JAMES 4:7.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

TO PONDER

I love the way God's word always turns human wisdom on it's head.

Most of us think of submission as a sign of weakness, yet here, God tells us that when we submit to him, we will have the strength to resist the devil, and that in fact, the devil will 'flee from us'

As a fan of fantasy and epic adventure stories, I often had a mental picture in my head as I grew up, of myself dressed in the armour of God doing battle against hoards of demons until they turned and fled. The problem being, that victory in these kinds of spiritual battles is not won by taking the fight to the devil but in submitting to the will of the Father. He does not want you to be snatched away from him, so the key is to submit to him, draw closer to him. Understand what God wants from you, your love, devotion and submission, and you can be confident that whatever trials and temptations you might face, he will see you through it.

You're not scary or strong enough to fight all the battles that come your way on your own, so 'give up the fight' and let God do battle for you, then you will see the devil flee.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you that in your death and resurrection, I can now have assurance of your victory over sin, death and the power of the devil. Help me to live today confident in that knowledge and turn to you and to submit to your ways not only when things get tough, but also in times of joy and celebration. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle