Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NIV)
JAMES 4 – PART 2
In submitting to God (yielding to His love and being subject to His grace), we are actively saying “no” to the part of us that wants to control everything and everyone – the selfish part of us.
Doing things for yourself is not selfish. You have a responsibility to keep your heart right, to stay healthy and whole… You need to take care of yourself. Respect yourself. The selfish part of us, or “the flesh,” is that part that wants to give in to our own gratification no matter the cost. It’s quick to disregard others and quicker at elevating and honouring yourself above others. In Matt 26:41 Jesus says (MSG), “There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.” And in the NIV it says, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
There’s a tension within us all between doing what's right and doing what we feel what we want. Eg. We know we should exercise, and within our heart we want too… but the couch is comfy, there’s a chocolate bar in the fridge, and quite frankly, I feel a little tired… (my daily battle! ha!)…
Resisting the devil is not about doing all night prayer meetings and sprinkling holy water through your house. It’s that simple choice to submit to God (yield to love) and walk away from temptation. The power of darkness itself is now subject to the resurrection of Christ. The only power it has over you is what you give it.
The more you resist darkness, the more you can resist it. It’s like a muscle that you exercise. The more confident you are in choosing God’s way of love rather than the broken way of self, the more darkness will flee from your resistance.
Rather than putting on a fight in order to “resist the devil” strengthen your resolve to withstand and reject his advances. It’s as simple as turning around and walking away. “Watch and Pray” (Matt 26:41), keep your eyes open and your heart attentive to God.
“So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud “no!” to the devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet “yes” to God and he’ll be there in no time.” James 4:7 (MSG).
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