James 4:7-8 (NKJV) 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Many believers endeavor to defeat satan in their lives.
They read books. They watch videos. They seek answers from other believers.
It seems to be quite the mystery for so many people. Because of this, they struggle with sin year after year.
And this constant struggle with sin leads to other things, such as depression, a constant feeling of defeat, or possibly even a withering and drying up of their faith.
That’s right. They walk away from God because they feel like there is no possible way to defeat the enemy in their lives.
The problem with this is that their expectations aren’t realistic. Why? Because they want God to defeat the enemy for them.
They pray for God to do so. They have others pray with them for God to make it happen. They stand in prayer lines and have people lay hands on them for the same reason.
And yet, their lives don’t change. The devil is not defeated in their lives.
So, what’s the answer to this dilemma? How can satan be defeated once and for all in the life of a believer?
Submit to God. Resist the devil.
Both of those phrases require action on the part of the believer. And yes, they require work; sometimes very hard work.
Submitting to God requires humility on our part. We have to admit that we need Him and that we’re unable to do this on our own.
Resisting the devil is also hard work. Sometimes it’s extra hard.
But here’s the key to this whole thing; if we submit to God, resisting the devil becomes a whole lot easier!
It’s our submission to God that helps us fight off temptation and sin. Once we have submitted to Him, everything about us begins to change. The more we submit to Him, the more He changes us.
And when we allow Him to radically change us, the enemy no longer has that death grip on our lives.
Submit to God. Resist the devil.
That’s how we defeat the enemy in our lives.
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443
401-439-3780
If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!
To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page.
Please consider making a Donation.
Get our mobile app here:
Android: http://goo.gl/oQ6qa7
Apple: http://apple.co/2lZdgYy