“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
Devilish temptation is a call to do evil. It comes under a deceitful guise, calling evil good, exploiting legitimate desires, and laying out evil means to reach a desired end. God tempts no man to do evil. When one’s desire is strong enough, and there is a lack of submission to God, temptation turns into sin. Does God rejoice in such iniquity? Does He wants devils to triumph over men? Never. But flesh is no match for Satan. The tempter can only be defeated through Christ who lived and died to give us the power to stand as He did in an evil day.
Jesus “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb. 4:15) He was not a man without strong desires. The devil sought to exploit His desires in the wilderness of temptation. But He overcame the wicked one through His submission to the Father. He refused to take Satan’s bait. The Father would get the Son to every destination He had in mind for Him without the help of any devil. Submission to God involves placing your life in His hands, and trusting Him to bring to pass His will for your life in His time. It means you don’t move in the impatience of your own mind or will, or at the suggestion of Satan, to take care of yourself.
As long as we have desires, devils won’t be too far off. They draw near when our desires scream the loudest for fulfillment. If you want them to back off, you will have to cast all your cares upon the Lord, bow only to Him, and live by every word He speaks to you. Wield the weapon of submission in the wilderness of temptation; it stymies devils every time.