Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
MEMORIZE: “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1 Peter 5:9)
READ: 1 Peter 5:6-9
To recover your lost crown or retain it permanently, you must not tolerate your mockers. You must also attack everything mocking God in your life. According to James 4:7, as you submit to God, you must resist the devil. If you submit to God but fail to resist the devil, he can still turn you into headquarters of sorrow. This is where many find themselves today. They say, ‘I am living a holy life. I pay my tithes and obey His instructions. Why is it that the symbols of the liar are still evident in my life?’ Such people look towards God as being responsible. No! He is not! It is your duty to submit to God and to resist the devil. Don’t ever think that you can scare the devil by merely submitting to God. And don’t think he will leave you alone because of that. In fact, those who live in obedience to God’s Word usually come under the enemy’s intense fire power. To resist involves some kind of struggling or wrestling. You cannot effectively resist someone or something without applying force. Are you resisting the devil? Give no room to the devil, not an inch.
To secure your victory, your resistance must be sustained. It must be forceful and strong. Some people resist for a while but thereafter yield to the enemy’s pressure. Yielding makes you lose all previous efforts invested in your resistance. 1 Peter 5:9 says, “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world”. If resistance is not sustained, the devil will not leave. Also, the nature of resistance matters. If it is weak, it is another way of saying, ‘I was only joking when I asked you to go. Please stay’. If you combine resistance with violence, you can be assured the devil will take to his heels. You can put your enemies to flight by being violent against every mocker in your life (Matt. 11:12). When we newly came to the Redemption Camp, it was full of snakes – big and small. The first big one we killed was more than five feet long. If you went into your bedroom and found a snake curled under the bed sheet, would you allow it to share the warmth of that bed with you because of the cold outside? I know you would do everything to kill it that moment, or else, you would not sleep. In the same way, apply force on anger, lying, cheating, lust and every other weakness in your life. Remember the Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Don’t spare your flesh.
KEY POINT
Satan and his cohorts never take you serious until you back up your resistance with force. Pray violently against all internal enemies.
Bible in One year: 2 Kgs. 1-3
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