Resist the devil

“…God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble…Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you…Come near to God and He will come near to you.” James 4:6…7…8

Too often the latter part of James 4:7 is declared believing that this alone is enough for the devil to “flee from you”, but you must examine, not just the entire verse, but also the verses that come before and after if you are to benefit from a complete picture. 

The Bible tells us that we will be tempted and when temptation comes it is only through the power of God that we will be able to overcome that temptation. We should not believe that we can overcome temptation in our own ability, power or strength. To do so will be prideful. When we are proud, believing and trusting in ourselves, we are in direct opposition to the principles God has set out for us in His Word. 

You must understand that if you are proud you will not submit yourself to God, you will not listen to God, and you will certainly not be able to resist the devil. Drawing near to God, in humble submission to Him, is to establish a relationship with God and it is only in this relationship that you receive the empowerment of His grace to enable you to be strong and firm and steadfast for the trials you will face.

Resist the devil ©2013 Shelley Johnson 23-Sep-13