Jump Start # 1666

James 4:7 “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

There is much that has been said about temptation. We study the different ways we are tempted. We look at how and why we are tempted. We consider the consequences of temptation. We learn from the temptations of Jesus. From temptation we study sin and what sin does to us. We talk about why Jesus had to come and die for our sins. We come to understand the journey back to God that leads to salvation. This topic has been covered in detail in Bible classes and sermons. We all know it too well from personal experiences.

One aspect that is sometimes overlooked in this discussion is the sweet victory that one feels when they have resisted the devil and refused to open the door to temptation. Jesus was tempted, yet He never sinned. We can be tempted and we can resist the devil. Joseph is a great example of that. His master’s wife seduced him more than once. He resisted. He fled. He understood that the he could not do this evil against God. She accused him. He was thrown into prison, even though he was innocent. Yet, he did not sin. The devil didn’t win.

There is such a wonderful feeling when one has turned their back to the devil. The moment of temptation can get a person all mixed up on the inside. The opportunity to steal, cheat on a test, lust, say something inappropriate, or to lie comes in many forms and sometimes these temptations come every day. At work, or at school, the devil presents situations in which we can do wrong. It seems so easy. It is appealing. He gets us thinking only about the wrong choice. Our feelings get all mixed up. But then we remember the Lord. We remember Scriptures. We think of the consequences. We get jolted back to spiritual awareness. We walk away from that situation. We calm down. We find that door of escape that God provides. We hold our tongue. We look away from the immodest. We find the better choice. We take our hand off the doorknob of temptation. We have resisted the devil. For that moment, we have won. The victory belongs to the Lord.

There is such a powerful and good feeling when that happens. It reminds us of the truth of Scriptures. The devil can be resisted. I don’t have to do wrong. I do have a choice in this. When the devil is resisted, he leaves for the moment. He’ll be back. He always comes back, but not now. Not for this moment. You have won the battle.

Not only has this kept you from sinning, but it has strengthen your inner fiber. You now know that you can fight the devil. He’ll come back. He may come back the same way. Another fastball right down the middle. This time you recognize it even sooner. You know what to do. You have courage and strength.

Not only has this kept you from sinning, but it enables you to help others who struggle. You have found the path to keep from exploding in anger. You know how to keep from gossiping. You found the way to shut porn out of your heart. Others struggle. Others fail. You understand what works. Your story can help.

Not only has this kept you from sinning, but it has drawn you closer to the Lord. What turns the devil is the choice to be godly. A heart filled with Scriptures. A heart that wants to please the Lord. A heart that is praying. It’s harder for Satan to find a way into such a heart. Resisting temptation will draw you closer to the Lord. The next verse says that very thing. James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Those words speak of closeness. There are times when God seems distant. Our prayers are not answered quickly. We wonder if God is hearing us. In the darkness of those times, Satan seems so close. Temptations seem so strong. But when we resist and when we draw closer to God, what a great feeling and powerful relationship is established. Close to God is where we need to be. Like a little child, we like to run ahead. We often don’t want to hold a hand. We tend to get too close to things we shouldn’t. Walking with God can be the same way. We need to stay with God. Don’t get ahead of Him. Don’t get close to trouble. And always take hold of His hand.

Not only has this kept you from sinning, but it makes you feel great as a Christian. Often, that’s not the case. We feel like we are not doing enough. We feel that God doesn’t like us. We feel that we let God down. Over and over, we just feel like secondary citizens in the kingdom. Resisting the devil, seeing him flee from us can create a wonderful joy within us. Instead of being that person who is always in trouble or is always be called down by the teacher, we have done right. Well done, is what master told the five talent servant. Well done! Those words are fitting to those who have fought the devil and on this day, won.

Can we get to the point that we will never sin again? No. There will be days that we make the wrong choices. There will be days that we have disappointed the Lord. But that doesn’t have to be every day. That doesn’t have to be the way it is with every temptation. Resist. Draw near to God.

What a powerful picture. The devil attacked. You stood your ground. You rallied under the banner of Christ. Now, you see the devil retreating. He has turned. He’s running the other way. Those old black and white movies that has the wagons circled as the Indians race toward them in war paint. The settlers fight back. They resist. It’s intense for a moment. The battle could swing either way. But the tide turns in favor of the wagon train. The Indians give up. They turn and race back over the hills. The settlers breath a sigh of relief. They rejoice and celebrate a victory. They have won that battle. That’s us. That’s the devil charging over the hills toward us. That’s the devil fleeing in defeat. The victory is for those who have stood their ground. Resist. Dig your heels in. Don’t back down. Hold your position.

There are victories that we need to recognize and account for. Those victories help us.

The journey is long. It can become wearisome, but with God we can make it.

Roger