“But, He gives more Grace. Wherefore, He says, ‘God resists the proud, but gives Grace unto the humble’.”
James 4:6
Until we recognize our adversary, we can never win the war.
Pride.
You know what that is, don’t you? It’s that inherent, incorrigible, incessant “demon-force” within us that wars against us from the day we’re born until the day we die. As Augustine discerned, it truly was the “original sin” and continues wrecking havoc in our lives UNTIL we recognize it and begin to do battle against it.
When Adam and Eve listened more to the devil than God, they were (in essence) setting themselves above Him (Gen. 3:1-5). They allowed the devil’s favorite tool of doubt and their inward “lusts of the flesh and eyes” to give in to “their pride of life” (I Jn. 2:16), wanting to “be as God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5-6).
And, so it continues today.
That’s why the Apostle Paul agonizes over his inability to always do the right thing and his propensity for too often doing the wrong thing (Rom. 7:15). He knew there was an internal, civil war going on within him where he, like Pogo, the cartoon philosophy of old, lamented “We have met the enemy—and they is us!” (Rom. 7:16-24).
Yet, dear Pilgrim, that’s no excuse for throwing up our hands and quitting or reasoning, “Oh well, that’ just the ‘nature of the beast’ within me. Nothing I can do about it; just have to learn to live with it.” A thousand times no!
No, we must learn to “resist (Grk. ‘antitassomai’—‘to oppose, pit one’s self against, do battle with, etc.’) the devil” (James 4:7b), which means “wrestling against him” (Eph. 6:12), not easily giving in to him or succumbing to his “wiles and snares” (II Cor. 2:11; Eph. 6:11; I Tim. 3:7; 6:9; II Tim. 2:26).
Likewise, we must learn to wrestle against ourselves—i.e., the “old man/flesh”—that seeks to keep Self on the throne of our lives. This can only come by “denying ourselves” (Lk. 9:23) and “being crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20). Truly, it’s a day-by-day—yea, moment-by-moment—decision to be “a living sacrifice unto Christ, wholly and acceptable to Him, which is our reasonable worship/service” (Rom. 12:1).
And, we must learn what it means to “wrestle with God” (Gen. 32:24-26), not against Him. As the Apostle James said in our Manna, “God resists the proud,” which means HE wrestles against us when we disobey Him—for He only wants the best us, His Children, and will discipline us when we disobey (Heb. 12:5-11).
So, if you profess to be a child of God and are constantly meeting with resistance, you must ask yourself “With whom am I wrestling?” God? Self? Or the devil? Your success or failure depends on your answer.
November 5, 2011
