James 4:7-10
You ARE in a SPIRITUAL WAR!!
There are times when you have things happen to you that simply make you scratch your head. There are also time when you do things or say things that immediately you wish you could take back. In many instances the combination of our flesh or own desires combined with a relentless series of thoughts, circumstances and actions prompt us to undermine our own lives or the lives of others. Why do we experience these things?!
Because you ARE in a SPIRITUAL WAR!
Here is how to begin to get Victory:
1. Therefore submit to God. Slow down…rest in God’s Grace…put the brakes on your fear, anger and justifications. Submit to God’s sovereignty and control in your life…easy does it
2. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Yup, the devil exists…start there. Don’t allow Satan to tempt or entice you and put thoughts and ideas into your head. Remember his first approach, like with Eve, is to attack God and His Word. “Did God say…?!” Satan always tries to get us to put ourselves at the center of the planet. Then we can be “like God.”
3. “Cleanse your hands…” this just means let’s try and say the 5 words that will save our marriage, friendships, and life…”I’m sorry please forgive me.”
4. “Lament and mourn and weep.” If we are truly sorry for the misery we have created in our lives, it will naturally create a humility of repentance. This in turn will open up our hearts to a fresh work from God.” Times of refreshing are coming your way now!
5. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Again…with…the…humility. Choose to not demand your own way today. Choose to not keep a record of wrongs today. Choose to simply say, “thy will be done today Lord.”
Rest, refresh and be restored today as you realize, first you ARE in a SPIRITUAL BATTLE! Second, God has given you tools and weapons to fight the spiritual battle beginning like all sheep to simply bow down before your great Sheppard who will fight your battle for you if you let him. Third, humility is our great offensive weapon. It is in humility that the betrayal, punishment, and crucified Christ was resurrected to defeat death and Satan once and for all.
You are walking from victory to victory!