James 4:7:8, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
You all know me – I love definitions…
To Submit is accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person.
To Resist is to withstand the action or effect of. To refrain from doing or having (something tempting or unwise).
I love to talk about the responsibility of discipleship. Many seek to obtain the benefits and blessings of being the son (or daughter) of God, but want to turn their back on the work required to maintain the position.
We all know that relationships take work. It requires an unwavering commitment.
The same is true with our relationship with Christ. The Bible tells us that faith without works is dead (James 2:26). If we believe the word of God, then we must stand on it by faith. We must speak it, live according to it, we must trust it – all by faith. Romans 14:23 tells us that whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Faith is a requirement for the follower of Christ. So much so, that God has dealt to every one a measure is faith (Romans12:3).
This brings us back to our topic for today.
We cannot submit to God without faith. We cannot resist the devil if we are not submitted to God.
Our faith helps us trust in the God who has saved and called us – delivered us from darkness to his marvelous light. Because we trust in him we know and believe his word by faith. This is relationship. Because of my relationship with God. I am now able to resist the devil with all the temptations he would try to use against me. I can stand on the word of God.
Submitting to God and resisting the devil produces a closer walk with God in the believer.
It shows God we do take him at his word.
It shows the believer the faithfulness of God.
It increases the faith of the believer.
It strengthens the resolve of the believer to hold on to Gods unchanging hand – no matter the situation.
Most of the time we do not have the full picture of what God is trying to accomplish in our lives at any given time. We are only given a small piece of the picture. The Bible calls this “knowing in part”. God expects us to walk by faith, trusting him through to rest. Until we walk into the fullness of the thing. This requires submission. Of course the devil is going to throw all kinds of things at us to move us from the place God has put us in. Our duty is to resist these efforts and draw closer to God.
So if you feel you are being bombarded or attack, keep your shield of faith handy. Fight back with the word of God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Then draw closer to God.
Psalms 16:11, “Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
Have a blessed day!
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