PODCAST
Resist Satan
May 12th, 2019
James 1:19-27
When I was a toddler, my parents dressed me up as the devil for a costume party. Yes, I wore a red suit with a tail and carried a pitchfork. To my parents, it was a joke.
James, the brother of Jesus, doesn’t seem to describe Satan as a joke. What James does say to us is that the devil is a coward when he is resisted. When we pray, claiming the victory of Jesus on the cross, Satan knows that he is a defeated foe and will scamper away. Resistance shows Satan’s true colors.
Submitting ourselves to God leads to resistance to Satan. When we draw close to God, we find that God desires to draw close to us. This is a friendship not based on child-like conditions, but based on grace, love and mercy. The byproduct of this friendship is the power of the cross helping us to resist the schemes of the devil.
The devil is no joke. The good news prevails; Jesus defeated Satan on the cross. Victory indeed.
Author: Paul Dazet
