Walking through James (10)

Submit to God...

Today, I want to share about something that is powerful and can be truly transformational.

Do you ever feel like the devil is bullying you and has you on the run.

1 Peter 5:8 NIV

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

I’ve never been on the same side of the cage as a lion. I have seen a lion at the Calgary Zoo. They can be an intimidating creature. Satan can be intimidating too, but he is a defeated foe. Jesus has conquered Satan on the cross, and Jesus has called us to walk in His authority.

Let’s read,

James 4:6–10 NIV

6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

I want to encourage you tonight.

He gives more grace...

God’s grace can be spelt out: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

It is unmerited favour.

It is God empowering you by the power of the Holy Spirit to be who He has called you to be and to do what He has called you to do.

He gives grace upon grace. God’s grace doesn’t give us a license to sin, His grace empowers us to live lives worthy of Jesus Christ.

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. He resists the proud. Pride causes us to be self-centered and for us to believe that whatever we see needs to be ours.

God battles against the proud heart, but He gives grace to the humble. Those who rely on God’s strength to overcome the schemes of the devil.

James 4:7 NIV

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

The NLT puts it this way,

James 4:7 NLT

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

There is power in the Name of Jesus.

Philippians 2:9 NKJV

9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

God the Father has placed all things under the feet of Jesus. When you come in the Jesus, Satan cannot stand against you.

Matthew 28:18 NIV

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

We can’t overcome Satan in our own power and authority. In the book of Acts, there were seven sons of Sceva thought that they would cast out an evil spirit in the name of Jesus would Paul knew, but they got violently beat up by a demon possessed man.

We hear words like will power and self-esteem, but our will power only goes so far and who we think we are can be easy shaken in times of adversity.

What matters is that we submit to God’s authority in our lives and that we humble ourselves before Him. At this when we resist the devil, he will flee. He has no authority to stay in Jesus name.

It was Martin Luther that said when satan came to his heart’s door, he sent Jesus to answer the door. When the devil sees the nail prints in His hands and His side, he takes flight immediately. (SC)

Satan wants you to believe that he is equal to God. He was an angel that rose up against God and was kicked out of heaven. (Greg Laurie)

Revelation 12:9–11 NIV

9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

How can we overcome our adversary the devil?

By the blood of the Lamb.

Who is the Lamb? The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world is Jesus Christ.

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

You’ve probably heard of Passover. This was when Israel were slaves in Egypt and God instructed them to kill a lamb and apply the blood on the top of the door and the frame, and as they did it, when the angel of death came, he passed over any house where the blood was applied.

When you apply the blood of Jesus to your life, there is forgiveness and there is safety.

Isaiah 54:17 NKJV

17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.

They overcame

By the word of their testimony...

Each of us who are children of God have a story. Each of us can tell others what Jesus has done in our lives.

You have a story to tell. If you are forgiven of your sins, you can have a clear conscience. If you have been healed, you have a story to tell. Whatever God has done in your life, it’s worth telling. You are an eye witness of what God has done, let others know. You never know, but your testimony might give somebody else the courage to overcome.

They overcame because,

They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

They didn’t fear death. Fear will keep you from doing what God wants you to do or becoming the person God wants you to be.

The fear of man is a snare. It’s a trap. but the one who trusts in the Lord will be kept safe.

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

James continues,

James 4:8–9 NLT

8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.

As we come near to God, He promises to come near to us. And as we draw near, we see that we are inadequate in ourselves.

We come near by the blood of Jesus.

Hebrews 10:19–22 NIV

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

When you come to Jesus, He will wash you. He will forgive you, but God calls us to repent.

Godly sorrow comes with repentance. We need to be sorry for our sin, but being sorry isn’t enough.

My dad used to say, “Are you sorry you did it or are you sorry you got caught?”

Sorrow is good, but we need to turn from our sins. We can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again.

God wants us to turn from sin and turn to Him. Come near to God and He will come near to you!

Proud people don’t repent. They won’t admit that they are wrong, and they won’t come near to God. Thus God opposes them.

James 4:10 NLT

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

As we humble ourselves in God’s presence, He will honour you. When you treat others the way that you want to be treated, God will lift you up.

We aren’t the center of attention. God will lift you up so that people will glorify God.

Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all people to Me.”

To close,

Matthew 5:14–16 NKJV

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Let’s pray!