Alive Word: You cannot resist the devil if you are not submitted to God
Ministers Wilbert and Jacqueline Richardson - Thursday, June 23rd, 2011 at 8:29 AM
Ministers Wilbert and Jacqueline Richardson
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
God wants us as His children to be totally submitted to Him.
He wants us to submit to His will, to His Word, to His voice, His authority in our lives in order that His plans and purposes for us will be fulfilled.
If we do not submit ourselves to God then we rebel against Him.
The word tells us in 1 Samuel 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”
When we disobey the Word we walk in rebellion. Walking in rebellion and not submitting to God hinders the blessings of God is our lives. We can no longer afford to want to do things our way and in our time. We must get to the point where we love the Lord so much that all we desire from our hearts is to do His will.
Some Christians already have their lives all mapped out. They know what they would like to do next month, next year, the next five years. Nothing is wrong in making plans and having desires but since God is in control of our lives we must seek God and ask Him to reveal His plans to us instead of us deciding what we want and asking God to bless it. God knows what is best for us. We only see part of the picture but God sees the whole picture.
The enemy has stepped up his activity against the body of Christ. We often quote the scripture, ‘Resist the devil and he will flee from you” which is James 4:7b. However, we sometimes forget that this scripture is conditional. The first part of the verse it says “Submit yourselves therefore to God.” You see if we do not submit to God we cannot resist the devil and he will not flee from us. Our fight is not with flesh and blood, we cannot resist the devil in our own strength.
We can only resist the devil in the strength of the Lord. If we are living in rebellion to the will of God and the Word of God it will always seem as if the devil is on our back when the word says he should be under our feet. Some Christians are like Jonah. They have heard the voice of the Lord; His plan for them has been confirmed over and over again but they are still running and going in the opposite direction hoping that God would change His mind.
Looking for another Word here and another Word there, having itching ears. They do not want to submit to God. But just like Jonah, they will run into storms caused by their own rebellion and their will have to suffer the consequences of our disobedience. Others of us are like Samson, they know that they are not supposed to be unequally yoked with unbelievers but they are drawn and enticed by our flesh and ignore the Holy Spirit.
Consequently when the enemy comes upon them, they are unable to resist him. Others like Saul, who after experiencing the goodness and mercies of God turned his back against God and walked in rebellion, giving in to the works of the flesh. But we should all strive to be like Jesus.
Jesus is our perfect example. Jesus Christ came in obedience to His Father. Not considering His life, not considering His will but just desiring to do the will of His Father. In Philippians 2:8 we read “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Yet just like us, there were times when it was rough and times when He wish he did not have to do what He had to do, nevertheless, He submitted His will to the will of His Father. We too must submit our wills to the will of our Heavenly Father. We cannot afford to submit to the devil and His plans. Jesus Christ is the one who died for us.
We must submit ourselves to God and resist the devil.Jesus had a servant attitude and we as His children should also have a servant attitude. He walked in humility. He allowed John the Baptist to baptize him. Just after His baptism, when God said that He was well pleased with Him, He was then led of the Spirit into the wilderness.
He submitted to the will of the Father in baptism and in submitting he received the strength that He needed to resist the enemy when He was tempted. Sometimes it is after we have a great victory, when we have a great breakthrough is when the enemy attacks us and tempts us. But as long as we are totally submitted to God we are able to resist the enemy in the strength of the Lord. Sometimes we know what we are to do but we want to run and take the easier path.
We do not want to suffer we do not want to pay the price but we want the prize. Jesus paid the price for us and if we suffer with Him we shall reign with Him. He has called each of us to take up our cross daily and follow Him. Submit to Him. The easiest way, the way of compromise, the way of disobedience is never the best way.
The broad path leads to death and destruction but the path that God has laid out for each of us leads to eternal life. Why miss God because of rebellion? Why miss heaven because of rebellion? It was because of rebellion that Lucifer was thrown out of heaven. He did not want to submit to God.
What it boils right down to is that when we refuse to submit to God we are in essence saying that we are capable of running our own lives and we know more than God. We then open the door for the sin or pride. “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
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.” James 4:6-8 In our own strength, in our own abilities, in our own power we are no match for the devil, but in Christ and with Christ we can do all things.
God is calling us to a life of humility; God is calling us to a life of submission.
Are you totally submitted to the Lord? Is God in total control of area of your life?
I pray that today we will all examine ourselves, humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and endeavour with all that is in us to do the will of God.
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So true you can’t you have to be committed to the Lord Jesus and his will and commandments
God bless you and thank you for this message. It is challenging my spirit to get in line and stay in line with the will of God. This is certainly a time for self inspection and by God’s help alone we are victorious
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