stand up to the devil…

james here in chapter 4 gives us another practical step in dealing with arguments and conflicts in our lives when he says in the last part of verse 7 (nirv), stand up to the devil.  he will run away from you.  first of all, give in to GOD and then get wise to the devil.

in other words, be aware, be alert.  realize what the devil’s doing.  realize where the conflict comes from and that he’s the source behind it.  . 

listen, the devil wants to destroy your marriage.  he wants to destroy every good relationship in your life.  why?  because he loves conflict, arguments.  he wants confusion, stress, hurt feelings, disappointments, anger, chaos.  he loves to do it.  james says you’ve got to give into GOD, let HIM have control. 

then you’ve got to do some defensive action.  you’ve got to stand up to the devil and realize what he is doing.  if you get up in the morning and you don’t run into the devil head on, it means you're already going in the same direction.

2 corinthians 2.11 (msg), we don’t want to unwittingly give satan an opening for yet more mischief—we’re not oblivious to his sly ways!

paul the writer of this letter to the corinthians says, wise up!  recognize his tactics.  know how he operates.

so how does the devil operate?  he plays on our pride, particularly wounded pride.  when you’re in the middle of an argument, he starts whispering in your ear, things like, “you don’t have to take this stuff.  retaliate.  who do they think they are?  get even.  assert yourself!  don’t put up with this kind of stuff.  show ‘em who’s boss.”  he tells you all the things your pride would love to hear.  but you need to say, “satan, i know that’s you.”  stand up to him.

so how do you stand up to the devil?  same way JESUS did.  HE quoted scripture.  memorize proverbs 13.10 (niv), pride leads to arguments.

the next time you get into an argument, that scripture can be brought to your mind by the LORD and you stop and think, “how am i being prideful here?  what am i not willing to compromise?  where am i only thinking of myself and not the other person’s needs, desires and attitudes?” 

there is a great promise here.  it says, stand up to the devil.  he will run away from you.  you don’t have to put up with him.  give in to GOD and get wise to satan.

just a thought from the front porch…