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by Mary WilliamsPART I We quote, "Resist the devil and he will flee" (James 4:7), but do we know the command prior to this that gives the way to resist and the condition for the devil fleeing? "Submit yourself to God…" Submission to God is by choosing to keep His commandments. Do I love at all times? Do I forgive? Am I kind and tenderhearted? Do I side with God's Word concerning healing? Or finances? Or weakness? Do I stir myself up as commanded or do I constantly depend on others to build me up? Our idea of resisting the devil is to speak the Word in order to beat him up. No! We speak the Word to which we are submitted to in order to establish that he has no place in us. I John 5:18 "...he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one (devil) touches him not." "Keeps himself" is being in submission to God's commandments. (Remember: All commandments are summed up in one word, "love.") When we are submitted to God, the Word, we give no place to the devil. (Ephesians 4:27). There is no place in us where he can set up his kingdom. To the devil we are like a greased pig - there is no place in our lives that he can take hold of. Jesus, when tempted, established His submission to God, "Man (I) shall live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." "It is written: Thou (I) shall worship the Lord, thy (my) God and Him only shall thou (I) serve." Again Jesus answered, "Thou (I) shall not tempt the Lord thy (my) God." (Luke 4:1-13) He was not telling the devil what the devil would do. The devil was not going to live by God's Word. He was not going to worship and serve God. And he certainly had no problem tempting God. Jesus was speaking the Word that He, Jesus, was doing in His life - those things that He was submitted to God in. Therefore, there was no place for the devil to take hold of. He could not touch Jesus. The devil had to flee. So when the devil is not fleeing, the question is: Am I truly submitted to God, to the Word that I am speaking? Do I love at all times? Do I forgive? Am I kind and tenderhearted? Do I believe I receive, "By His stripes I am healed," or "God supplies all my need." Now if my heart condemns me and tells me that I am not submitted to God, God is greater. (I John 3:20) He has provided a way of escape for me. I become submissive to His Word and I repent. God forgives me and I get back to doing the Word. When we submit to God, obey Him, the Word, we will stand against the devil and he will not even be able to touch us, but will run from us, for there is no place for him to take hold of when we obey God. PART II Another scripture that we frequently use to defeat the devil is Revelation 12:11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Strong's definition of testimony (G3144) is evidence given, record, report, witness. So we will say, "By His Word we are healed." Or "By His Word I have prosperity." Both are true statements. But what about, "By His Word I am patient and kind. I am not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. I do not demand my own way. I am not irritable, and I keep no record of when I have been wronged." (I Corinthians 13: 4, 5 NLT) Or "By His Word I don't use foul or abusive language, but everything I say is good and helpful so that my words are an encouragement to those who hear them." (Ephesians 4: 29 NLT) Or "By His Word I will not decide against the promise of God." (Romans 4:20 The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament) Remember what Jesus said? "It is written man shall live…by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." And, "It is written you shall worship the Lord God and Him only shall you worship." And, "It is written you shall not tempt the Lord your God." (Luke 4:1-13) Was this not the word of His testimony? He lived by every word of God. He worshipped only God. He would not tempt God. His testimony was that He was submitted to God. Jesus' testimony was a force that could overcome the devil. So does our life, our witness, our testimony, our record, agree with the Word of God? Is our testimony a force that will overcome the devil? Defeating the devil is not only speaking the promises of God but also speaking the testimony that you have in Christ. When we love the promises more than the commandments of God, we become the brethren of James 4:3 NLT, "And even when you do ask, you don't get it because your whole motive is wrong-you want only what will give you pleasure." Does this sound like a reason why the devil is not fleeing?
We must ask ourselves: What is the word of my testimony? Is it a force that will overcome the devil? Does word of my testimony = submission to God?
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