[280 words]
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8).
For Christians to have a right relationship with God they may have to get to the point in life where they say, “I give up!” This is not a declaration of quitting but rather admitting that they have tried to face life’s challenges on their own terms instead of submitting to the Lord and letting Him help them get through life. The above passage simply states, “submit to God” which means we should give up and give in, allowing God to control every aspect of our lives. I know that’s a tall order, however when we base our decisions upon God’s instruction and wisdom life can indeed be less frustrating.
Now take a look at the next part of the passage. Resisting Satan is easier said than done because he’ll use every means possible to make us fail in both our physical and spiritual lives. But God assures us here that if we stand up and stand strong the old devil will leave us alone for a while.
Finally, we’re told to “draw near to God.” We get close to God through Jesus Christ and when we trust and depend on the Lord to help us He will be right by our side. We’re never promised that life will be easy, what we are promised is we’ll be able to handle whatever life throws us because we have the peace that passes understanding in our hearts (Phil. 4:7) and our Father will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Jay Launius
via Chapman church of Christ
Ripley, MS