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A pastor explains James 4:7: you can't just resist the devil and expect sin to stop. First submit to God through prayer, Scripture, worship, and the Holy Spirit. That foundation makes resistance actually work when temptation hits.
A pastor explains James 4:7: you can't just resist the devil and expect sin to stop. First submit to God through prayer, Scripture, worship, and the Holy Spirit. That foundation makes resistance actually work when temptation hits.
Here's why you keep falling into the same sin again and again and again. Resisting the devil is not enough. James 4:7 says this: Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. You cannot effectively resist the devil until you first submit it to God. Just like an athlete prepares for the big game with conditioning, just like a soldier prepares for war with training, so the believer must submit to God before the temptation ever arises. Live that lifestyle in the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Word, prayer, worship. Live that lifestyle of staying far from tempting situations. Live in the wisdom of God. And when temptation comes, because you're submitted to God, you'll be able to successfully resist the devil, and the devil will flee.
