How To Overcome Anything
When you think of overcoming a trial or conflict what do you think of? Do you think of taking things head on/taking action or do you focus on waiting and seeing how it will all work out? Well, what if I told you that you will need both tactics.
When you face any obstacle, mental battle, or conflict you need to be able to realize where you end and where the all-powerful God begins.
In this blog we’ll be focusing on the importance of submission and resistance when overcoming things that occur in this life. First, let’s explore the meaning of the word resistance. The action of resisting can be used in two ways depending on the context. You can either resist someone, or something, by running away or you can resist by standing your ground to fight back. Both are effective depending on the circumstance. However, when you want to overcome something, you actually have to face it. You cannot run or shy away from fighting against your past hurt, your current struggle with sin, or the lies that the enemy has you dwell on about your identity or worth. If you do run or shy away from facing the problem, then you are just allowing there to be a chance of it coming back up to deal with again and again. I once heard it said like this, the enemy of our souls (the devil) is relentless but thank God we have an unrelenting God! In other words, our God never runs out of determination or strength to fight against whatever comes against His children! Therefore, we are instructed in James 4:7 exactly what to do and how to resist as we face the relentless enemy. The Word reads, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” There, right there, is where our two tactics for overcoming are derived from. At first, when I thought of “resisting the devil,” a picture of him having a hold of a person's arm as they are trying to turn to runaway would come to mind. But then God pointed something out to me. You see, the book of James was originally written in Greek, so I began to look into that language context. The meaning of the word “resist” in Greek (anthistemi) means, “to stand against”, “opposing”, or “withstanding something.” After reading those definitions, I had a new picture come to mind. Now, I see a person face to face with the enemy that is coming against them and standing their ground to fight back.
You may think, “okay but how do I do that to fight back in a way that he will flee?” Well, let’s go back to the first part of the verse and explore the second word we will talk about. “Submit yourselves therefore to God.”
You can learn to stand on God’s Word as He is the Rock!
When you learn to submit to God, and His Spirit that dwells inside you when you believe in Him, then, you will be guided in how to fight against the enemy and his attack.
Ultimately, it is God’s job to fight on our behalf. Exodus 14:14 encourages us by saying, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Our job is to follow Him, and stand on His Word, as we go through our trials knowing that we can overcome with Him. God wants to use us in His work and will, but to do so we have to operate with Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages each one of us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” When you bring God into the circumstance, by submitting to Him, He will show you how to fight whatever it is you are dealing with. He will teach you to trust in who He is with the understanding that He has more than your limited view and willpower. Reading and being rooted in God’s Word is a huge part of being able to know who God is and what He promises He will do. As you actively trust in God by learning to stand on His Word, you will see how waiting is involved after you have done all that you can in the fight. As you wait as part of submitting to God in your trial, you will begin to see how His plan is better and that He always has the best intentions when it comes to you. Remember, just as you cannot fully take on the fight by yourself, you also cannot just wait it out and take no action. So, when we want to overcome our problems, we are meant to turn to God, trust in Him, and move forward with Him and His Spirit as our guide! When you learn to stand firm on God’s Word while submitting to His way/timing then, and only then, can you overcome anything that comes your way!
