August 21, 2023
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
James 4:6-8 (ESV)
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God is an enemy that is only overcome by submitting. Satan is an enemy that is overcome by resisting. It sounds strange to call God an “enemy,” but that is our relationship with him before our salvation. Natural man hates God and is at war with him; peace only comes through humility, submitting to him, and accepting his free grace. On the other hand, we must wrestle with the devil, and as James says, if we choose to fight him, he will flee. Often when we recognize temptation, we have a very brief moment to decide if we’re going to let the enemy in and take the turn toward sin or we’re going to resist him and turn toward Christ. This is the critical juncture where we must choose Christ and draw near to him. If we yield at this first sign of temptation, the battle is often lost.