Resist The Devil

For decades I have heard exultation's from the pulpit about how wives should submit themselves to their husbands and that the husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave His life for it. And I fully agreed over these years, most of the dissertations presented in these cases. Just wanted to say that because, I have yet to hear from the pulpit or in Bible Study the following passage:

James 4:6-10 which says, "...Therefore, it says, God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you."


I personally believe that these words are mystical and courageous. They were written by the half brother of Jesus, James, who was not always "in step" with the Lord's plan. But James absorbed all of the events of the countrymen, the disciples and Jesus Christ Himself and at the end, it is James who makes what I think is a most conservative yet, faith-based statement within God's Holy Word. And that statement comes from verse 7 which says, "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." What he said here is very dynamic because of the time and study to prove in his heart that his very own half brother, was indeed, the Son of God. And when this realization is made, he becomes one of the most dynamic, on fire, set free of all the disciples.

"Resist the devil and he will flee from you" is the exact opposite, here near the end of the Bible to what we read at close to the very beginning of the Bible as satan has his discourse with Eve in the Garden and he finds himself successful in the deception that he presented in her hour of weakness. All the way back "in the beginning" in chapter 3 verse 5 satan presents to Eve the most convincing argument against God's Word when he says, "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Now I must say that way back then, when you were one of the first persons of significance, a statement like that is hard to completely dismiss.

And so I think, given the above facts, that it is only fitting, that it would be a loved-one of Jesus that centuries later would be the one to "refute" satan's claim in Genesis 3 with these words. They are precious and they are ALL POWERFUL in the Christian walk today. Listen to them one more time: "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you...Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you."

Remember that it will be extremely difficult to share the love of God, as you listen to satan sitting on your left shoulder.

God Bless you,

Dave