The undeniable Laws of Life

The Law of Resilience

One of the most important discoveries you can make in life is the absolute necessity to be resilient. But what is resilience? It is the ability to withstand or accept the stresses and strains of life without being permanently effected or injured, or, it is the ability to recover quickly from setbacks and maintain high spirits and a positive attitude. It is getting tough when the going gets tough!

We see this Law detailed in Ephesians 6:12, 13 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

The Greek word for “wrestle” implies “a swaying motion, as when resisting an opposing force.” Therefore, the fundamental characteristic of resilience is flexibility (and we’ll be dealing with this subject later on). But notice, the battle in the spirit is primarily one of resistance and resilience. You must resist the devil [James 4:7] in order for him to flee from you, but if you aren’t resilient you won’t be able to “stand your ground in the day of evil, and having done all, to continue to stand.”

These two inspiring verses are centred around resilience, and they are suggesting that you develop the ability and strength to withstand the stresses and strains brought about by the battle that rages in the spirit. What’s more, you should take up the whole armour of God so that you don’t get injured or permanently affected. And in addition to this, you must have the guts to stand your ground and not give in, and be able to recover quickly from setbacks - keeping your spirits high.

The Greek word for withstand [anthistemi] is an interesting one and worth a look at. It is where we get the English word antihistamine - putting a block on histamine. Likewise, to “withstand” is to put a complete block on any opposing forces. Having the determination to resist, and the courage to be resilient, is how you effectively put a complete block on anything that is coming against you - whether spiritual, mental or material. Resilience is an effective barricade against any negative force. There is substantial power in both resistance and resilience.

Chris Demetriou, 15/02/2010