5 Ways to Live Outside the Enemy's GraspSample

Introduction: The Prerequisite for Spiritual Safety

One of the greatest promises in all of Scripture is that the devil will flee from us. When James 4:7-8 says that the devil will run away from you when you resist him, it means he will scoot away like a dog with his tail between his legs. 

When the enemy runs, he runs in terror. When you resist him, he flees from you and runs away in abject terror.

However, there’s a prerequisite: you have to submit yourself to God first. 

It’s actually the act of submitting to God that empowers you to resist the devil. It all starts with submitting to God.

We have to remember that we are saved by God’s grace. We're washed in His mercy. We're cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and we can't do anything until we recognize that we are totally dependent on God.

In the original Greek, that word for “submit” (in the phrase “submit to God”) means:

• to be subordinate to authority;
• to be in obedience and in an attitude of obedience;
• to be submissive;
• to be under subjection. 

If you have an attitude of total submission to the Lord, then the devil is going to flee from you. 

But, he's not going to flee from you if you don't already have these other things in place.

Your attitude of submission actually makes you strong, not weak. When we submit to authority, we become empowered. 

Next, if you take the word “resist” and look at it in the original Greek, it means to be a “blocker.” It literally means:

• vigorously opposing;
• bravely resisting; and
• standing face-to-face against an adversary.

The authority that we gain when we submit to God gives us the right to stand in the face of our attacker, the devil. The authority which we get from God empowers us to block our accuser, the opposition. Just as an antihistamine puts a block on histamine, this word “resist” tells us that, with the authority and spiritual weapons granted to us, we can withstand the evil forces that the enemy brings against us.

How do we do this? 

In this Bible Plan, I am going to give you five keys for how to resist your enemy. But first, today, stop and ask yourself: "Am I totally submitted to God?"

If you are not totally submitted to God, then that's the first step. He is your Maker, and He deserves all your allegiance. He is worthy of your humble worship. Will you stop and make sure you have given yourself to Him completely, in humble submission, today?