Standing Against The Enemy
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." - James 4:7
The devil is a defeated foe, but he is still dangerous. Think of him like a dog on a leash; he has a limited range, but if you get too close, he can still bite. He has no power over your eternal destiny, but he can still harass, discourage, and distract you if you let him, so you must stand firm in your authority.
There is a specific order in this verse that acts as the key to spiritual victory: submit to God first, then resist the devil. Many people try to resist the devil without first submitting to God, and they fail miserably. Your power to resist comes entirely from your submission to God. When you are walking in obedience and humility before God, you are covered by His authority. From that posture of submission, you can turn and face the enemy. You can say no to his lies and go to his temptations. He may roar like a lion to scare you, but he has no teeth when you are standing on God's promises.
I have learned that the enemy often attacks right before or right after a significant spiritual victory. When I was preparing to launch a new community outreach, everything started going wrong at home. Arguments flared up, cars broke down, and sickness hit. I realized this was not a coincidence; it was resistance. Instead of fighting the circumstances, I submitted the project and my family to God in prayer. Then I boldly rebuked the discouragement. The atmosphere shifted almost immediately.
Is there an area of your life where you sense spiritual opposition or constant discouragement? Submit that specific area to God right now in prayer. Then, speak out loud and command the enemy to flee in Jesus' name.
Father, I submit my life, my family, and my future completely to You. Give me discernment to recognize the enemy's attacks and the boldness to resist him with Your authority. Thank You that he must flee when I stand firm in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The devil is a defeated foe, but he is still dangerous. Think of him like a dog on a leash; he has a limited range, but if you get too close, he can still bite. He has no power over your eternal destiny, but he can still harass, discourage, and distract you if you let him, so you must stand firm in your authority.
There is a specific order in this verse that acts as the key to spiritual victory: submit to God first, then resist the devil. Many people try to resist the devil without first submitting to God, and they fail miserably. Your power to resist comes entirely from your submission to God. When you are walking in obedience and humility before God, you are covered by His authority. From that posture of submission, you can turn and face the enemy. You can say no to his lies and go to his temptations. He may roar like a lion to scare you, but he has no teeth when you are standing on God's promises.
I have learned that the enemy often attacks right before or right after a significant spiritual victory. When I was preparing to launch a new community outreach, everything started going wrong at home. Arguments flared up, cars broke down, and sickness hit. I realized this was not a coincidence; it was resistance. Instead of fighting the circumstances, I submitted the project and my family to God in prayer. Then I boldly rebuked the discouragement. The atmosphere shifted almost immediately.
Is there an area of your life where you sense spiritual opposition or constant discouragement? Submit that specific area to God right now in prayer. Then, speak out loud and command the enemy to flee in Jesus' name.
Father, I submit my life, my family, and my future completely to You. Give me discernment to recognize the enemy's attacks and the boldness to resist him with Your authority. Thank You that he must flee when I stand firm in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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7 Comments
Wow! This is exactly what my husband and I went through, things have been going wrong , our roof was ripped off with the wind storm the other day, our tire in our truck was blown out in 1604 with extremely heavy traffic . But we both stood with faith and God came through it all??
nWay Maker, Miracle Worker Light in The Darkness My God That is who You Are??
This makes perfect sense for a month in a half I went through this. I felt like quitting because from seeing all the great things that took place during our revival and being a part of great things in church . I was attacked by satan and his demons. But through the love of my brothers and sisters and prayers. I over came it all through Christ. Trust me as I have learned with out God you will lose but with God you will win. Stay steadfast and always keep looking up.
It’s a blessing to wake up and read such an encouraging message from the Word! Pastor Ed, thank you for letting the Holy Spirit use you. You are definitely a “Barnabas” a son of encouragement. I pray that God will continue to use you for His glory!
Thank you sir. I got home a few days ago where the devil was trying to make things so difficult maybe he was trying to see if I would give up my faith but of course I can’t. Well he has since tried to attack my family, and also now my friends. It’s the craziest thing to go from not even believing he exists to watching him work like that. The good news is that we have cbc behind us in prayer. I have been able to lead my family in prayer and guidance because of Christ and you all. Worried about my friend Sam though. He’s been getting it pretty hard and he doesn’t or has not utilized the same tools I have. I’m praying that he still does not fall victim to these attacks. He came to church with me once and loved it but you know how it is sometimes. People just aren’t ready for all that. Oh but still we pray and try to speak truth over his life. Thank you all for being here. Just what you said above is what happened to me on the trip. As soon as I surrendered it all to God admitting my powerlessness he disappeared and I ended up doing this thing for some people out in New Mexico i never thought I would have the opportunity to do. Really cool story but can’t let the right hand know what the left hand is doing.
amén!
Amen
Amen!