So submit yourselves to God.
Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (Jas 4:7-8a)
We find ourselves, quite often, at a distance from God.
We get ourselves there because of our desires, our pride, our longing for things that are of this world rather than the things of God.
When we find ourselves distant from God, we often say, “Where is God? Why has He left us?”
The truth, however, is much more simple. God has not left us. We have walked away from God.
It is easier to do than one might imagine. That is because we live in a world so steeped in sin that we often cannot detect right from wrong, good from bad, holiness from sin.
If we desire to be able to do so, however, the solution is right in front of us: submit ourselves to God and resist the devil.
The devil has a lot of power, that is true. But, the power that the devil has is often the power that we give to him when we reject the Lord. In a battle between the devil and God, there is absolutely no competition. God will win, hands down, every single time.
So, why do we often give ourselves over to the enemy rather than to the champion?
It is because we allow ourselves to become deluded. We begin to think that the devil is the champion because we become so enamored by his allures. Temptation is strong and we can be weak.
Our strength is in the Lord who made heaven and earth. Let us seek that strength this day.
FAITH ACTION: What lures of the world have we so willingly brought into our own lives that we are in peril of losing sight of God? Reject those temptations today and draw near to God.