Submit and Resist
Thesis: Submission to God brings him closer to you as does resisting the influence of evil drives the Devil away. The result of learning these two disciplines is a closer relationship with God Almighty and the enemy driven farther away.
Texts:
James 4:1-17:
1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
13Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
Introduction:
Our text today talks about the two disciplines of submission and resistance. These two points of action are to be actively directing the Christian in his life. James tells us that within our hearts there is a battle going on for our destiny in life. In essence it’s the battle over who will control our decisions in this life. It’s really the battle of authority and submission. The question’s we must answer as they relate to this topic are:
“Will I submit to the Lord’s will for my life?”
“Will I listen to his direction for my life?”
“Will I die to myself to do what he wants me to do?”
“Will I choose to lose to God?”
“Will I rightfully yield to His authority over my life?”
“Will I live my life in a way that shows I have submitted my life to God?”
“Will I choose to battle against the forces of the enemy?”
“Will I decide to resist the temptations that the Devil will try to convince me to embrace?”
“Will I resist the enemy and hold my ground for the Lord?”
“Will I drive back the forces of evil in my life?”
I can relate to this battle within in my own personal life. Most of you know that Tiffany and I leave for India tomorrow. We will be on a three week missions trip to minister to pastor’s, to lost people, to Christians and to kids. Let me share with you how this whole trip relates to dealing with the topics of submit and resist - The battle of authority and submission.
About a year ago Doctor Dave asked me to go to India with him. I was real quick to think to myself “I don’t want to go to India!”. Yet I told Dave I would pray about it but I had already made up my mind. I am going to be real honest with you today. I do not like traveling and going on missions trip. I have done two previous and each trip I did not really like it. I was overjoyed when I landed in the USA both times. I recall thanking God that I had endured a service project for him and was thrilled to be home. I know some of you are thinking – “I wish I had to endure a trip to another country.” But I am sharing my heart and how this all relates to the disciplines of submission and resistance. So hang with me!
After I turned Dave down with many excuses, not enough time to go, I was teaching and that it would not work, the money was an issue, and of course the real reason “I did not want to go!” I love America and all her perks. Something tugged gently but firmly in my heart. It said this, “ Mike I want you to go to India!” Over the years I have come to recognize that little tug as being the Lord directing me. I felt a little ashamed at my decision. But I was quick to brush it off. But later that year Dave again asked me to go with him. I was more than willing to say no again but there was that tug which said “Mike you need to go- I want you to submit to my direction –my will- and I want you to resist what your self tells you and what the enemy whispers to you.” So I responded real spiritually with “Yes, Lord I will go if I have the finances!” So I presented first of all the idea to the Board here at New Life about just getting the time off to go. Amazingly they said yes and that they would pay the way. I must admit “I was disappointed!” I thought for sure they would say “No we need you!” Then I would have another excuse to give Dave that the board here agreed it would not work out. But God had another plan – His plan was that I go and also that Tiffany would go. So everything was set in motion.
I choose to obey the Lord and go. Now all through this process “I have often thought is there any way to get out of this?” But the answer is yes you can say no at any time but the Lord wants you to say “Yes!” So I decided to say “Yes” even at the protest of my wife. Kathy is not at all excited about this trip.
You see there is still the resistance thing which needs to continue to be active. For example “The Devil told me a while back not to fly or I will kill you!” I rebuked this lie and pressed on. Lately with all the terrorism he keeps trying to get me to change my mind. Tiffany and I talked Thursday night about the two recent bombings in Hyderabad. A suicide bomber blew up a bus there last Friday, and this last Thursday another bomb went off in Hyderabad injuring 18 people. But here is what that tug tells me in my heart, “Resist the fear that the Devil is trying to put in your heart and trust me!” “Don’t worry about Tiffany I will protect her!” So I resisted and he flees for a while.
We meet with Dave a week ago to discover that India has now passed a new Law that outsiders – those from other countries – who come to India for the purpose to seek converts to their religion will be put in jail. As a matter of fact Stiphen our India director had to change one site for our Crusades. Why? Because the local officials said if Dave and I preached there we would be arrested. So we moved one crusade. We still have three Crusades and three Pastoral schools ready to go with local support despite the new law. Once again there was the decision – Submit to God’s will and resist the enemies lies and fear tactics and he will flee. This is why I share this with you today to give the testimony that I too repeatedly have to submit and resist. Tiffany herself has had to learn the disciplines of submit and resist.
Last Monday our FCA had a leadership conference in St. Paul and during the worship time God gave me a text in Isaiah 43:1-8. Let me read what the Lord shared with me!
Isaiah 43:1-8:
But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob, (Michael)
he who formed you, O Israel: (Tiffany)
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.
This text has now become my theme text for India. I also believe it is a promise from
Lord for Tiffany and I for India that God will take care of us and use us marvelously in his service.
