Winning Your Personal War with Satan (4)

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” Jas 4:8 NIV

Resisting the Devil is imperative, but it is not the endgame. This is: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” Satan’s goal is to drive a wedge between you and God, so how do you keep him from doing it? By closing the gap between you and God! Observe three things: (1) Distancing from God is done unconsciously. You become preoccupied, self-centered, or over-committed. Before you know it, prayer is limited to grace said over meals, Bible-reading to the pastor’s sermon text, and worship to a Sunday morning interlude. “Pay more careful attention, therefore, to what [you] have heard, so that [you] do not drift away” (Heb 2:1 NIV). Distancing is a subtle drift, not a sudden dash. (2) Distancing from God is dangerous. Satan’s goal is to separate you from God and His blessing. Like a soldier in enemy territory who’s cut off, you become an easy target. The Bible says, “If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble” (Ecc 4:10 NLT). (3) Distancing from God is a choice. But it’s your choice, never God’s! He says, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb 13:5). Whatever your circumstances, He remains faithful. “When you pass through the waters…the fire…I am with you” (Isa 43:2-5 NIV). What’s God’s part? “He will come near to you.” Take one step in His direction and He will close the gap, embrace, secure, and enable you “to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way” (Eph 6:11 TM).

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