Fasting Negativity – Part Two

 

Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you, (James 4:7, NIV).

And I’m done.  God is good!

 

No, it really is that simple!  It’s the faith-filled two-step:

1. Submit to God.
2. Resist the defeated enemy.

It is simple, but it’s not easy.  Step One has to come first.  Resisting the defeated enemy when you’re still living for your flesh is as futile as standing on the edge of a cliff and flapping your arms, hoping to fly—and just as dangerous.

Submitting to God means first agreeing with Him that you’re a sinner in need of a savior.  Then you’ve got to spend time in prayer and reading His Word.  Just like with any other relationship, you can never hope to get to know Him if you don’t spend time with Him.  Submitting is also walking in obedience—complete obedience.

From obedience and from knowing God, love will flow.

Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love, (1 John 4:8).

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins, (1 Peter 4:8, emphasis mine).

His love for you will cover your sins as you submit to Him.  Your love for Him will flow to your fellow human beings.  Where genuine agape love exists, we cease being offended by one another.

Resisting the defeated enemy begins with your thought life:

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise, (Philippians 4:8).

And:

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV).

Remember that:

As [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he, (Proverbs 23:7a, NKJV).

And Jesus confirmed that it is the thought life—especially when it comes out in words—that defiles a person:

Whatever [word] comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles and dishonors the man, (Matthew 15:18, AMP).

So, submit to God and resist the defeated enemy.  Yes, it really is just that simple!  God is good!