Resistance Is Not Futile
James 4:7
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
The greatest fight you will ever fight in life is what the Bible calls the good fight of faith (1Timothy 6:12). That is, trusting God’s Word no matter what life throws at you, no matter what attack comes for you. That is, staying in the realm of knowing what God said is true no matter the opposition you are currently facing. The purpose of every attack is to remove you from that place of faith (the place of trusting God) so that you will falter in your foundation. The devil knows that once he gets you into the place of unbelief, he has you trapped. This is why the trial comes. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith you cannot please God. The trial is trying to get you to believe all hope is lost. So much of scripture focuses on living by faith and the effects of not doing so. It is how God designed us to live and not just live, but to flourish. This is the trick of the devil, if he gets you out of faith he hinders your ability to flourish.
A few years ago we went on a little road trip to buy some trees. Still a little too early to plant them when we arrived at home, I stuck them in our garage which has no windows. I kind of forgot about them for a few months and needless to say, they died. It wasn’t because they were unhealthy, or that they were from bad stock, but because I kept them from one of their most important needs, sunlight. I couldn’t call the nursery and complain because I refused to do one of the most basic things that needed to be done. What sunlight is to a plant, faith is to a Christian. Faith is what separates us from the rest of the world. Without faith we wither, powerless, with the rest of humanity.
The Bible instructs us, resist the devil. He is going to bring his best and if you aren’t standing on the solid foundation of the Word, you will fall and great will be your fall. Resist the devil. This is a purposeful response to purposeful opposition. How do we resist? The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ.” The knowledge of Christ is the truth of the Word, above our thoughts, feelings, desires, or experiences. We have to cast these down, we have to not accept them as truth, and we have to resist the devil if we want him to flee.
Resistance is a purposeful reaction. It’s pushing back, not accepting what is said, not succumbing to emotion. Will you stand against it? Will you determine that the devil is not going to win? Will you say yes to God and no to satan? Will you resist the devil?
Like a fly buzzing around your head, just wishing it would stop gets you nowhere. The Bible says resist and so resist is what we must do if we want to see the attack thwarted. Resistance is our answer. It’s not always the fun thing to do but it’s a must. Sure you might not have chosen the opposition but that doesn’t mean you aren’t the one to deal with it. Trial is never enjoyable but the faith you build in the midst of it, if you choose right will stay with you forever. It sets you up for things that will try and take you out later. Like a person who trains for an event, when the event comes they are well able to overcome. Not everyone becomes a marathon runner because not everyone pushes back or resists when it’s time to train.
We don’t have to wait on God to do the thing He has already told us to do. You don’t need prayer when your answer is before you. Jesus said when we’re facing a mountain WE are to move it by what WE say and believe. This is faith and this is how we win. Not pleading, not begging, not shouting at God. If you want the prize, if you want the victory of life, then you must do the things that it takes to win. There is no other way. Resist the devil, he’s the one trying to stop you. Resist the devil and he will flee.
Hebrews 10:35-36
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
Be Blessed,
Pastor Jeff
