Resist Him and He will Flee!

This morning while doing a devotion, while asking God when the devil would 'flee' from me, God reminded me of the 'importance' as well as the 'how to' in resisting the devil. He took me first to

1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)
⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

When I do a bible study, I like to look at the chapter surrounding the verse I'm looking at to make sure I'm not taking the verse out of context. In looking at all of 1 Peter, chapter 5, I was reminded that as a pastor, I must remember that I have to set the right example. If I do not 'resist' our adversary (if I 'cave in' to temptation), how can I expect my deacons, my teachers, and even the flock God has called me to care for resist him?

At that moment, I realized why God brought me to these verses. You see, I've been struggling with some trials and temptations of my own (pastors are no different from you... we have the same struggles). I was asking God, 'when will he leave?')

Follow what God showed me; In comparison with verse 9, I looked at a verse linked to this verse found in James:

James 4:7 (NKJV)
⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

But how do we "submit" to God? How do we "resist" the devil? Well, forgive the length of this blog, but look at the three verses following:

James 4:8-10 (NKJV)
⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
⁹ Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

I believe here, we find the steps to 'resisting the devil'.

1. 'Draw near to God' - The result is 'he will draw near to you'
2. 'Cleanse your hands' - Believe the result is he will flee.
3. 'Be humble' - Get on your knees and realize you need God's help!
4. 'and He will lift you up' - In other words, 'he will flee'!

Thank you O God for reminding me that You alone are in control. Thank you for showing me that your Spirit ("not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord") alone can override any attempt of the devil to take control of my life, if I resist him. Help me O Lord to do just that! Amen!