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Success in Resistance, March 30
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you.
James 4:7
.
There are those who recklessly place themselves in scenes of danger
and peril, and expose themselves to temptations, out of which it would
require a miracle of God to bring them unharmed and untainted. These are
presumptuous acts, with which God is not pleased. Satan’s temptation to
the Saviour of the world to cast Himself from the pinnacle of the temple,
was firmly met and resisted. The archenemy quoted a promise of God
as security, that Christ might with safety do this on the strength of the
promise. Jesus met this temptation with Scripture: “It is written, Thou
shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” In the same way Satan urges men into
places where God does not require them to go, presenting Scripture to
justify his suggestions.
The precious promises of God are not given to strengthen man in a
presumptuous course, or for him to rely upon when he rushes needlessly
into danger.... We are required, as children of God, to maintain the consis-
tency of our Christian character. We should exercise prudence, caution,
and humility, and walk circumspectly toward them that are without. Yet
we are not in any case to surrender principle.
Our only safety is in giving no place to the devil; for his suggestions
and purposes are ever to injure us, and hinder us from relying upon God.
He transforms himself into an angel of purity, that he may, through his
specious temptations, introduce his devices in such a manner that we may
not discern his wiles. The more we yield, the more powerful will be his
deceptions over us. It is unsafe to controvert or to parley with him. For
every advantage we give the enemy, he will claim more. Our only safety
is to reject firmly the first insinuation to presumption. God has given us
grace through the merits of Christ sufficient to withstand Satan, and be
more than conquerors. Resistance is success. “Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you.” Resistance must be firm and steadfast. We lose all we
gain if we resist today only to yield tomorrow.
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