The Order to Resistance

Scripture: James 4:7 (NKJV)
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

We all have ideas about how we want our lives to unfold. We make plans, set goals, and imagine the opportunities that will help us reach our dreams. But what happens when life takes a different direction?

Growing up, I dreamed of playing football at the highest level. My plan was to excel in high school, earn a Division I scholarship, and hopefully play in the SEC or at a Power Five school. I had the size, the knowledge, and an understanding of the game—but I lacked the height many coaches wanted. When the attention I hoped for didn’t come, I became discouraged. Life wasn’t following my plan.

Looking back, I recognize something I couldn’t see then: I knew what I wanted for my life, but God had a purpose for my life, too. Having dreams and goals isn’t the problem. The challenge comes when our commitment to our own plans becomes greater than our willingness to follow God.

James 4:7 reminds us that there is an order to resistance. Before the instruction to “resist the devil,” we are told to “submit to God.” Standing against temptation begins with placing ourselves under God’s authority.

1. What Is Submission?

Submission means willingly placing ourselves under God’s authority. It is choosing His way over our own and allowing Him to have the final say.

We can still have dreams, plans, opinions, and desires. Submission means those things do not carry greater authority than God. When our desires conflict with His direction, we choose to trust Him.

Submission says, “God, what You want for me matters more than what I want for myself.”

2. How Do I Submit to God?

Submission becomes real through obedience. We submit when we allow God’s Word and direction to shape our decisions—even when His answer differs from what we hoped to hear.

It may feel easy to follow God when He says yes. But submission also means trusting Him when He says no, wait, stay, or go in another direction.

Temptation offers another route, often promising a quicker or more satisfying outcome. Submission calls us to trust God enough to follow His direction.

“God, even when I don’t understand Your direction, I trust the One giving the directions.”

3. Why Should I Submit to God?

We submit to God because He sees what we cannot.

Temptation draws our attention to what we want right now. God sees beyond the moment and knows where our choices can lead. We see an opportunity; He sees its outcome. We see what feels good today; He knows what will help us grow tomorrow.

Trusting God means acknowledging that His wisdom is greater than our own. Submission places us where we need to be and prepares us to resist temptation.

Stay in Your Gap!

In football, every defender has an assignment. The A, B, and C gaps represent spaces along the offensive line that defenders are responsible for protecting. When a defender abandons an assigned gap, a running lane can open. When defenders fulfill their assignments, they work together to close those lanes.

Temptation can pull us out of position in much the same way. It encourages us to chase our desires, disregard God’s direction, or step away from what He has called us to do.

Submitting to God helps us remain faithful to our assignment. Before we can resist effectively, we must trust His direction and stay where He has called us.

SUBMISSION KEEPS ME IN POSITION.

As you reflect this week, ask yourself: Where am I allowing my own desires to outweigh God’s direction? What step of obedience can I take today?