“Therefore submit to God. Resist
the devil and he will flee from
you ... You have not yet resisted
to bloodshed, striving against sin.” (James 4:7; Heb. 12:4, NKJV) These same
passages in the Amplified Bible read: “So be subject to God. Resist the devil, stand firm against him, and he will flee from you ... You
have not yet struggled and
fought agonizingly against sin, nor
have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring
out your own blood.”
The context of James is the “desires for pleasure that war in our
members”, the things we covet and lust after, using the term “adulterers and
adulteresses” – an Old Testament
metaphor for those who break their vow to love and serve God – to
describe New Testament saints who love and befriend the world. “Friendship with
the world is enmity with God”: An illicit affair with worldliness will result
in estrangement and hostility with God. “The (Holy) Spirit who dwells in us
yearns jealously” for our heart. As we “draw near to God” in submission He will
“draw near to you (us)” and the devil will flee.
The context of Hebrews is sin, in particular besetting sin that so
readily, deftly, and cleverly clings to and entangles saints as they “ run with
endurance the race (of life) that is set before us (them).” All sin emanates
from a divided heart, a heart that is not totally submitted to God, a heart
that wants the world’s pleasures. Saints are to look to Jesus, the Source and
Finisher of their faith, for inspiration in their struggle against sin, considering
what He endured to redeem us from sin. And, God loves us too much to leave us
the way we are… so we can expect His love demonstrated in “chastening” –
instruction, in “rebuke” – verbal reproval, and in “scourging” – flogging! God,
our loving Father, disciplines us like beloved sons and daughters. This is help
that sometimes hurts!
SALIENT POINTS:
* The sin we ignore is insidious, creeping in as values and attitudes
that conform to the world’s perspective. The Apostle Paul commanded “Do not be
conformed to this world.” Saints are not to accept the world’s way of living, the
pattern of thought, words, and actions emanating from an age/culture whose god
is satan.
* The “war” is really a battle with Self”, our carnal fleshly nature
who wants to maintain control of our heart, aligning our mind with the world’s
values and attitudes, while seeking the pleasures of earth-life in this world. We
must agree with God about the sinfulness of our desires and turn heart control
over to Him.
* Submission to God in every temptation and struggle with sin precedes
and establishes our basis of resistance. Satan does not flee from us, He flees
from God within us.
* ”Resisting” the devil is defined
in Ephesians chapter six, “The Whole Armor of God” passage, where the same Greek word translated “resist”,
anthistemi, is translated “stand” and “withstand” four times in reference to
the devil: Anthistemi means to vigorously oppose, bravely resist, standing face
to face against an adversary… standing your ground.
* The command to “Be strong in
the Lord” is immediately followed with the command to “Put on the whole armor
of God”, equipment essential to resisting satan. The seven elements of God’s
armor are Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Faith, Salvation, the Word of God, and Prayer.
* These battles with Self and satan will be agonizing and hard fought. And,
let us not forget the disciplining of our loving Daddy will, at times, be
necessary to encourage us in the right direction. Jesus said “The Way” will be “difficult”
at times: We may lose some of our own blood.
* The Holy Spirit abides in our heart, “to will and to do for His (God’s)
good pleasure”, striving to
acquire the same love for Him on our part which He bears for us. Amazing!
*Victory over sin… Self… satan comes through submission to the Lordship
of Jesus and resisting, Standing Firm “in the power of His might.”
*Victory over the world comes as we are transformed by a renewed mind,
as we “set our mind on things above”, living the “perfect will of God.”
SUBMIT * RESIST * STANDFAST
(James 4:1-10; Heb. 12:1-11; Eph. 6:10-18; Rom.12:1-2;
Col. 3:2; Phil. 2:13; Matt. 7:14)
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