Power words

Words can have power, and I find that I am in need of power words! You may find that you are in need of power words too! I have three power words for you. I find them in James 4:7-8a in the Bible, (7a) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Come near to God and he will come near to you. “(NIV) Let’s look at our three power words. They are; submit, resist and near.

First, submit yourselves to God. I learned about fifty years ago that we all submit to someone or something. I used to be submitted to the one person most people are submitted too. Guess who that was. Myself! While submitted to myself I created trouble for my life and complicated the lives of others.

Fortunately, after too much “Kicking and a gouging in the mud, the blood and the beer,” as Johnny Cash put it. I figured out that I had a problem and decided to submit to God. It was January of 1972. I had been out of the Army for just over a month. I was reading the Bible and a book by Billy Graham at about 2:00 am, when Billy Graham made the point in his book that if you had never surrendered to Jesus as Lord you should get on your knees and explain to him that you had not done to well being in charge of your life, so you were submitting to Him.

I submitted to God that night! From that night on the power kicked in! I am still not perfect, but I do live under God’s power. You can do that too! Submit to God.

Second, resist the devil and he will flee from you! Resisting the Devil will always have to do with withdrawing from that which tempts you to sin. I once had a high school student ask this question when I was in youth ministry in the 1970’s, “how do you stay away from lusting after your girlfriend?” I said; “don’t get in the back seat to watch the submarine races with her.” I was telling him to resist the Devil! When you do resist the Devil he knows he lost that round and he flees.

I drank alcohol until January 1972! I drank one time after I got out of the army and that night ended up in a drunken stupor with an old friend of mine. It also ended in a fist fight with two other guys! The next day, I told the Lord that I was done with drinking! Period! That was my last drink! I have not been in a fist fight since! When I quit drinking I resisted the Devil and he took flight.

Figure out where you need to resist the devil and he will run from you. Without his temptation you will be free to engage in life on God’s terms empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit!

Third, “near” is the third power word. Come near to God and He will come near to you! If you feel far from God, Guess who moved!” There is great power in the presence of God! The closer you are to Him the more powerful He can be in your life!

How do you get closer to God? Engage in prayer and apply the Scriptures to your life! God changes things when His people pray and He lives in and empowers His word in the Scriptures. When you are listening to God and praying you are coming near to God and when that happens He comes near to you! He is always present and available you and I just need to join Him!

Do you want to live power words? If so, submit to God, resist the Devil and come near to God! Then you will have showed up in His presence and He will show up in power for you! Live by these three power words!