Daily Power #165

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:7–8)

Sometimes we fight and struggle and push against our addictions and ongoing temptations when we need to surrender—not to their power over us but to God’s power over them. We wouldn’t keep falling and slipping if it were possible to overcome these chronic battles on our own. But when we quit giving our issues power over us, and instead focus on our relationship with God, then we give him room to work in us.

If you want to be a man or woman of integrity, then maybe it’s time to submit to God like never before. Maybe that’s where your fight begins. Then with Christ’s power, you’ll be able to resist the devil and his temptations. Tragically, so many people do the opposite. They resist the promptings of God and give in to the temptations of the Evil One. But that will not be you. And it won’t be me.

Instead, we will live with integrity. Because our lives are not about us. We will not gratify the self-centered lusts of our flesh because we are born of the Spirit. We will not allow God’s loving truth to slide into the quicksand of popular opinion and allow ourselves to sink into lower standards. We will guard our peace and not allow others to rob us of our purpose, passion, and power.

Submit to God.

Resist the devil.

He will flee.

You will overcome.

Power Lift

Today I surrender my struggles to you, Lord, and trust your power to help me overcome them.