Resist for Strength

This year, you and I are going to need to learn to resist. Have you ever heard of resistance training? Resistance training is used to build muscle which inherently gives strength. We can resistance train in the spirit. To be honest, many of us are used to resisting, but we are not resisting the right person. You and I resist God. Thus, building our muscles of disobedience. We’ve taught ourselves to ignore the voice of God. Instead of listening to Him, we follow our own desires.

You may say, “Ayanna, it’s not that serious.” I promise you it really is. The enemy loves to make our sinfulness palatable like it does not lead to death. Here’s the thing, every time you resist the whisper of the Lord, you follow the enemy and make him lord over your life.

Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.  

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 

Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 

John 8:43-45 NIV

The Promise

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7 NIV

The Word promises us that if we resist the enemy he will flee from us. For some of us, resisting will have to be a daily exercise because we are “out of shape”. Before I say the next thing, please don’t think I’m being harsh…I’m not just talking to you. I’m talking to myself (remember, this is “my journal” lol). So, we’re in this together.

Here’s the truth…Some of us are going to have to start setting an alarm in the morning so that we don’t sleep the day away. Some of us are going to have to stop reaching for the cookies. Others will have to actively practice not slandering people when they hurt us. Some of us will have to delete some contacts in our phones and stop responding to the “Hey, big head” text.

Others are going to have to start going to the secret place when He calls even though we’re busy aimlessly scrolling on social media.

You may not believe it right now, but these are all things we can have victory over.

Why Resistance is Necessary

We need to resist to build our faith. We need to resist to have power. Many of us have not experienced the power God wants us to have, because we keep succumbing to sin.

But my people would not listen to me;
    Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
    to follow their own devices.

If my people would only listen to me,
    if Israel would only follow my ways,
how quickly I would subdue their enemies
    and turn my hand against their foes!

Psalm 81:11-14 NIV

I don’t know about you, but life has to start looking different in 2020. How you may ask? This has to be the year we start believing God for real.

The reason we fall into sin so easily is because at the root of it we don’t believe God. We trust ourselves or the world order more than we believe Him. Yet, we are frustrated with what we see around us.

Here’s the thing…

God is not fickle like man. If He promised you something, He will come through.

If God said you will have a baby, then you will have a baby. If He says you will conquer illness, then you are healed. If He says you will get married, then believe Him. If He says you will get the job, then believe it and prepare accordingly. If He says that family member will be saved, then believe it and stop doubting.

For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.

Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.

Hebrews 5: 13 -14 & 6:1 NLT

This is the year we will obey the Lord.

This is the year we have real faith.

This is the year we want God more than anything else.

This is the year we will resist for strength.

Prayer

Hi Father. Thank you for your Word. Thank You for the hard truths. Thank you for my friend reading this post. Give us both strength to flee from temptation this year. The enemy seeks to destroy us, but You came to give us life. Help us to choose life daily. Father, help us to take this day by day. We want victory this year and in the years to come. Thank You for cultivating discipline in us now. In Jesus’ holy and matchless name, amen.

Love you,

Ayanna