Pastor’s Corner: “Submit and Resist”
Ephesians 4:27 (NIV) – 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
When you give the Devil a foothold into your life, he takes a stronghold. What does that mean? If you give Satan control of one little part of your life, he will soon take over the whole thing. You give him a foothold into your life, and he turns it into a stronghold.
Think of it this way: On D-Day, Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy. It was critical that they establish a beachhead — that is, a foothold on the beach that would allow them to set up a staging area to bring in more men and equipment for the battle. From that tiny foothold, the Allied forces were able to push inland in an effort to liberate France.
But Satan isn’t trying to liberate you. He wants to establish a foothold in your life in order to take over more and more of your life. Once he gets deep enough into an area of sin, he turns the foothold into a stronghold, and that makes it harder for you to take back control of your life.
How does Satan get a foothold in your life? In Ephesians 4:26-27 (NLT), the example is anger: And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. Anger gives Satan something to hold on to in your life. Any time you get angry and use hurtful words, you open the door for Satan to get a foothold in your emotions and create chaos. You can’t have healthy relationships if you have uncontrolled and chaotic emotions.
At the surface, a quarrel may seem minor. You may think you’re arguing about who didn’t take out the garbage or who left their clothes on the floor. But at a deeper level, Satan is trying to create chaos, distractions, and destruction in your relationships. He is behind the scenes, taking every opportunity to produce conflict in your life. You won’t have peace in your life if you think you’re fighting only with another person. You are fighting against spiritual forces. Satan is not seen, but he is real. He is the source behind all conflict.
When you become angry, Satan is ready with an arsenal of hurtful words that he plants in your mind. He stokes your pride. He makes you think you must be right or have the last word. He keeps you from seeing or caring about the hurt you’re causing.
How do you fight against that kind of power? James 4:7, NIV Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. We have heard of resisting the devil but we miss the first part of this scripture. Submit, surrender, humble yourself before God. This is first. When we do this, resisting the enemy becomes possible. In our own power, we resist in vain.
Humility kills anger and the devil’s foothold – Not only when we humble ourselves to God, but instead of becoming angry with others, we humble ourselves before them. The foothold of anger cannot take hold when we do this. When you realize you’re about to get into a quarrel with someone, be aware that satan has a plan to upset you. He wants you to be stressed, angry, and hurt. Satan will use any negative emotion in your life to destroy your peace. But you don’t have to let him do that! “We don’t want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief—we’re not oblivious to his sly ways!” (II Corinthians 2:11 The Message)
The Apostle Paul says the best way to deal with these negative emotions is immediately. He says, “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26-27 NLT). And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness] (Ephesians 4:27 AMP). You make a choice to deal with it right away. Otherwise, the negative emotion will fester in your heart and give Satan the opportunity to establish a foothold in your life. Ephesians 4:29-32 (NIV) – Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ask yourself: What negative emotion have you allowed the Devil to use to take a foothold in your life? Or, what emotion has the potential to become a foothold for the Devil? What does it mean for a negative emotion to fester in your life? How can you be proactive about dealing with negative emotions that may arise in your life?
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton