Resistance: March 14, 2013

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY MARCH 14, 2013.

RESISTANCE

DEFINITION:

The act of resisting, opposing or withstanding.

SCRIPTURE:

Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. I Peter 5:9.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We hear a lot today about resistance movements rising up, especially in depressed countries. Basically these are oppressed people rising up against their oppressors. Resistance fighters take a stance that says that they have had enough and they will no longer stand idly by and allow the evil to continue.

Resistance fighters choose to, at all costs, resist the wrongs they face in life. Whether they live or die they are committed to resist the oppressor. They are committed not to live any longer as they had been.

As believers our oppressor is the devil. The Biblical approach to resistance is prayer. Through prayer we can confront and overcome the devil. In the verse above, Peter tells us resist the devil and be firm and unwavering in your faith.

James echoed this teaching in James 4:7-8. He says, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

Such resistance takes strength and courage. It also takes patience and perseverance. Peter and James point to two key phrases at the heart of our ability to resist the devil: submission to God and faith in God.

Submission to God is saying to Him in prayer: “I cannot but You can.” We might also pray that we cannot defeat the devil on our own but with You I can. Submission occurs when we seek to develop a closer relationship with God. As we spend time with God, through prayer, we get to know Him better and are able to discover how He wants us to over-come evil and experience blessing.

Faith is saying to God, “I believe You will.” We might also say as we battle, “I believe that You will defeat my enemy and cause him to flee from me as I resist him and put my trust in You by faith.

We grow in faith by exercising it, by trusting God in situation after situation, circumstance after circumstance and relationship after relationship. It is impossible for you to resist the devil for a very long time if you do not believe that Christ Jesus through you can and will defeat the devil. We can stand firm and not only resist the devil but defeat him, but it is only by the power of God. When we pray, Satan flees.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 1:9.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

PRAYER:

Thank You for the assurance that if I fight all my battles on my knees I will win every time. Thank You for this assurance and help me to spend the time I need each and every day to pray and expect great things from You by faith.