When we choose to submit to God, because this does NOT come naturally to us, so we must choose it, do you see what happens to us and the enemy?
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Jas 4:7 NIV
So as we choose to submit to God, we end up acting more and more like Jesus, according to His righteousness, instead of like that old, MMI Person we used to be. We end up experiencing more peace and joy no matter what is going on around us. And the devil? He heads for the hills…at least for a while anyway. We get a nice time of relief from his constant badgering, but just like he did with Jesus, he is looking for an opportune time to come back and attack us again. (see Lk 4:13) While there is nothing good about the devil because his motives are always evil, one thing we might want to notice is that he is relentless at trying to steal, kill and destroy us. If we seem strong in Christ, he will flee, but he will also keep looking for a time when we have let our guard down.
We have already added this verse to our list, back in February, but I hope we see how John 10:10 certainly goes hand in hand with this verse. The devil’s agenda, all day, every day, is to steal our peace, kill our joy and destroy our witness. What does that mean? Our witness is simply our story of how God saved us, and now is growing us into the likeness of His Son. (2Co 3:18) But if outsiders look at the way we act and it looks exactly like they would act, full of MMI, instead of Grace and Mercy and Love like Jesus…you see how the power to influence others for Christ can be destroyed. I have heard way too many stories of young Christians being hurt by immature Christians in church, of all places. My Friends, if we do not choose to submit, the devil will continue to harass us into acting like our old, MMI Person and others will be turned off from following Christ. And so this has become my main focus in life right now…we will wrap it up tomorrow.
Join me in memorizing 52 verses this year:
January: 1- Jn 3:16; 2- 2Co 5:17; 3- Jas 2:26; 4- Eph 2:10
February: 5- Jn 10:10; 6- Ro 6:23; 7- Rev 21:4; 8- Php 4:13
March: 9- 1Pe 5:7; 10- Jn 8:32; 11- Dt 30:19; 12- Jn 3:30; 13- 2Chron 20:3
April: 14- 2Chron 20:12; 15- 2Chron 20:15b; 16- 2Chron 20:17
May: 17- Ro 8:28; 18- 1Co 13:13; 19- Php 2:12; 20- Mt 5:4
21- Lk 23:42
22- Jas 4:7
<>< Peace, Diane
