TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE
Memorize this Verse: (Cover the verse text and using just the first letters of each word try to recite the entire passage.)
7. S Y T T G R T D A H W F F Y
“Submit”: Literally “to line up under.” The word was used of soldiers under the authority of their commander. In the New Testament, it describes Jesus’ submission to His parents’ authority (Luke 2:51), submission to human government (Romans 13:1), the church’s submission to Christ (Ephesians 5:24), and servants’ submission to their masters (Titus 2:9; 1 Peter 2:18).
James used the word to describe a willing, conscious submission to God’s authority as sovereign ruler of the universe. A truly humble person will give his allegiance to God, obey His commands, and follow His leadership (Mat. 10:38).
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”: The flip side of the first command, “Resist” literally means “take your stand against.” All people are either under the lordship of Christ or the lordship of Satan (John 8:44; Eph. 2:2; 1 John 3:8; 5:19); there is no middle ground. Those who transfer their allegiance from Satan to God will find that Satan “will flee from” them; he is a defeated foe.
This is just saying that it is within the willpower of every man to resist the devil and the temptations that he puts before him. We have been given the power of attorney to use the name of Jesus to defeat the devil. The temptations that the devil brings before us are really temptations of the flesh. The temptation will leave, if we say no to it.
God will not over-rule our will. He gives us the power to choose. We must decide right, or wrong, for ourselves. The minute you emphatically say no to the devil and his temptations, he will go on to someone else and leave you alone.
Flee means leave in a hurry. A heart and will controlled by God will have no difficulty in saying no to the devil and his temptations.
TODAY'S BIBLE READING
Old Testament
Genesis 3-4 — 8.5 minutes
Psalms 2 — 2.5 minutes
New Testament
Matthew 1:18-25 — 2.5 minutes
Acts 1:12-26 — 4.0 minutes
Total Average Read Time — 17.5 minutes
