Use Your Power of Resistance
The other day I treated myself to an afternoon of shopping the winter sales and found myself having a terrific time selecting some amazing bargains. I don’t get opportunities to do this often. I actually was looking for a couple of personal items for an upcoming photo shoot when I found myself in a maze of sales and bargains I couldn’t resist.
While browsing around other departments of this store I noticed a lady making a purchase, or, I should say, trying to make a purchase. As she handed the cashier a credit card I heard her say, “See if this one will work.”
I suddenly had flashbacks of when I would overextend myself and say, “I just have to have this.” Then, I would try not to succumb to the embarrassment of a declined sale by my credit card company. Like me many years ago, the lady in the store obviously couldn’t resist her insatiable appetite for over-spending. So she kept trying different credit cards hoping to make her purchase. Thank God I have overcome this and no longer have credit cards.
This article isn’t as much about over-pending and shopping as it is about the virtue of resisting.
I know. Resisting can be painful. When one increases her resistance training program to burn fat, it literally hurts! No one likes the pain. But let’s shift this same resistance to another perspective. Do you cry out in pain when God intensifies the weight of His Glory by asking you to stand in faith when circumstances and situations are pressuring you to complain, moan and give up?
It’s time to resist the devil and he will flee (James 4:7).
Take a deep breath, sit straight with your shoulders squared back and read this: “You must begin to understand that any form of resistance in your life is only designed to do this—make you stronger and victorious!
God wants to change you spiritually.
Spiritual toughness also comes through resistance training. Remember, you are in the world but not of the world and there will always be painful times in your life. The defining moment is what you do during those times. Will you resist the opportunity and your duty to fight the good fight of faith, or resist the devil and watch him take a hike? As Robert Schuler always says, “Tough times don’t last but tough people do.”
And the only way you get tough is to build up your strength through the power of resistance.
Decline Your Own Purchase
Sometimes people buy into their own circumstances as they talk about them over and over with others, and with themselves. You can talk yourself into or out of anything. I highly recommend, though, that you resist the temptation to do this. Begin declining the purchases that the devil places on your conveyor belt. There is power in illustrative thinking which is using examples to make ideas more concrete. Do this by seeing the enemies of worry, frustration, fear, no confidence, and unhappiness as overextended credit and announce, “You’ve been declined. You are over your limit and cannot make any future purchases.”
Go to a quiet place.
Another resistance exercise to do when you feel pressure rising up on the inside of you is to go to a quiet place each day, sit down, and just be silent. Take a 20 second mini-break and stop and say, "God, I need to hear from you. I want to tune into you right now. I want to focus in on you." Do this calmly, not in a state of panic. This is separate from Bible-reading time and I know that you understand the importance of daily Bible reading.
But when the pressure is on, get alone. Ask God a question, and then just sit there and listen. Don’t get up and walk away. Wait for an answer. You have to listen to Him intentionally. This is one way of resisting the temptations of doubt, discouragement, fear or even anger.
When you begin living life this way, although living your purpose for Christ will present bumps in the road, you can resist those distractions, knowing He's with you right in the moment. You’re not alone. Even when you feel like you’re completely alone, you are not (Deuteronomy 31:6).
If this article has impacted you in any way, I’d like to know about it. Use the comment section below or send me a private email at dmurphy@eewmagazine.com
2 Comments
Reader Comments (2)
Thank you Dr. Deana for writing this article. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" is right on point. Lately, I have been learning how to resist my need for attention and emotional comfort from people. The Lord has been teaching me to rely on him to satisfy my emotional needs. Sometimes I get discouraged thinking that I'm alone and "have no friends," but God just keeps reminding me that he is there, and he is all the friend I need right now. I am now thankful for this time of solitude with him and know that he is using it for his glory.
Timely message, peace.
Kasey,
When you begin to eliminate the signs of your past, what's remains is the real you. Knowing the real you removes the need of emotional comfort from others. God doesn't like to take the back-seat to others. Put Him first and watch Him fill that void in your life.
Warmly,
DD