The Power Of Submission To God – By Iwalola (Lola) Ademodi

~ 𝐎𝐁𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐌𝐘

Beloved, the Bible describes the power of submitting to God as the one thing that bring spiritual victory, fullness of joy, and freedom from sin and temptation, while empowering believers in Christ to resist the devil.

This submission involves a humble, voluntary surrender of one’s own will and desires to God’s divine plan, a process that requires strength and faith rather than weakness.

James 4:7-10 AMP commands us…

“So submit to [the authority of] God.

Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.

Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you.

Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people].

Be miserable and grieve and weep [over your sin].

Let your [foolish] laughter be turned to mourning and your [reckless] joy to gloom.

Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose].”

Beloved, every believer desires victory in their Christian life.

We all want to overcome sin, stand firm in faith, and defeat the enemy’s schemes.

James gives us a simple but powerful formula for victory in this verses:

Submit to God,

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

These are not just good suggestions; they are commands with a promise.

𝐒𝐔𝐁𝐌𝐈𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐎𝐃

James begins with submission.

Before you can resist the devil, you must first submit to God. Why?

Because your strength is not enough to fight Satan.

Victory against the scheme of Satan begins with surrender to God’s authority.

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐁𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄?

Submission means complete surrender of our will.

My choices and decision making are based on God’s ultimate desires and His glory (Not my will, but God’s will)

It means obedience to His Word. You cannot say you are submitted to God if you ignore His commandments.

Jesus in Gethsemane is our example.

Luke 22:41-42 AMP tells us…

“And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying:

“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [of divine wrath] from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.”” (Jesus submitted to God)

A soldier cannot fight the enemy unless he first submits to his commanding officer.

In the same way, we cannot defeat Satan unless we are under God’s authority (in submission to Him)

Ask yourself today:

Am I fully submitted to God in my thoughts, actions, choices, plans, decisions and desires?

𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋

The second command is for us to resist Satan.

ONCE WE SURRENDER, THE HOLY SPIRIT TAKES OVER AND EMPOWER US TO RESIST THE DEVIL.

This means we stand firm in the strength of God

We do not negotiate with the devil.

We do not entertain his lies in our minds.

We must be aware of what we allow to settle into our minds.

We must counter Satan’s lies with truths, the truths in the Word of God.

1 Peter 5:8-9 AMP instructs us …

“Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times.

That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.

But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.]”

How do we resist Satan?

Through the Word of God – Just like Jesus did in the wilderness.

Matthew 4:1-4 AMP tells us how Jesus resisted Satan …

“Then Jesus was led by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After He had gone without food for forty days and forty nights, He became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But Jesus replied, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.”

Through prayer – Prayer is our spiritual weapon.

By living a holy life – Sin opens the door to Satan’s attacks.

If a thief tries to enter your house, will you open the door and talk with him?

No! You would resist.

In the same way, we do not give place to the devil.

Ephesians 4:27 AMP encourages us…

“And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].”

What areas of your life are vulnerable to temptation?

Resist by staying in God’s Word and prayer.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐄: 𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐘𝐎𝐔

When we submit to God and resist the devil, Satan will flee.

The devil is powerful, but he is not all-powerful.

He is not equal to God.

When you stand under God’s authority and fight with spiritual weapons, Satan cannot stay.

This is a guarantee from God’s Word.

Satan fears the power of God in you. That’s why he flees when you resist in Jesus’ name.

A child standing alone may be afraid of a bully, but when his father stands behind him, the bully runs.

Satan flees because God stands behind you.

We must not be afraid of the devil. Instead, we fear God and walk in His power.

Victory is possible for every believer in Christ! The key is simple:

Submit to God – Surrender every area of your life.

Resist the devil – Do not compromise; stand firm in faith.

Enjoy the promise – The devil will flee from you.

The questions to ask each one of us are:

Are you fully submitted to God today?

Are there areas of disobedience in your life?

Beloved, I encourage you to surrender your will now.

Then stand firm and resist the enemy, and you will experience the victory that Jesus won for us on the cross.

𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐔𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐘

Holy God, thank You that we can come to Your throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace.

Lord Jesus, thank You for the victory that You obtained for us on the cross at Calvary.

Holy Spirit of the living God, we pray You would help us to know and understand the strategies of Satan.

Lord God, I pray that You empower us with your strength and authority, so we can stand against the enemy and resist him.

Lord Jesus, abide with us, as we abide in You.

I pray these in the merciful name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Have a blessed day