Submitting and resisting is a part of the Christian walk. We have to learn to master these two disciplines in everyday life. We are bombarded daily with these two decisions- Will we submit to God’s way and resist the way of self and the enemy? Or will we not submit or resist and suffer the repercussions of our choices.
T.S. – Christians must understand that to be a doer of the word, to tame the tongue, to be successful in life, to be considered wise requires that we master the disciplines of submission and resistance in this life.
I. Jesus himself had to fight this war from within in his own life and ministry.
a. There are two symbols that have come to represent Jesus. The lamb and the Lion.
i. The lamb represents how Jesus was as submissive to the father’s will as lamb is to the shepherd. In Revelation 5 we see the lamb setting people free by earning the scroll which is the salvation purpose of mankind. He got this because he submitted to the Father’s will and went to the cross.
1. The song sung by the Heavenly host in verse 12 says, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.”
a. Jesus received divine honor for his mighty act of submission to God. In truth he role modeled-demonstrated that the act of submission brings divine blessing and eternal life. A lesson we all need to learn.
ii. The Lion represents Jesus ability to defeat the enemy and control the jungle. Once again Revelation 5:5 sheds some light on Jesus as the Lion.
1. The Lion is a warrior the king of the jungle because of his great strength and power.
a. Jesus was as submissive as a lamb to the Father but as mighty as a lion in facing the enemy Satan. Jesus knew the importance of submitting to the Heavenly Father because in this act he became as strong as a lion to defeat the enemy and to drive him back.
b. Jesus was like a lion when Satan attacked Jesus resisted his temptations by responding like a lion. He resisted like a lion defending its cubs. The result the enemy left.
iii. Jesus role modeled for us how to defeat the enemy when he encountered him in the desert right after his baptism by John.
1. Video clip of the temptation in wilderness of Jesus by Satan. From Jesus the mini series.
a. Clip starts at Jesus Baptism and his being lead into the wilderness and his temptation. It ends when Satan departs.
2. Matthew 4:1-11: Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’" Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "`He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: `Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: `Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’" Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
a. Satan tries to use sound reasonable dialog to seduce or coerce Jesus over to His thinking. Note, he tempted Jesus with power, control, wealth and fame. Also note, words seldom thought of as demonic but yet are.
i. But Jesus resisted by being lion like quoting the word of God to him to drive him off. And it worked the devil left!
ii. The battle here is for Jesus to submit to Satan to bow to him and to resist the way of God – the cross. Jesus said “Yes!” to God and “No!” to Satan. Jesus showed us how to win!
b. Satan desires to seduce us into his value system which is based on us submitting to his authority. He wants us to adopt a lifestyle that pursues riches, comfort, power, glory and recognition, as the goal for life. All we have to do is bow to him and his ways.
i. But our responsibility is to resist him!
T.S. - To better understand why it’s essential to submit to God and to resist the influence of Devil lets discover what each of these two terms mean.
II. Submission is the art of surrendering our life to the Lord.
a. When we submit we in essence surrender our way for God’s way.
i. Webster defines submit this way- To present or refer to others for decision, consideration. To yield to the action, control, power of another.
ii. When James tells us to submit in verse 7 to God it is clear his intent. We need to yield all our decisions in life to God. If we do then God draws closer to us.
1. We can see him clearer, he can hear him clearer, we can recognize him easier in our life. Why? Because he is right beside us- close to us!
a. He is our partner in life and in death! But we must surrender to have this type of relationship with the Lord.
iii. Surrender for us especially in our culture in America is very unnatural. It does not come easy to us.
1. I have a hard time finding people who like to be told what to do.
a. It does not matter if they are your spouse, your boss, your parent, or a government leader.
b. We have a natural tendency to resent the idea of surrendering to another.
2. But the truth is we live in society which has authority and submission relationships in them. It is the order of the world.
a. Daniel 4:35 tells us God is the ultimate authority:
i. “He does as he pleases with the powers of Heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”
ii. Authority of God is fact. He has it and we need to acknowledge it.
b. Sanny notes, “The kingdom is God’s-he has the right to do whatever he wants in the universe he made. The power is his-he has the ability to do whatever he wants. And the glory is his-the same glory reflected in the beautiful character personified in our Savior Jesus Christ” (34).
c. The truth is He is The Authority of this world. And he is the source of all authority. For example – He has set up 7 authority –submission relationships in our ordered world. Sanny informs us that God set all seven of these in motion.
i. God and man – James 4:7 “Submit to God”
ii. Man and Nature – Genesis 1:28 “Man has dominion over the earth.”
iii. Husband and wife – Ephesians 5:21-24:
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
iv. Parents and children – Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”
v. Governors and governed – I Peter 2:13-17:
13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
vi. Employers and employees – Ephesians 6:5-9:
5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. 9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
vii. Spiritual leaders and spiritually led – Hebrews 13:17
NKJV -17Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. (7 from Sanny - Discipleship Journal Issue 8, page34,35).
