“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

James 4:7

Through the Word of God, we can gain insight into what is happening in the spiritual realm. In the verse above, the Apostle James is speaking to those in the Church who have already experienced new birth in Jesus. He is saying that in order for believers to resist the enemy, we have to be totally submitted to God.

The name “devil” means “he who slanders” or “the accuser.” One of the greatest strategies that the adversary uses to exercise control over people is accusation. It was the devil that accused Job in the presence of God. He ignored what God was saying with regard to Job’s integrity. Instead, the devil made accusations against him, saying, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so much that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face” (Job 1:9-11).

Looking at this story we can find several examples of the accusations that Satan uses against those who determine to serve God:

• Job is a greedy and covetous person, and he only cares about material things (Does Job fear God for nothing?). However, if the motives in Job’s heart had really been bad, he would have failed the hard tests that he had to go through.

• Job is too well-protected. There was no way the enemy could have done anything to Job with God guarding him. (The accusation being that Job is only such a good person because he has this extra protection from God.)

• He has been too blessed. The adversary knows that there is little place for evil when the blessing of God is present.

• He has been too prosperous. Satan didn’t like Job’s prosperity because from the moment he made Adam sin he felt like he had a right to everything on Earth.

• Job is blasphemous at heart. The argument the enemy made was that when Job was experiencing the blessings of God, it was easy for him to love and fear God. However, the moment a trial comes along, the real attitude of his heart will come out, and he will begin to blaspheme God.

The devil’s nature doesn’t change, but we give thanks to God that today we have something Job didn’t have! I am referring, of course, to the work of the Cross. Through Jesus’ death on the Cross of Calvary, every argument that the enemy raises against us is nullified once and for all. “Having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14).

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
I come from a difficult home. My father had many problems, including alcoholism. From a very early age I would see him drinking heavily. The example he set for me led me to start drinking from the age of eight. The influence of alcohol on my father’s life caused him to act in terrible ways. He committed adultery, and started a second family with another woman. He began to face financial problems, and was violent towards my mother. He was such a bad example to us. When I was only twelve years old, he told me “Son, I cannot pay for your studies any more, you’ll have to make your own living.” So, shortly after finishing elementary school, I left education to find a job. I spent my first paycheck on drinks. At that age, I thought that the best way a man could live life was to be drunk all the time. Later, God had mercy on me and sent me a faithful and beautiful woman. However, just fifteen days after we got married, I pitifully began to do exactly what I had promised myself I would never do. I started drinking again, staying away from home for long periods, looking for other women and visiting places that are shameful for a married man ever to visit. People who fall into the trap of such vices completely lose their values and their self-esteem. They neglect their responsibilities and their love grows cold. In fact, they lose everything in life. By the time I got to this stage in life, I lived completely under the control of alcohol. Due to the problems I was having, I decided to look for a psychologist to help counsel me. By the grace of God the woman I found was a believing Christian. When she found out my name, Jesus (a popular name throughout Latin America), she immediately started telling me that God had a purpose for my life. Through this, the Lord began to restore our home. He set me free from alcoholism and totally transformed my life. God taught me how to become a good father like Him. Now we serve God as a family. Through our testimony we encourage others to believe that He can do the same things in their lives as He has done in ours.” (Jesús Villarraga).

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“By the blood of Jesus, all of my sins were forgiven, the arguments against me were cancelled, and all my finances are restored.”

Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Two.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

• Old Testament: Joshua 6-7; Psalms 74
• New Testament: Mark 1:21-34; 1 Corinthians 2