Position Possessed
Resting in what’s already been provided brings the deepest transformation.
Devotional Credit: Abide Above
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s devotional by Miles Stanford calls us to a life anchored not in striving, but in resting. It reminds us that every believer is already placed by God into Christ—into His risen life—and that our part is not to climb into this position but to abide in it. The struggle many Christians face stems from trying to live the Christian life out of their old nature, unknowingly stepping back into the futility of Romans 7. But God's desire is for us to recognize that He has forever placed us in His Son (1 Corinthians 1:30), and in that reality, we rest—not strive.
There is no call here to become something more. Rather, the invitation is to see clearly what has already been done. God has positioned us in Christ, and this union is not fragile or temporary—it is eternal. We are not trying to crucify ourselves daily to be accepted. We were already crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), our old man was dealt with, and now we share the life of the risen Lord. That truth sets us free from the cycle of defeat.
The difference between walking in defeat or in liberty lies not in how hard we try, but in where we choose to abide. When we see our life as hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3), we cease the exhausting attempts to improve the old man and instead enjoy the quiet confidence that Christ is our very life (Colossians 3:4). The Lord Jesus is not merely our helper—He is all that we need for all that we are.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit
I placed you in Christ long before you understood what it meant. You did not climb into this position—it was My doing. You are not in Me one day and out the next; you are securely hidden with Christ in Me. When you shift your focus from Me to yourself, the old patterns of striving and internal conflict reappear. But that old nature is no longer your source of life. You have been united with the risen Lord, and I invite you to remain in that reality.
Stop returning to the battlefield of self-effort. That war has already been won at the cross. You were crucified with Christ, and the life you now live is not sourced in your flesh but in the Son of God who loved you and gave Himself for you. This life is not something you manufacture—it is something you share.
I do not call you to improve the old man; I call you to walk by the Spirit. As you rest in the truth that your position is fixed in Christ, I express His life through you. My work in you is not based on your striving, but on your abiding. Let your heart rest where I have already placed you—in Christ Jesus, complete, secure, and fully loved.
Scriptures: Hebrews 13:20–21, Romans 6:14, Romans 7, Romans 8:2, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:3–4, Romans 5:10
Real-Life Analogy
It’s like being seated in a perfectly tuned massage chair. You didn’t build the chair. You didn’t power it. You didn’t design its functions. You simply sit—and it does what it was designed to do. It soothes, aligns, and restores without your effort. The benefit comes not from your struggle, but from your position. Just as the chair works when you rest in it, Christ expresses His life in you when you remain where the Father has placed you—in Him.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I rest today in the truth that I am already placed in Christ. I’m not trying to get closer—I am hidden in Him, secure, joined, and loved with everlasting love. Thank You that the old man was crucified and that I now live by the life of Your Son. I rejoice that You are the One working in me that which is pleasing in Your sight, and that it is through Jesus Christ alone. I gladly cease from striving and trust You to express His life in me moment by moment. You are faithful, and Your work in me is perfect.