Sit Walk Stand

Watchman Nee

Sit, Walk, Stand is a small book with a big message. It’s sold as a study of Ephesians, but it’s much more than that. In 78 short pages, the author describes our relation to God, man, and the enemy. The best summary of the book is the one the author provides on the last page.

“The Christian life consists of sitting with Christ, walking by Him, and standing in Him. We begin our spiritual life by resting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus. That rest is the source of our strength for a consistent and unfaltering walk in the world. And at the end of a grueling warfare with the hosts of darkness, we are found standing with him at last in triumphant possession of the field.”

This is boot camp Christianity, the sort of book every new believer needs to read.

This book's Disciple Making Purpose

If our team had only one Companion Book that we could use in disciple making, it would be this book. We use it in Year Two because it fits perfectly into the three year process of SD. Year One is SIT. Year TWO is WALK. Year Three is STAND. So this irreplaceable book is leveraged in the middle of the process. We use it at the beginning of Year Two to help set the stage and prepare (Step 8) the disciples for consecration (Step 9). The thought is very Biblical and very Eastern — instead of telling me to do, Nee shows how Ephesians tells me first to sit in God’s presence (BE comes before DO).

Key Topics or Truths

Christian Living
Identity in Christ

This Book is Good For...

Every single believer on planet earth. A must-read book.

How We Use this Book to Make Disciples

PRINT

Our team gives one week for disciples to read this short, compelling study on the book of Ephesians. We leverage Nee’s study to emphasize and validate the truth that BE comes before DO. God is most concerned with who we are and when we are healthy and connected to him, our walk (our dos) naturally becomes healthy. The book is self-teaching. After disciples have read it completely, we review the three steps asking,

  • What does it mean to sit/walk/stand?
  • What are the implications of sit/walk/stand?
  • On a scale of 1-5 how consistent are you in sit/walk/stand?
  • Do you think that any of your difficulties in faith might be related to you getting these steps out of order?
  • What action steps will you take?

We also are prone to simply ask at the beginning (going around the room), “What did you think about this book? What was your one big takeaway?”

Other than that, we use the individual discussion method (no cross talk) talking with only one disciple at a time. We take liberty to vary the questions because those listening are still learning, so we might not ask everyone in the group the same question but will definitely ask several the same questions. We do not feel constrained to go around the circle but follow the Holy Spirit and room pace often jumping from person to person.

 

Real Life Story

Bob struggled to “get Christianity right.” He, like most of us, was constantly struggling to force himself to not do the wrong thing and to do the right thing. This book brought Bob freedom. He realized that he had the cart before the horse. He was trying to live right without being full of God, God’s truths, and allowing the Holy Spirit to minister to him and sanctify him. As Bob began to practice sitting with Christ, understanding who he was in Christ, Bob began to leverage a changed heart to live. Following God, who he now knew and spent time with, became natural instead of forced. Bob found freedom in God’s method of living.

Know Issues or Controversies

No known controversies.

This book has a long history of acceptance by all Christians.

The SD team loves this book because there is no simpler, clearer teaching on how we mature in Christ. Nee’s study of Ephesians is eye-opening and disruptive to the norm of Christian experience in churches around the world. This book changes everything for everyone who reads it. We constantly hear, “Why have I never read this before?” from even seasoned disciples.

Share this post

Notify me of new posts

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Watchman Nee
Book Details
Pathway Steps: 1 – 14
  • Phase: Year 2
  • Book Type: Non-Fiction
  • Flair: Eye Opening, Instructive
  • Tags: Christian Living
Reading Time
One Week
Start Reading After Week 22
10 Pages per Day
16 Minutes per Day
Related Reads

This book pairs very well with Birthright; however, both are more intense reads. It also pairs well with Good to Great as most of the ten good to great principles focus on knowing who we are and drawing from inherent, internal strengths. You can refer back to it when you read Good to Great in Year Three.