Scripture: James 4:7–8
“So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people].”
When we submit to God’s authority, we acknowledge His rightful place in our lives as the ultimate source of our hope, joy, and fulfillment. This submission requires a daily effort to resist temptation and the things we sometimes make a priority over God’s rightful place in our lives. What are you depending on that you haven’t surrendered to God? Sometimes we say we trust God, but we’re still holding on to things that we depend on for comfort, security, happiness, or fulfillment. God is asking us to surrender those things to Him.
We must submit ourselves to God and use His Word as our defense against the things that tempt us. When temptation comes, we don’t have to give in to it. We can resist it by standing on God’s Word and drawing closer to Him.
— Minister B.L. Caston II
Open Heart Ministries
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