Resisting The Devil
“Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 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.” (James 4:5-7)
“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:5-11)
Today’s Morsel: One of the things I like about scripture is that it teaches us how to live and to be overcomers. It tells us that Jesus has already defeated the devil, so I don’t know why folks like to keep giving him credit for things that are going wrong in their lives. In some folks, the devil is given more attention than Jesus. James said that if you resist him, he will flee. But if you keep giving him credit and exalting evil behaviors and talking about all the things he is doing in your life, he is going to stick around because of your continuous exaltation of him, it simply gives him encouragement and strength. Both James and Peter tell us that if we submit to God and to each other, we can overcome the devil and live victorious in Christ. When we submit to God and to each other, we are to look out for each other. We are not to allow our brothers and sisters to be overtaken in a fault. We are not to allow them to go the wrong way without giving them warning, having compassion on them, and pulling them out of the fire. When we submit to each other, we must be willing to pray for each other, forgive each other, and work together to advance the cause of the kingdom. We must encourage others to “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). When we are each in submission to each other, and to God, it helps us to obey those that have the rule over us, as we submit yourselves: for they watch for our souls, as they must give account, and that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for us.” (Hebrews 13:17 Emphasis mine) Submission is just another word for surrender and self-discipline.
Sing: You’re my brother you’re my sister, so take me by the hand, together we will work until He come. There’s no foe that can defeat us, when we are walking side by side, for as long as there is love we can stand.
Thought For Today: “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:18-19)
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