James 4:7: “Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you”.
Sounds simple, right? Submit and resist. In verse 6, we studied God’s Grace, and then verse 7 suggests that because of God’s grace, we can submit to God and resist the devil. Both are a big ask and not so simple for me.
For years as an immature Christian and young wife, I struggled with this concept of submitting to my husband. (Eph 5:22) I was a Strong, Independent, Self-sufficient woman that could take care of myself! Why should I submit, and why couldn’t we be equal? Through the years as our relationship has deepened and I have spent more time in The Word, I have “mostly” grown into the role of submissive wife, but what I have discovered along the way is that my husband has mine and our family’s best interest in mind when he makes decisions. He will not do anything that does not align with our beliefs, all while protecting me—God’s design to have the husband as the head of the household.
God knows what is best for us, even much more than our husbands. So, we are to submit to His will for our lives, His pleasing and perfect will.
Which part of this verse is harder, submitting, or resisting?
I am not sure which part of this verse is harder, submitting, or resisting. The devil also knows us and knows our weaknesses and what causes us to stumble. The devil is roaming throughout the earth to destroy us, so we must be aware of his evil intentions. The only way to guard our hearts and minds is with our personal relationship with The Lord. If we have submitted to the Lord, resisting the devil and his evil ways will be doable. But that doesn’t mean that it will be easy and that the devil will stop trying to tempt us. If we are spending time in the Word and building our relationship with the Lord, then submitting to Him will be because we know that He is doing what is best for us. With that depth of relationship and trust, we will be able to resist the devil, and he will flee from us!
Dear Lord, Thank you that you love us enough to provide a way out of temptation. Lord, help me to resist all the devil has for me today, by submitting to your will. In Jesus name, Amen
The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jas 4:7). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
The submitting part is definitely harder!! LOL
Right! Somedays harder than others.