It is ironic when individuals who claim to be in resistance maintain the very thing they say they are so ardently against. Can you imagine if you say you are resisting, yet your behavior reflects the opposite? This is evident in the world, and it is no less hypocritical when Christians display this behavior.
Resist the Source of Wars (James 4:1-3)
The average person finds it difficult to resist the source of their detriment. The source of wars/fights among the brethren has the same source. James writes that pleasures are the source of these missiles of treachery. The Greek word hēdonōn, where we get the word hedonism, signifies that the origin of troubles is simply a desire that is of a sensual nature. When we sin against the Lord and one another the origin is our desire for our pleasures and our motivations over the will of God. We lust, kill, covet, fight, and war and yet we cannot obtain the very thing we say we want. How is it possible to resist the source of wars if we only make use the implements of war? We cannot expect true love from lust. We cannot yield life from sowing death. True peace is not derived from a constant state of conflict.
The source of division in our fellowship is not from a difference in matters of opinion. We find the greatest sources of division to be found when we embrace the very things that we claim to be resisting. If we are to continue living out our description as the church that belongs to Christ, we must continually check our motivations. The Spirit said the reason that we do not receive is because we ask amiss. We may ask with the wrong motivations and even ask things that are contrary to God’s revealed will. Recently, a person who is a practicing homosexual claimed that she prayed that God would take away her feelings; this individual reasoned that since she still had these feelings, it must be God’s plan for her to practice what the Word of God calls sin (cf. 1 Cor 6:9-10). If we ask, we must be willing to do our part in resisting the source of all wars, which is sin. If we claim to want unity, we must practice unity in truth (cf. John 17:17-20).
Resist False Allies (James 4:4-6)
To be friendly with false allies is to be friendly with the enemy. If we claim to resist Satan and fellowship those who tempt and convince us to do his will, have we resisted? Alliance with the world is an act of war against God. The Scripture cannot tempt us to live in a way contrary to it. If it did, God’s Word would be worthless. If we claim that God’s Word causes us to work against His Word (i.e. envy in verse 5), how can it be true? Paul said, “Let God be true but every man a liar (cf. Romans 3:4).” In our current society, to be an ally is often described as being willing to “love” you enough to encourage you in sin that will lead to eternal damnation in hell.
False allies will tempt us to submit to our own prideful hearts. Pride is contrary to all that God desires for His children. It is written, “The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride and arrogancy and the evil, and the perverse mouth, do I hate” (Proverbs 8:13). The only cure for pride, and the only way to vanquish the influence of false allies, is to turn to the grace of God. Grace is the antidote for all of the influences of the world. God’s favor and concern for us should be the greatest influence on our hearts and in our lives. God’s offer of grace is greater than any enjoyment of carnal desire or alliances achieved with those who do not seek our well-being but seek our death. A true ally does not want anything that would cause you to jeopardize your eternal salvation. A true ally will tell you the truth when you are in error because he loves God. A true ally loves you like he loves himself (cf. Mark 12:30-31). The one who does not love you like this is not your ally, but an ally of the enemy.
Resist The True Enemy (James 4:7-10)
The Christian is not alone in the battle against sin. The Lord has given us instruction on what we must do: Resist! When we resist the devil, we do not listen to his lies, his pitch, nor his propaganda. Resistance means resistance! We will not submit to the rule of the enemy. The French Resistance in World War 2 sought to fight against their Nazi occupiers. They knew that the odious apparatus of Nazism could not coexist with a free society. The French Resistance was against every bit of Nazism. Christian resistance is against every lie of Satan. We are told that when we resist Satan he will flee from us. Formerly, you turned to false allies that espoused the words of the enemy; now, you must turn to the Lord and His people.
Turning all of our hearts to God requires a broken heart. It requires humility making our purposes reflect Jehovah’s purpose. Resisting the devil starts with humbling our hearts enough to say we can do better. Christians can always spend more time in the Word of God. We can always spend more time listening to God’s Word, taking notes, and answering questions that we have from our reading. When we use our time to study God’s Word, we are more capable of answering error that is present by the enemy. We can spend more time in prayer. Speaking to our Father frequently is a great way to redeem the time: to focus on relationship building with the Father, to focus on the issues of life and give them over to the Lord, and to pray for the saints worldwide. When we spend time in prayer, we will certainly come out more equipped to handle the temptations and times of trial. We can resist by fellowship with the Lord’s people. We have so many influences in the world that are vying for our attention. The church is the only divine approved organization by God where true allies are brought together to edify one another and worship the Lord of Heaven and Earth. The enemy will certainly flee when we refuse his orders; recommit to the resistance today.
Grace and Peace,
R.D. Beavers
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