Submit: Truth of love

by Minister Melanie Dees Campbell

Ark Ministries Hope of the World

Most have heard, “resist the devil, and he will flee,” but it is not the complete truth. James 4:7 states, “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”. Some pseudo-intellectual circles teach the concept of the devil, Satan, as a psychological aberration or explanation for cultural mores. (The gift of discernment reveals the truth.) Our Messiah was not hallucinating when tempted by Ha Satan. The same evil entity that tempted the Lord is an enemy to our souls.

Various representations may have evolved through centuries, but there is a malevolent being who has a legion of demons. Yeshua/Jesus overcame all attacks of the enemy, setting followers free. Many will say, “But, I am not Jesus” (giving me joy, since some confused people chant, “I am the Christ.”) We can be free because the Messiah gave us spiritual power and authority, but only if we truly desire to submit because we love the Lord.

Apostle Paul wrote (Romans 8:7), “the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” The Holy Spirit enables us to submit to God, not to mention to submit to his law if we choose. The highest law being the law of love (Yeshua ascended to heaven so we would receive the Holy Spirit). Whether relating to ourselves, or others, if we do not desire to first connect/relating to the Lord, we fail. The condition of submission is obedience because we love.

Charles Finney wrote in 1837, “If any of you are deceived in regard to your hopes, and have built on a false foundation, the fundamental error in your case was your embracing what you thought was the gospel plan of salvation from selfish motives. Your selfish hearts were unbroken. This is the source of your delusion if you are deceived. If your selfishness was subdued, you are not deceived in your hope. If it was not, all your religion is vain, and your hope is vain.”

We are not to obey and submit to ‘get something’ but rather to give, exemplifying God’s love. Yeshua/Jesus said all the law and prophets hang on these commandments, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like, unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Our country’s climate is an ugly web of rhetoric, politics, anarchy, rioting, looting, vulgarity, violence, destruction, COVID-19, anger, and fear resulting in confusion and havoc. (Peaceful protesters wanting correction not eradication of our republic are being ignored nationally.) True believers need to discern the truth. Yeshua/Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Yeshua/Jesus said, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with Me, scatters.” (Mattew 12:30) Standing with Messiah, our intercessory prayers are needed as we submit in love, resisting the devil, so demons flee from us and our country.

Blessings and Shalom