RESISTING THE DEVIL

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7). Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world" (1 Pet 5:8-9).

Devotion 4 of 15

THE SOLEMN COMMISSION -- RESIST THE DEVIL

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).

The Spirit is clear about our reaction to the devil: RESIST him! No other response is acceptable. No matter how strong his allurements, RESIST HIM! Whatever the apparent advantages he seems to have, "RESIST THE DEVIL!" The Spirit does not say "Rebuke him," but "RESIST THE DEVIL!" He does not say "Fight him," but "RESIST THE DEVIL!"

Determination and resolution

Resistance begins with determination and resolution. Regarding temptation, "I will not!" is the shout of the people of God. "I WILL NOT be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about" (Psa 3:6). "I WILL NOT fear what flesh can do unto me" (Psa 56:4). "I WILL NOT be afraid what man can do unto me" (Psa 56:11). "A froward heart shall depart from me: I WILL NOT know a wicked person" (Psa 101:4). "I will delight myself in thy statutes: I WILL NOT forget thy word" (Psa 119:16). It is difficult enough to resist the devil. If you do not want to, it is impossible.

Job made a covenant with his eyes, and therefore refused to look lustfully upon a maiden (Job 31:1). He did not allow his mouth to sin (Job 31:20), even laying his hand upon it to prevent sinful expressions (Job 40:4). That is the sort of determination required to resist the devil!

It is not wise to view this word as a harsh commandment. The new covenant operates on a higher level than that of law. This is a word of exhortation to those engaged in the good fight of faith. It is a sensible word, designed to alert us to the nature of our warfare. Satan is trying to intrude into the realm you are occupying by faith. He does so by attempting to lure you out of heavenly places into the realm of the curse. Resist his attempts!

Resist the devil -- not temptation

Notice. The admonition is not to resist the temptation, but to resist the Tempter! Technically, we do not yield to sin, but to the father of sin. To resist the devil, you must be sensitive to his person. Behind the allurement to sin is a wicked personality. He is not simply trying to get you to DO some wrong things, but to leave the heavenly places. He does this by drawing your attention to things that are not heavenly or eternal, things that are temporal. In fact, he draws us to objects that contradict heavenly things. Resisting the devil involves a refusal to be distracted from eternal things!

It is imperative that we recognize the source of temptation to do evil. It is our adversary, the devil. Ultimately, the explanation for sin is the "old serpent." Any attempt to explain sin that does not trace it back to a time when the sinner yielded to Satan is faulty. Efforts to explain fleshly indulgence scientifically, sociologically, or biologically are out of order for those that are in Christ. The employment of terms that soften the matter of sin is also to be avoided. A few of them that are popular in this wicked and sinful generation are, "alcoholism," "chemical abuse," "substance abuse," "child abuse, " "abortion," "homosexuality," "drug addiction," etc. None of these assume a devil; the adversary of humanity. All of them are unacceptable attempts to EXPLAIN sin.

Sin, however, does not need further explanation. It is the result of yielding to the devil, who works through the "lust flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:15-17). Those who are caught in sin's syndrome are admonished to "resist the devil," not try and control their purported addiction. Faith is equal to this challenge.

PRAYER POINT: Father, thank You, in Jesus' name, for so defusing the power of the devil that he WILL flee from me if I resist him.

-- TOMORROW: DEVELOPING OUR STRATEGY --