Daily Devotional June 28 - Turn and Don't fight

"Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you." James 4:7, 8a

Two simple rules. Ever since I first read these words I have been drawn back to them to put them to use. I remember when I did not know this Word, I didn't have authority in it. I had some battle with satan and his emissaries and they didn't go well. In my youth I thought you were supposed to stand up against the devil, like a one on one boxing match, but when I would do that I would get beaten, sometimes severely. Then I read this verse and a light came on and I started to do battle with the enemy according to the scriptures and everything changed.

No more would I stand strong and rigid against the enemy when he would come lurking in my life. I would recognize the enemy and flee from His presence. It worked and it worked every time. Now when the enemy seeks territory, I simply put my hand up and say, "No way, you have no place here and there is nothing here for you to claim," I turn around and flee his presence. He turns and goes away. It's not magic, it's the power of the Word of God actualized by following God's precepts.

The second part of these verses is also simple and easily activated. Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you.
God calls you
You answer by inviting God into your life
God comes into your life in the person of the Holy Spirit to dwell in you.
God calls you out of some things and into other things.
As you are listening, because you have free will, you can follow or not.
If you choose to follow, then you invite God into your situation through prayer.
God intervenes. God does the part that you cannot do.
You benefit, receive the blessings.

The reason God wants you to draw nigh to Him is because you have free will and you must invite God, draw nigh, initiate the action. When you draw nigh to God, God will always reciprocate. I do want to mention that most Christians today think that drawing nigh to God is calling out to God when your ship is full of water or when you have completely messed things up on your own and you need bailed out. Don't get me wrong, God will be there for you in those times as well, but drawing nigh to God serves you best if you do it when all is well, and build a relationship. It not as likely that you will be frantically begging God to get you out of this or that situation if you have been including God in your decision making.

Two lessons:
Flee from the devil, don't stand and fight
Draw near to God day and night