RESISTANCE TRAINING                           James 4:7-10

‘Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.’ James 4:7 NKJV
Have you ever watched someone doing resistance training? They get stronger every day as they press against more and more weight. That’s how to view the verse ‘resist the devil’. Satan is out to do three things: ‘Steal, kill and destroy’ (see John 10:10). Destroy what? Everything God has given you! And he doesn’t play fair. Using a whole arsenal of weapons, he’ll attack your mind, your health, your marriage, your children, your finances and your character. And if you’re a spiritual weakling, he’ll crush you! Satan studies you. He knows your quitting points, and he’ll push you to the brink every chance he gets. So what should you do? Push back – and keep pushing! Use every spiritual weapon God has given you – prayer, praise, his Word and fellowship. It’s time to turn the tables on the enemy and start using him as your spiritual gym! The Bible talks about ‘God’s Word as the sword that the Spirit supplies’ (Ephesians 6:17 GWT). When you’re filled with God’s Spirit, he will fight in you, through you and for you. When that happens, Satan reaches the place where he knows he can’t defeat you on a particular front, so what does he do? He attacks you on a different one! But with victory after victory being chalked up, you develop the boldness and strength to defeat him on that front too. With enough resistance training under your belt, you’ll experience the joy of walking in the truth of this wonderful promise: ‘God…will soon crush Satan under your feet’ (Romans 16:20 NIV).

PRAYER LINE: Lord Jesus, please guard my heart and my words today. May I speak only words that please You and bring health and healing to others.

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When words become weapons, our relationships soon become casualties