Submitting To God

Submitting to God

By Apostle Felix

5  Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 

6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 

7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

James 4: 5 – 7

If you cannot rule over your flesh, you cannot rule over the circumstances around you. A man who lacks control over his appetites cannot have control over demonic forces. There are people who are constantly engaged in so-called ‘warfare prayers’ yet cannot even control their tempers. They try to subdue Satan with loud shouts while failing to subdue their own fleshly desires. It does not work that way. The Bible encourages us to first submit ourselves to God, and then resist the devil. It is our submission to God that guarantees resistance to demonic forces. Authority does not lie in the loudness of your voice; it is found in your willingness to submit to God. How, then, can one submit to God?

10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 

11  Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

James 4: 10, 11

Humility is not timidity, though it is often associated with it. Humility means submitting oneself to a higher authority and depending on God for a victorious life. Sometimes, we display tendencies of independence when we try to live our lives without God. Humility is acknowledging God in our everyday lives. It is an attitude that relies entirely on what Christ Jesus has already done for us. Pride, on the other hand, is subtle. Many things church-goers do are actually products of pride. For example, when believers sin, they often want to make things right with God through good works. It is common to hear them say, “I am making things right with God.” However, you cannot make your life right with God on your own. You did not do that when you initially got born again, so what makes you think you can make your life right with Him now? That attitude relies on human effort. Humility is coming before the Lord to express your utter reliance on Him. You need Him, and without Him, you can do nothing. That is true submission.

4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 

1 John 4: 4

An overcoming life is one that is fully submitted to God. The One living inside you should not only be greater than your circumstances, but He should also be greater over your actual life. It is a common tendency to want Jesus to rule over our circumstances rather than our lives. However, God must be recognized as Lord over everything if His great power is to manifest through us. Our submission to His greatness is what triggers the manifestation of that power. An unyielded life simply cannot exhibit the greatness of God. Submit to the Lord today by obeying His word.