“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
At first glance, “submit” and “resist” seem like opposites. One sounds like giving up; the other sounds like fighting back. But James uses them together as two sides of the same spiritual coin.
When we submit to God, we are not losing control—we are giving control to the One who already reigns. Submission isn’t weakness; it’s trust. It’s saying, “Lord, You know better than I do. Lead me.” Remember, it’s not about me or you, it’s about Jesus.
Then, from that place of surrender, we can resist. Not by our own power, but by the strength that comes from Jesus in us. The devil flees not because of who we are, but because of whose we are.
Each day we face temptations—pride, worry, impatience, distraction. The key is not to fight them in our own strength, but to first bow in submission. So, ask yourself: “Am I fighting battles that belong to God? And, “What area of my life needs to be submitted/resubmitted to Him today?”