Submitting to God
In just about all of us there are some type of spiritual war going on, and this conflict that we find in side us is hindering us from serving God the way we should, and the way most of us would like to.
James says that there is a spiritual war going on inside of us, listen as I read today’s text found in ~~
James 4:1-10 1From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity
[hostil] with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, “The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth [desires] to envy?”
6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
If we might recall when Jesus rode into Jerusalem with the crowds from Galilee following him, he was giving them an opportunity to acknowledge that he was indeed the King of Israel, really the King of the whole world. He was giving them the opportunity to submit to him as Lord of their lives.
But they would not submit to him as king, in fact, they would soon crucify him.
They would acknowledge no authority over their lives other than their own. They remained firmly seated as ruler of their own lives.
This is the same scene, which is acted out in most folks today.
Jesus comes humbly riding in our direction. And it seems as though we are all in favor of his blessings.
But when we learn that he does not come into our lives unless we surrender to his Lordship, then folk become distant from Him. this is where the blessings that we could have receive most likely don’t materialize.
Oh, He still blesses His children but I’m sure not as He could & would if we were only obedient to Him.
If we’ll just think about it, how many of our children receive good things from their parents that are troublemakers and cold towards their parents, not very many I’m sure.
There are people who would like to have the benefits of Jesus Christ being in their lives, but they want to maintain control of their lives. They want him to come in, but they want him to come into a comfortable, quiet corner of their lives — not taking over everything.
People, who consider them selves to be Christians, want God in their lives, but they want him to come in without taking control. They want him to be their friend so they can talk to him and ask for things they need, but they don’t want to surrender their lives to him.
They want to maintain control of at least some areas and have them off limits to God.
This is why we see a rise in the number of people calling themselves Christians, while there is at the same time a decline in the morals of the nation. People are supposedly becoming Christians without it making any real difference in the way they live.
What this does is create a conflict in our lives. The Bible says, in Galatians 5:17 17For the flesh lusteth [covet, desire,] against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.[ wish, or possible might do]
There’s a war raging over who will be in control of our lives. Some days it seems that God is in full control of our life, you know, we’re on the mountain top, but most days we are struggling to be at the controls.
A spiritual battle is going on in side us practically all the time. The conflict brings frustration and unhappiness. It seem as though we just can’t have any peace at all,
The old man will become stronger and stronger if we allow him to feed on the things of the world.
But on the other hand the new man will become strong if we’ll feed him on the food of Gods word.
eph.4:22That ye put off concerning the former conversation [behavior] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful [deceivableness] lusts; [a longing (espec. for what is forbidden): 23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
James says that there is a spiritual war going on inside of us, and the first thing he has to say about it is: that the source of the conflict is selfishness.
He writes:
James 4:1-3. 1From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts [desires]that war in your members? [Limbs or part of the body:] 2Ye lust, [covet] and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. [Pleasures]
To partake in pleasure is an attempt to medicate ourselves from the pit falls of life. And when this is the way we live, pleasure leaves us and conflict begins.
Listen to the words of conflict James uses: fighting’s, war, kill,
A war is going on inside. God wants control and we want control.
The problem is our selfishness. We want God, but we also want our own way.
We want to continue to do as we please.
We are double-minded. We want God, but we want to indulge our self as well.
We love pleasure. And we’re afraid we’ll have to give up something, and if it means giving up something to do with the pleasures of the world, we then arrive at a conflict.
But we can’t have it both ways. James says that people who live in this way do not pray, or if they do pray they pray only selfish prayers with the wrong motives.
They pray for God to give them their way or the things they want.
James says, James 1:7-8 7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Maybe we’re double-minded like the people was in Jerusalem in that day—
James 4:8 8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
The result of the conflict is rebellion.
Resistance to God’s will for our lives ultimately leads to outright rebellion against God.
It seems as though we are determined to have our way, even if it destroys us. James says, in 4: 4-6Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity [hostil] with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, “The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth [desires] to envy?” (spite):
6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
We are spiritual adulterers trying to love the world when we were meant to love God.
God has said, Exodus 20: -- for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, We were made by him and for him, and he wants us.
But, We are trying to meet our needs our way. We want to be a part of the world instead of being a part of God’s kingdom
Basketball star Dennis Rodman visited a New York bookstore a few years ago to sign copies of his best-selling book, ‘Bad As I Wanna Be.’ Rodman walked in with his six-foot, eight-inch frame decked in a lacy white wedding gown. He lifted his veil to reveal a blond wig, two nose rings, and full makeup.
You might think that a male athlete appearing in such a manner would turn off people, but thousands of fans lined up on Fifth Avenue for his autograph.
It is a part of a cultural trend that makes heroes out of those who are known for being acting bad and who rebel against all authority.
But be sure of this: there are consequences that will experienced.
Solomon said this in ECC. 11: 9Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
ECC.12: 13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
James says that there is a spiritual war going on inside of us, and the solution of the conflict is submission.
(James 4:7-10 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
James gives twelve commands in verses 7-10:Submit, Resist the devil, Draw nigh to God, Cleanse your hands, purify your hearts , Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,
These 12 commands here in vs. 7-10 call for an immediate response on the part of the hearer.
You have been resisting God, now you must resist the devil. You have been giving in to sin, now you must submit to God. You have been full of passion for the things of this world, now you must be full of passion for God and the things of the HOLY Spirit. You have been laughing it up, now you must grieve over your sin in true repentance.
Your relationship with the FATHER has been contaminated by sin, now you must wash yourself in the WATER of the word. You have been proud, now you must humble yourself before God.
James says to let your brokenness and transformed desire drive you to God. Allow a passion for God to begin to grow in your heart.
