Stand firm in the gospel
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
With these verses the apostle closes his report to the Philippians about himself, and he begins a series of instructions, or encouragements, which continue throughout most of the rest of the epistle. Whatever happens to him personally, Paul tells the Philippians—whether he comes to them as he expects or remains absent from them—they should conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel. The root meaning of the verb Paul uses here is “exercise citizenship.” The Philippians, many of them Roman army veterans and their families, were especially proud of their Roman citizenship. The apostle wanted to remind them that, as Christians, they possessed a citizenship even more important than the earthly citizenship of which they were so proud. The Philippian believers were citizens of Jesus’ spiritual kingdom. As their conduct gave evidence of their cherished Roman citizenship in so many ways, it likewise should reflect their spiritual citizenship in even more ways.
To exercise citizenship “in a manner worthy of the gospel” means to live in a manner that will truly give evidence of the new spiritual life that the gospel has produced in one’s heart. When the gospel enters human hearts and joins sinful human beings to Christ by faith, it changes people’s lives. It moves and empowers human beings, who previously had lived only for themselves, to live in love to God and to their fellow men. Paul urges the Philippians here to show what the gospel has done for them and in them by living lives that will bring honor to God and will glorify the Lord whom the gospel proclaims.
If they exercise their spiritual citizenship in accord with what the gospel has done in and for them, the Philippians will “stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.” Believers who exercise citizenship worthy of the gospel will take a firm stand on the gospel. They will hold fast to the gospel teachings they have received and will not compromise with error. They will live in harmony with one another, struggling side by side to defend and promote the gospel in a hostile world.
Nor will they fear the enemies that oppose them. Because of their Christian confession, the Philippian believers faced many enemies. (Paul will further describe those enemies in chapter 3.) But believers who stand firm in the gospel need not be frightened by any of their enemies, no matter how fierce or how powerful the enemies may appear. Rather, they can confidently and courageously carry out their struggle against those enemies, knowing that the Lord is on their side.
The very fact that God gives believers fearlessness in the face of their enemies is a sign of the enemies’ destruction and the believers’ salvation. When enemies see the fearless courage with which the little band of believers stands up for Jesus and the gospel, they will have to concede that the believers have working for them a power far greater than any human power, a power that they simply cannot overcome.
Finally, the apostle personally identifies with the Philippians by reminding them that as they struggle on behalf of the gospel, they stand on common ground with him. Many of the Philippians had personally witnessed some of the conflicts the apostle had endured. They remembered when he first brought the gospel to their city and how he had been slandered, mobbed, flogged, and thrown into a Roman dungeon. They also remembered how the apostle had remained steadfast and how he and his missionary partner Silas had sung hymns of praise to the Lord from the depths of the prison.
In this letter the Philippians could read again about the apostle’s bonds and about how those who were encouraged by Satan were raising up affliction for him. The apostle’s entire career as a Christian and as a missionary had been a constant struggle, requiring great exertion against powerful foes. Yet during this conflict the apostle received daily strength from the Lord. As he battled on, he could still rejoice daily.
As they faced their enemies, the Philippians were engaged in the same struggle. The archenemy was the same. The cause was the same, and the source of strength for the struggle was also the same. The joy in the Lord Jesus that they could experience in their struggle was the same, and the ultimate victory was the same. Just knowing this should encourage the Philippians in their daily struggles and fill their hearts with fresh courage and joy.
Our constant aim, as Christians too, is to exercise our citizenship in a manner worthy of the gospel, to reflect in our lives the gracious work that the Holy Spirit, through the gospel, has accomplished in us. If that is truly our aim, and if we daily and consciously seek the Spirit’s help to accomplish it, then our lives also will be characterized by firm loyalty to the gospel, by harmony with one another, and by fearlessness in the face of powerful enemies. Like the 1st-century Philippians, 21st-century believers have many enemies to fight—people and forces and philosophies from atheism to Zen. Their ultimate instigator is Satan, and their common aim is to silence the gospel and blunt its impact in the world.
As we fight the battle, we can constantly be encouraged by the realization that we are fighting the very same battle that faithful believers like the apostle Paul and the Philippians have fought, and we can rejoice in the promise that the Lord will also provide to us the spiritual gifts we need to overcome our enemies and win the ultimate victory: the gifts of steadfastness, harmony, and fearlessness, all of which signify our enemies’ ultimate defeat and our final victory.