My Part; God's Part!

My Part; God's Part!

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 KJV

There are several relationship positions I can take with God, depending on my understanding of who He is, what He can do and the things He has empowered me to do by myself. One extreme is to go out on a limb and strive to fight on my own strength alone, ignoring God's help. Another extreme is to claim that I get to do nothing at all, since the battle is the Lord's. The middle and I believe, the right course is to have a clear understanding of what my part is, as well as what God's part is in all these. God demands I submit to Him first. That is the secret to victory.

I cannot lay claim to victory by mixing it up with my intellect, abilities and connections. I must lay all of those 'good stuff' at the feet of Jesus and let Him decide how best they are to be used. Only when all is laid before God can victory be certain. Only when the submission is done right can I be certain of a good end. When God is in charge, He gives power to resist the devil. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can face the devil on your own. He's been at deceit since the foundation of the world, and only the One called the Ancient of Days can defeat him. If I want to walk in victory, I must align with the template: submission first, then power to resist is given.

The end result of that submission is victory. The devil cannot stand those who know their authority in Christ. It then means that the one thing I need to settle first is my heart's allegiance. If God owns and holds the reins of my heart, then He can trust me. If I am uncertain or open to other options, then the devil can find a foothold in my life. Pride in achievements is the devil's oldest trick; faith in the finished work on the cross is God's unfailing path to permanent victory. As always, the choice is mine to take. His time of favour is here.