James 4:7-8 “Therefore submit 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.”
In my experiences in street ministry I have witnessed a tremendous amount of evil, but what I’ve witnessed is nothing compared to the people who endure living on the streets.
When encouraging someone who has chosen to enter a discipleship ministry like Teen Challenge or Set Free, I can’t stress enough the need to shut the door on ever going back to the streets. It is virtually impossible to live for Christ while homeless. There are many who claim to follow the Lord and I don’t discount their faith, but it’s one thing to claim allegiance to the Lord and quite another to walk victoriously.
The darkness that rules the streets is no longer hidden in the shadows. It flaunts its wickedness as it is celebrated by so many. The evil spirits of homosexuality, perversity, hatred, and addiction all prey upon the victims of trauma and brokenness. I’ve walked the streets with many, I have witnessed the darkness, I’ve heard the mocking and listened to the cursing, and I’ve had to deal directly with confusing spirits who seek to disrupt and form chaos.
How can anyone endure such attack?
There is a way, it is narrow and straight but there is a path that leads out of the darkness and into the light. For those who progress on the path of righteousness, they have a greater power and strength given to them.
A Greater Power
For those who have committed their lives to Christ, they have been given the power and authority to resist the devil.
The encouragement from James was not unique to him, every faithful follower of Christ was acutely aware of the battle that rages.
1 Peter 5:8-11 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Do you hear the disciples encouragement?
All believers, in every part of the globe are to resist the devil. They refuse to believe the deception, they will not comply with the temptations, and by the power of God they will not let the influences of darkness deter them. Every Spirit filled believer is endowed with the power of God. They possess the authority to demand the enemy to flee and in seething hatred the enemy slithers back into the shadows.
The enemy knows the hour of judgment is coming, the signs are everywhere. Evil is showing its hand and shame is embraced by a world that has no honor. Every person alive must make a decision whether to submit to God’s authority or to resist His call.
Those who Submit
Submission is the act of accepting or yielding to a superior force or will of another. Submission is offered by all, it’s just that many don’t realize who they are submitting to.
Romans 8:7 “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”
Why is it so difficult for the world to submit to God’s law?
8:8 “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
The Bible regularly makes a distinction between those who walk in the flesh or those who walk in the Spirit.
To walk in the flesh is to remain hard hearted toward God’s leading. These are the ones who rely on the wisdom of man to guide their course, they trust in luck, and hope fortune favors their life. Their reliance is upon their intellect, their diplomas and jobs, or on relationships. Some even think that a change in identity will bring greater peace and when everything fails, when the illusions of worldly hope proves itself false once again, they bury themselves in alcohol, drugs, or might even look to another source to fulfill their needs. Some obsess over a hobby, others obsess on hating and tearing down those they disagree with, thinking a politician will bring euphoria. Hopelessness permeates the lives of those who strive after the wind, bodies grow old and fail, relationships don’t fulfill, and the numbing of substances only brings greater heartache.
All of these things the devil uses to entice and lure his unsuspecting victims. Promising fulfillment, the paths lead to dead ends, with nothing more than a promise unfilled. For those who embrace false religions, they strive for acceptance, hoping their efforts will bring some semblance of peace. All false religion is man made, it requires proving oneself and the rewards almost always cater to the flesh. Promises of virgins in heaven, nirvana on earth, or becoming a god in their own right, the flesh yearns to be pleased and the devil knows it very well.
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death”
For those who submit to God, they gain everything….
“I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all, utterly to Thee to be Thine forever” (Betty Scott Stam)
Submitting to God requires humility, a trait that defies the flesh and reduces its value down to nothing. Why should we exalt something that is perishable? Something that is corrupted and passing away shows itself to be powerless. For those who exalt self, they focus on inherent traits that glorify the flesh and make it godlike. But the flesh cannot add one day to its life, nor can it save itself from death, all who tried have failed.
Isaiah 40:6-8 “All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass. grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
Christianity for a true believer is to embrace the Lord as preeminent in life. The will of God is greater than the will of man because He has the power to complete the work He began. The completion of God’s work leads to an eternity with Him. Life doesn’t end with the death of the flesh, to the contrary, it is just the beginning.
Because the Lord is omniscient, because He has the power and authority to fulfill His will and purpose, submitting to Him would seem to be the only logical conclusion. There is wisdom in walking with the Lord and He rewards those who are found faithful.
To resist God is to oppose Him personally. The fool knows this path very well.
Those who Resist
For those who resist the devil, they refuse to accept or comply with the enticements, the accusations, and the false hope. They know who they are because they trust in the Lord, He is their hope.
For those who resist God, they choose to deny His love, they forsake His promises, and they choose not to obey His law. They think that science has all the answers, even if they know so little. They believe that life leads only to oblivion, even if they can’t prove it. They trust in their senses, hormones, and instincts, thinking those elements will eventually prove themselves true. Their faith is in themselves, and they close their minds to any other possibility.
Job 9:2-4 “Truly I know it is so,
But how can a man be righteous before God?
If one wished to contend with Him,
He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?”
There is no hope for those who resist God, their trust in the world will prove itself to be fatal.
For those whose hope is in the Lord, they know that to resist the devil they will not believe the lies. The promise of fulfillment requires the sale of the soul, a temporary pleasure with an eternity of pain.
When I survey the options I find there are only two choices…the ways of the world or the way of righteousness, before God I have made my choice.
The choice seems obvious, the reward great, but the sacrifice becomes too great for many to act in humility with a contrite heart.
What will you do with your life?
Bow before Him in humility with repentance, and He will lift you up.
The choice is now, act before it is too late.
U.T. 