is there anyone you could be a “true companion” to?

2. Build joy (v.4)

  • Rejoicing is fundamentally about gratitude

Christianity Today

“Clinical trials indicate that the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting positive effects in a person’s life. It can lower blood pressure, improve immune function, promote happiness and well-being, and spur acts of helpfulness, generosity, and cooperation.” Aug 8, 2017

  • What these studies did was to tell people that before they went to sleep each night, to think of three things they were thankful for
  • The people running the study were shocked at the size of the benefit, and that it continued after the study.

Christianity Today cont’d

Emmons defines gratitude as such: “Feelings of gratitude are anchored in two essential pieces of information processed by an individual: (a) an affirming of goodness or ‘good things’ in one’s life and (b) the recognition that the sources of this goodness lie at least partially outside ourselves.” So gratitude is recognizing that our life is a gift, no matter our circumstances and realizing that this goodness does not come from our efforts alone.

  • Can we try this right now—think of three things!
    • Now do a little inner rejoice!

3. Develop a special kind of “gentle reasonableness” (v.5)

  • “near” may be deliberately ambiguous.
  • Jas 5:8 “You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near.”

v.5 – gentleness

  • “One of the truly great Greek words that is almost untranslatable” (H. A. Kent)
  • “not standing on your rights, but generously open to reason.” (Hawthorne)

“Such words as gentle, yielding, kind, forbearing and lenient are the best English attempts, but no single work is adequate. Involved is the willingness to yield one’s personal rights and to show consideration and gentleness to others.

It is easy to display this quality toward some persons, but Paul commands that it be shown toward all. That would seem to include Christian friends, unsaved persecutors, false teachers—anyone at all.
Of course, truth is not to be sacrificed, but a gentle spirit will do much to disarm the adversary.” (H. A. Kent)

  • How are you doing with this?
    • Ever quiet but angry?
    • Canadians: polite, but emphasize rights
    • So we are quiet and then explode
  • This requires courage. This is a challenge to me
  • But this is one of the 5 things, and it should be evident to all

4. Be secure in God’s peace (v.6–7)

v.7 “Peace of God” nowhere else in the N.T.

  • Not peace with God
  • Not peace from God
  • But the tranquil peace of God’s eternal being—the peace that God has!
  • 2Co 11:32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.
    • hearts and your minds (never organ) —probably emotions and thoughts—the entire inner being
      • But only, and because of, union with Christ

5. Fill your mind with the right stuff (v.8)

  • v.8 Finally (last of list of commands)
  • Mental hygiene, or, better: mental gym workout
  • A Biblical scholar named Homer Kent came up with some definitions

Think about things that are:

  • True has the sense of valid, reliable, and honest— the opposite of false. It characterizes God (Rom 3:4) and should also characterize believers.
  • Noble honest, honorable, worthy, denotes a quality that makes people worthy of respect.
  • Right refers to what is upright or just, conformable to God’s standards and thus worthy of his approval.
  • Pure emphasizes moral purity and includes in some contexts the more restricted sense of sexual purity
  • Lovely occurs only here in the New Testament and “relates to what is pleasing and leads to affection
  • Admirable denotes what is praiseworthy, attractive, and what rings true to the highest standards
  • v.9...

Summary

That we all stand firm in Jesus Christ in 2026, putting these 5 ways into practice in our lives, as we:

  1. Bring harmony to others (v.2–3)
  2. Build joy (v.4)
  3. Develop a special kind of “gentle reasonableness” (v.5)
  4. Be secure in God’s peace (v.6–7)
  5. Fill your mind with the right stuff (v.8)

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