Resist

Resist

The word resist has different meanings in the following texts, did you know that? I didn't. Let's look at the meanings:

James 4:6 --> God resists the proud... "to range in battle against"
James 4:7 --> resist the devil... "to set oneself against, oppose"
1Pet.5:9 --> resist satan... "to set oneself against, oppose"

Our resistance of that which is evil is to set ourselves against it or be in opposition to it; else, if we fail in this responsibility, God's resistance of us will be as the resistance of warfare - we will be in battle against Him. Let's dwell on that thought for just a moment...

Failure to oppose sin amounts to being proud, being proud causes God to resist us - which means going to war against God.

So, if we're going to war against God, let's consider the utter futility of such an action that we choose to do by our sin. We must ask, "When has God ever lost? When has the Almighty ever failed? What enemy of God has ever prevailed?" Never. Not once. None. God always has and always will be victorious.

My approach to my life, and all the various temptations to sin on a daily basis, is one that must be approached with soberness. I must ever be resolved to fight every battle that presents itself and end that fight every time. I may not start the fight, but with God I'll surely win and end the fight.

We cannot fight satan alone, but how often do we try? How often do we, like a foolish child, look to God our Father and say, "Don't worry, I got this. I can do this all by myself." The reality is that God doesn't expect us to fight satan alone, we're just not equipped to do that on our own merits - however through Christ we are "more than conquerors" (Rom.8:37). God says our role is to resist the devil, oppose or stand against, and God will win the battle through us - refer to how Jesus approached temptation to sin in Matthew 4 -- "It is written..." We, too, defeat satan the same way, with the power of God through His word.

When we refuse to oppose satan then we are saying, in essence, that we don't need God - we are being proud - and so instead of fighting with God against satan, we align ourselves on the other side of the battlefield and we fight with satan against God...a battle that ends decisively in God's favor every time.

So what have we learned? We are to resist sin, satan, and his devices - oppose or stand against - or else we're going to war against Almighty God, the I AM, the Eternal One, our Judge. And so when the temptations of life present themselves, from this day forward, let us keep in mind what those temptations really are - foolish decisions to war against God.

I think most of us would agree that we'd prefer to fight with God and be victorious rather than fight against Him and be destroyed...so how about we back up our assertions with action and put away the sin (Heb.12:1-2)? I desire victory in my life, I desire to live eternally in heaven with my Father, the heavenly host, and the redeemed for all time.

If we mean it, then let's live like it. The battle is raging, whose side are you on? Resist!