Submit and watch the enemy flee!

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

I have spent more time in James the last couple of months than I have any other book of the Bible. I keep coming back to it and every time He reveals another jewel for me to contemplate. Saturday morning I came upon the verse above. The commentary in my Bible really helped me figure out the power in this verse. One must pay particular attention to the order of what we are called to do here. It says first submit then the enemy will flee. I does not say try to get rid of the things in your life that blemish you and then come to Him.

How often have you heard I cannot come to church because I smoke, drink and curse with the best of them? Or how about I am a real bad person and God does not want anything to do with me, I need to get rid of some baggage in my life. How many times have you thought that if I could just rid myself of this sin or that sin, then I can be closer to God? I know I have thought this very thing from time to time and I can never beat the sin that runs my life until I submit to God first. Brothers and Sisters I ask that you submit to Him first and then you will be able to beat the enemy in this terrible game he is playing with us. This verse has so much power for us in being able to know that we can win when we submit. When I look at the ways I can minister to others with this verse I get goose bumps. I can with out a doubt tell someone that He does not care how messed up we are, He wants us to submit first and then He will wash us of the sin that runs our lives. I pray today that all of us can submit to God first and that we will see radical change in our own lives and the lives of others as the devil flees from them.

God Bless,

Rick