By“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” — James 4:7 NIV
God is the one who established authority. Before He made the world, there were administrative systems in heaven. There were and still are angels that are assigned specific tasks to do. For example, archangel Michael is in charge of the heavenly army (Revelation 12:7). But my focus here is to let you understand why you need to submit yourself to God.
There are hierarchies of authority in Christ. God created man to have dominion over His creation (Genesis 1:26). However, He knows that we can’t do it without Him. So even before Adam and Eve fell, He used to have fellowship with them in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). Eden was a picture of God’s presence, which has been replaced by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us today.
The fall broke our relationship with God. But because of Jesus, that has been restored. God has bought us back (redeemed us) – spirit, soul and body, through the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Revelation 5:9). So that means that we’re never on our own. God owns us.
God is the only One who has the whole map of your life.
Now, if you own a laptop, that machine doesn’t teach you what to do. Instead, you use it for what you want. In the same way, this God who owns us wants us to submit ourselves to Him. But why? It’s not because He wants to dominate our lives. Instead, He wants us to become empowered to fulfil our divine mandates accurately and vigorously.
Understand that God is the only One who has the whole map of your life. He’s the only God who knows your end from your beginning. Submitting your ways to Him isn’t slavery but rather a freedom. You can only enjoy and understand the real meaning of life when you follow God, not the devil.
Will you have your way or submit yourself to God? The former will end in destruction, but the latter will end in glorification (Matthew 16:25). Choose to follow and serve God, and even though you might not see the immediate benefit of your choice, you’ll see it in the end (Malachi 3:17-18).
You’re a blessing.
Prayer
Father, in Jesus’ name, I pray that you’ll strengthen me to choose to follow Your path every time, even in difficult moments. Amen!
Devotional Code: KGD // 2022 – 314
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