Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee.
James 4:7
We know every day we are tempted in some fashion, spirit, soul, or body. Our eyes see, our ears hear, our head reasons, our hearts get discouraged and these temptations must all be challenged and resisted. The other day, I woke up hearing the Holy Spirit telling me to fight. I had been dealing with some lingering symptoms off and on since September, and with all the flying we do, the symptoms were constantly flaring up. I was dealing naturally with them, but not enough spiritually. The Lord was calling for me to offer more spiritual resistance.
Satan watches for the vulnerable moments in our lives, the times of weakness, whether they are in our unfed spirit man, a tired body, or an undisciplined mind. He is always watching to devour. This is why the Apostle Peter wrote in chapter five of his first epistle, “Be sober, be watchful because we have an adversary”. He must be resisted and not just resisted, but steadfastly resisted in faith. In a case like this, you get a word from the Lord, you adjust, and somewhere in the back of your mind you think ok that’s done, all good, now things will change. BUT then you get up and the next day the STEDFAST word comes into play. I’ve never seen a battle won in one day. There is the day the battle is over, but until that day there is a continual fight.
Paul said, because of the prize he was looking to receive, he was purposeful in the fight, not as one that beats the air. He told Timothy to fight the good fight of faith so he could lay hold of eternal life and in 2 Timothy Paul declares towards the end of his life, “I have fought the fight.”
The writer of Hebrews encouraged the people to remember how they endured a great fight of afflictions. Hebrews 11 shows us that those who have gone before us were valiant in the fight.
Ephesians reminds us our battle is not with flesh and blood but with principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians chapter six is probably the clearest instruction on how to fight. We fight from a place of strength in the Lord. We gird ourselves and we take active actions to withstand with all areas covered and the word coming out of our mouth.
Jesus said my Kingdom is not of this world and his kingdom suffers violence. In other words, the things we want operating and working in our life must be fought for.
When we are fully dressed and ready for action, we are able to stand against the wiles of the devil. When we have dropped our guard, we have usually laid down some equipment and are vulnerable.
Satan seeks everyday in some way to devour. He is diligent. We have to remind ourselves we are not trying to get God to do something for us. Jesus has done it all. We are either reclaiming what the enemy has stolen or we are guarding our stuff.
I don’t know what circumstances you may be facing in your life these days, but I want to encourage us all to continue to fight and to do it steadfastly, to not be weary in well doing but to prepare ourselves daily, spirit, soul and body for whatever comes our way.
Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee.