July 4th
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
I used to think it was impossible to resist the temptation to view porn. I’d be able to stay away from it for up to 3 months, but then would falter and give in some night when my wife was out and I was alone. I never believed that I could be totally free. To dare to believe that you can be totally free is exactly what God would have us do. That is called FAITH.
There is an important precursor to our resistance that can be easy to overlook. James identified it in the above scripture. It is submitting ourselves to God. Too often people attempt to arrest sexual addiction or other sin bondages by simply gutting it out and trying to resist temptations without having submitted their lives to God.
What does submitting our lives to God involve? Submitting ourselves to God is the act of making him Lord over every area. We can’t compartmentalize our lives and only give God some of the areas while keeping others sacred for gratifying our lusts. We need to turn over every area to God’s control. This involves taking an honest look at every area of our life and asking ourselves “Am I honoring God in this area?, or, “Am I using my body or mind as an instrument for sin and not righteousness in this area?” Some example hotspots can be entertainment habits, job, language, eye & thought habits, spending habits and tithing.
Once we surrender the problem areas to God’s control, we can then ask him to guide us in making the changes that will secure that control, so that we do not succumb to “backsliding” into carnal living. Meeting with God each day for a quiet time will be very helpful to keeping our connection with God alive and healthy. As we hear from the Lord and obey his convictions, we’ll keep in step with the Holy Spirit along the path of righteousness.
Questions for further thought:
What areas of your life have yet to be submitted to God’s control? (if you’re not sure, you can pray, “Father, please reveal the areas of my life that are not yet under your control. Thank you, Lord. Amen.”
Are you ready to surrender those areas to God right now? If not, what is holding you back?
What has to happen when we resist the devil and we’ve submitted ourselves to God?
Prayer:
“Lord God, thank you for sending Jesus to die for my sins so that I could be forgiven and live in righteousness. I surrender the following areas to your control right now: __________ (list them). Please forgive me for not having submitted to you until now. Please take control and lead me in the steps to take from today forward. I will obey the leadings of the Holy Spirit and I will stay on the path of righteousness. Thank you, Father. You are Lord of my life and it is my pleasure to serve you! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”