3. Gary Thomas has this to say about why it is so hard to surrender:
a. Why? To be human is to desire control. A controlling person can’t even imagine that he might be wrong or that some else’s perspective might make more sense or take into account something he hadn’t thought of. In spiritual language, control is the absence of humility: “I know what’s best so it has to be done my way.’ From trivial things like always wanting to drive, to substantive issues like trying to conform our spouse or pastor into our idealized notions of how both roles should be played out, this control seeps into and pollutes our relationships” (52).
4. Having this little insight from Thomas helps us understand verse one of chapter 4 “What causes fights?” the answer is your unwillingness to surrender or to yield to God and to one another. It’s because you do not want to be servants but you all want to be the boss hog!
a. Jesus reminded us of how important it is to surrender on a daily basis when he said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
b. The whole idea of submitting to God is based on three truths that are revealed in the Bible.
i. Truth one is “God knows best!”
ii. Truth two is “ God always knows what best for my life”
iii. Truth three is “God is good not evil!”
1. If I learn these three truths I am on my way to living a surrendered life for him. Because I understand God’s attributes and realize what he will always do what is best for me for eternity.
c. The point James is making to us in our text is that Surrendering to God brings one great benefit in this life – God is closer to us.
i. Thomas states, ‘To really surrender, then, we need to learn to stop measuring our trials against our comforts, and instead measure our trials against their potential to draw us nearer to God” (52, 53).
d. Another realization from our text tells me – That if I surrender to God then my motive for life changes and my prayer life changes. Really I no longer prayer for selfish gain but my heart changes to praying for God’s will in all decisions of life. Including purchases, life goals, career choices, and such.
i. This point really brings us back to last week’s message of the two types of wisdom battling for the control of our lives.
1. Do you recall the progression – The two Wisdoms – one from above and one from below - will affect your heart which in turn affects you belief system which then in turn affects you lifestyle.
2. So if you choose to surrender to God which is the author of wisdom from above you will be affected in a positive manner – a spiritual way that will bring eternal blessings.
3. If you choose not to surrender to God then you push God away and the wisdom from below takes over and it leads down the road to eternal curses.
a. But it’s all about choice- You can say “Yes” or “No.”
e. There are many other blessings which flow to the person who surrenders their heart and life to the Lord.
i. Here they are:
1. Peace in this life
2. Answered prayers
3. Friendship with God
4. A closer relationship with him
5. More grace in our life
6. Humility which will serve us well in life
7. Direction in the choices we make in life.
8. Wisdom from above
T.S. – We have learned what it means to surrender now we need to understand what it means to resist the influence of the enemy.
III. The other discipline we need to put into action is to resist which is the art of fending off the influence of the evil one in our lives.
a. What does it mean to resist?
i. Webster says it means to withstand, to fend off, to oppose.
ii. The other action step we need to do daily to prevent the chaos of the world is to resist it. To beat it off- to drive it back and to defeat it.
1. The promise is clear here from James if you resist the devil and his influences he will retreat he will run away.
b. James refers to this in the point were he states in verse 4, 5 that we as Christians are not to be in bed with the world.
i. The whole idea of adultery is the concept of a Christian sleeping with the world and being their friend.
1. And this just makes us an enemy of God. Really it’s the idea of sleeping with the enemy.
2. Friendship is defined by Webster as one who is an intimate ally and on the same side as you are.
3. With this thought in mind can you see why James says “ A person who is a friend with the world is an enemy of God.”
4. You cannot be on God’s side if you align yourself with the world’s side.
a. If you live your life being aligned with the world and its ways then you divorce yourself from God’s relationship with you and his ways.
ii. Being in bed with the world means we toss aside the teachings and directives of the Bible for the values of the world.
1. We tell God how we are going to live our lives and boast
about it without ever seeking his will for our life.
a. James 4:13-17 13Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
2. We have judgmental attitudes to others and think we represent God.
a. James 4:11-12 11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
b. Matthew 7:1-6
i. 1“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.3“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.6“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
3. We decide to live a way that is contrary to the Bible and think God does not mind.
a. Galatians 5:19-21 19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
c. Results of not resisting the influence of the Devil
i. A life of fighting and turmoil
ii. No answered prayers
iii. No friendship with God
iv. God further away and the Devil closer to us
v. No grace in life
vi. Pride rules and controls
vii. No spiritual insight or wisdom
viii. We are deceived by wisdom from below
ix. We have no success in life
Conclusion:
Authority and submission is the order of the universe but we have to decide which authority we are going to submit to and then resist the other one. When we submit to a authority that is the one that is closest to us. When we resist authority that is the one that is driven away.
So let me challenge you today to choose to submit to God and he will draw closer to you. And choose to resist the Devil and he will be driven away from you. But you have to choose which way it will be!
Just remember James last thought in 4:17 “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”
