Submit; Resist; Win!

Submit; Resist; Win! 

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

Context and Charge:

The process is important. With God, you have to follow His rules if you want to see his moves. With God, there are no hidden surprises from the point of view of His expectations from those who would follow Him. His Word makes it clear what he wants from us, how and when he wants it and what we stand to gain if we adhere. Today's extract also follows in the same pattern. The first step in the plan of victory drawn up by God is to submit. Have I submitted to God or am I still fully in charge of my own life? Have I drawn a boundary for God to stay in, or have I laid it ALL at His feet? 

Now, whether we know it or not, we all submit to an authority, either God or the devil. Our daily decisions and actions reflect the status of our submission. The sentence on submission is a full one, no commas or pauses. You don't push ahead until you have settled this. Don't bother with resisting the devil if God does not first own your life. If you do not submit to God, how can you resist the one who rules your life? So, first things first; God must rule in your life, if you will rule over the devil. The opposite is also equally true. Have you submitted? Have I?

Conviction and Conclusion:

God and the devil are both masters. They rule over those who submit. There is a power of choice given to all of us, and you will see that there is no compulsion placed on anyone to decide one way or the other. You get full information on what each master offers, so you get full disclosure so you can choose wisely. Don't settle for the lies of the devil; he has no life in himself so he can't give you what he does not have and cannot guarantee. God is the Way, Truth and Life, so you know what you stand to gain from Him. He wants to be Lord and Saviour if we will let Him and He will supply all that we need to overcome. 

You resist the devil only by the power of God. You resist only by the Word of God who gives guidance, wisdom and victory. Don't dare face the devil by your own power; you will fail horribly. When I counter the wiles of the devil with the Word of God, I am assured that He will flee. Jesus did it and overcame, and as His child, I have the same grace and supply to be able to do so too. I must also note that the submission and resisting don't have expiry dates on this side of eternity. You keep at these until we see Jesus in glory. I must not be careless or self-confident, but daily depend on God to help me. His grace is very sufficient. God's time of favour is here.