Resisting the Enemy by Submitting to Grace

Being a believer isn’t for the faint of heart. Christians are fighting spiritual warfare against Satan, who attacks our minds and our emotions. Thankfully, Jesus has already defeated him on our behalf. One of the most effective ways we maintain our victory is to depend on Him for everything.

Our battle strategy is twofold; we yield to Jesus while actively resisting the enemy. When we submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, the devil will flee from us. We demonstrate true submission by putting God’s Word first in our lives, before all other influences; by contrast, refusing to listen and apply what He says to us is a sign of pride. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Yielding to God is a sign of humility because it requires that we set aside our own agenda and all our selfish wants, and be willing to go with His plans and agenda. Humbling ourselves under God’s mighty power allows Him to lift us up in honor at the right time. One of the ways we humble ourselves is by giving all our worries and cares—which the devil tries to use against us—to God, because He cares about us.

We have an enemy who wants to prey on us and destroy us. We must be sober and vigilant, because our adversary is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour. However, he can’t take just anyone down, only those who aren’t grounded in God’s Word.

Paul learned to depend on God. Paul received an abundance of revelations, and to keep him from becoming proud and exalting himself, he also received a thorn in the flesh. When he asked God to remove it, God answered that His grace was sufficient, and that His strength is made perfect in weakness. When the enemy attacks our weakest point, depending on God’s strength fortifies us.

God is on our side. He has already won the battle. We defeat the enemy by wholeheartedly believing this.

Prayer:

Lord, the enemy has already been beaten, but he still attacks us by making suggestions contrary to Your Word. We maintain our victorious stance by resisting him while submitting to You. Thank You for telling us how to stay in victory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scriptures

James 4:6, 7

1 Peter 5:6, 7, NLT

1 Peter 5:8

2 Corinthians 12:7-9