Daily Devotion: Taming Our Weaknesses

Scripture:
James 4: 7-10

Main Verses:
James 4: 7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Observation:
We all have our weaknesses. Some of us cannot control our temper. Some lose control and give in to temptation so easily. Some of us have a hard time taming our tongue. Our weaknesses are a challenge we must face and overcome. Jesus has warned us while He was praying in the garden of Gethsemane that we must "watch and pray" that we will not fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41) because our spirit is willing yet our flesh is weak. The Lord knows that while we live in this world, there will be temptations to sin. The enemy uses every opportunity to attack us especially when we are so vulnerable.

The apostle James tells us that to tame our weaknesses, we need to humble ourselves before the Lord and flee from the devil. We are to "submit ourselves" to the Lord and that means admitting that we do not have the strength to conquer our weaknesses on our own. If we lay down everything to the Lord and lift up our weaknesses, He will help us overcome them. But, we must also make an effort to resist the ways of the devil. We must be aware of his schemes and avoid him the moment we recognize what he is doing. Sometimes, the problem we give in to our weaknesses is because we give the enemy an opportunity to destroy us. So run away, and don't ever give him a chance to attack you!

Application:
We must not let our weaknesses get the better of us. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not die on the cross a loser. He has triumphed over everything, including death! We need to remind ourselves that we can do everything through Christ who strengthens us. And because it is the Lord who gives us the strength to overcome our weaknesses, let us surrender all to Him. As we do that, let us not forget to strengthen our spirit by learning to live in God's Word and choosing to be ruled by the Holy Spirit. The devil himself will leave you because you have chosen to refuse his advances and submit your life to the Lord.

Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for my weaknesses. I surrender my life to you and I humble myself to you. Thank you for the victorious life! Thank you for showing me my weaknesses. Thank you that you are my God who strengthens me. I pray that you continue to change and refine me. In your most Holy Name I pray. AMEN.