“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
What posture have you taken before the Lord? What about with others? How bout with the enemy? Unfortunately for many of us, we seem to have gotten it backwards. Rather than submitting fully to God and resisting the enemy we resist God and submit to the intimidation of the enemy.
We often take a passive stance before the enemy and a hard stance before the Lord.
God reveals His will to us yet we refuse Him the reigns of our life. Meanwhile, the intimidation of the enemy has us running in fear! He intimidates us through doubt, worry, anxiety, depression, pain, a sense of lack, loneliness—you name it, the devil uses it. Without even realizing it fear has been allowed to take the reigns in our life and we are in a perpetual game of tug of war with the enemy of our soul. We feel lost and confused unsure how to get our lives back in alignment with God’s plan in our everyday.
It’s time for the children of God to flip things right side up again. But how? Well, as we read in yesterday’s devotional: you are not powerless! You have the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead living in you! And His spirit gives you life, strength and power over the enemy.
How do we take the reigns back from fear? From doubt? Worry? Anxiety? And whatever else has been allowed to rule? It’s simple—we posture our hearts in surrender before the Lord and He takes them for us! It’s by His power that we are set free!!
“Whom the Son sets free is free indeed!” —John 8:36
Surrender
Our life posture should be that of Jesus—total surrender. He came to do the will of the Father. Throughout Jesus’ journey on the earth He encountered many different people. His disciples he led, the woman at the well He served, the prideful rulers He rebuked, with Lazarus’ family He wept. All the while He had one specific posture and that was of a servant of the most High God—His Father and ours, Abba.
Jesus said, I only do as I see my Father doing. I say as I hear Him saying.
Jesus was able to walk among a myriad of people and situations responding uniquely in each one yet with the same posture: He lived a bowed down life in a position of surrender to the One who sent Him.
FRIEND: It’s time that we take the same posture as Jesus. One of surrender to the One who sends you out into all the world to preach the gospel and make disciples. Your Heavenly Father. With a posture of surrender and the power of Christ living in you you’re now able to walk through unique situations and respond appropriately in each one. When faced with darkness your response is not to run in fear rather to stand firmly with authority over the defeated one. When God moves in you to step out of your comfort zone instead of resisting God you’ll respond to Him in obedience, “Have Your way Lord”. You’ll find rest in a posture of surrender.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” —Matthew 11:29
TODAY: Submit your ways to the Lord. Bow your life before your King today and allow Him to take back the reigns of your life. Allow His yoke of rest to refresh and water your soul.
SCRIPTURE: John 5:19-24; Proverbs 3:5-6; Proverbs 16:9
