Day 290 - Submit and Resist

Emily Green

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” - James 4:7-8 NLT

After yesterday’s introduction to spiritual warfare, you may think, “I know who I’m fighting, but how do I fight?” This is the question we will continue to answer for this week. To start our spiritual warfare strategy, we must first consider James 4:7-8. James says to “humble” ourselves before God and then to “resist the devil” (James 4:7).

Rule #1 of spiritual warfare: Submit to God. Without submitting to God first, we can never resist the enemy. We are not strong enough on our own to overcome temptations or spiritual attacks. We need God’s power to fight the enemy! Therefore, we must remain humble and submit ourselves to God’s authority.

Rule #2 of spiritual warfare: Resist the enemy. The word “resist” in the original Greek language means to “set oneself against, to withstand, resist, [or] oppose.” We must submit to God but also do our part to resist the enemy. We cannot win in spiritual warfare if we partner with the devil to wreak havoc in our lives. This means we must be vigilant in what we allow into our spirits, souls, and bodies. In this way, we resist the enemy and every temptation he throws at us.

Rule #3 of spiritual warfare: Walk in victory! Once we’re submitted to God and resist the enemy, the Bible says that Satan will flee from us (James 4:7)! What I love about this verse is that this is not a suggestion; it doesn’t say, “Resist the enemy, and he may flee from you.” No, it says to resist, and he will flee!

When we do spiritual warfare God’s way (submitting to Him), we have a 100% chance of success in overcoming the enemy! However, it all starts with humility and asking God to rule us daily.

Next Steps

  • Think about it: How can I daily submit myself to God?

  • Think about it: Am I actively resisting the enemy, or am I partnering with him by allowing bad things into my life? How so?

  • Action Step: Identify the areas (if any) where you have allowed the enemy or temptation to impact your life. Submit yourself to God, resist the enemy, and he will flee from you!