Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 NIV
The writer James wastes no words; he's concise to the point of bluntness. But his message is unambiguous, "Submit to God, and resist the devil." Simple right?
Well, no, it's not because our human response is just the opposite. Our sinful nature desires to submit to evil and resist salvation; this is so easy that we virtually need to do nothing. There is no effort to live in sin; we merely need to exist. Thank you, Adam and Eve; you simply couldn't resist that tree, could you?
However, we have a choice. God, in His grace, always gives us an alternative. Just because we come from the womb wired for sin does not mean we must remain in that state. Instead, we can choose to relinquish ourselves to God. Something radical happens in this act of humbling ourselves; we become transformed into new beings. Then, through the infilling of the Holy Spirit, we have the power to send the devil packing.
Father, we thank you for the salvation found through your Son, Jesus Christ, and the ability to resist the devil given us by the Holy Spirit. Lord, help us this day as we strive to submit ourselves to you. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
