Under the Influence

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. –James 4:7

Some situations are more significant than you are. When you feel overwhelmed, this does not mean that defeat is imminent. Sometimes, you will face things that, regardless of your efforts, you won’t be able to find the solution. Someone once said something like, “Too high to get over, too low to get under,” and you will sometimes face situations like these. During these times, Satan will attempt to take advantage of your seemingly weakened state. In this season, there will be times when you feel as if you are winning and gaining control, only to be offset by something that feels like it is “putting you back in your place” of weakness and defeat.

Realize, however, that during these times, God is also speaking. You must learn to tune into God’s voice to receive strength and victory. Reading the Bible, you will see that there were times when God required his people to take an active role in the fighting, and he would ask them to sit back and watch him do all the heavy lifting for others. In 2 Chronicles 20:15 (NIV), we find, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.“

So how do you listen for God’s voice while at the same time devaluing the voice of the enemy? Mindfulness emphasizes the ability to remain consciously aware of what is happening in the field of experience. At the same time, equanimity allows awareness to be even and unbiased by facilitating an attitude of non-attachment and non-resistance. In our scripture above, “Do not be afraid” is to be non-attached, meaning you decide not to listen to the voice of fear. Then “the battle is not yours” is to be non-resistant, where you know you are not called to fight in this situation, but rather, observe God fighting. You can be aware that there is a war in your mind, but you choose not to become attached to it, especially not to attempt to reason with it. The thoughts can be in your mind but cannot affect you. They sit passively on a shelf existing inertly and without power. You can use this method to “resist the devil,” as James said above.

You must learn to “submit yourselves to God” to hear the truth. Yes, I understand this scripture addresses different concerns, but the concept remains. Submit is from a root word that means “to bring under the influence.” Influence is when a person has the capacity or power to affect another person. In our case, we are submitting to God, so we are coming under his authority to be capable of affecting our situation. This is something that God specializes in, which is to be our strength when we have too little. God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). So you will find times when you will be asked to sit back, allow God to fight, and show you how strong he is.

It can take some practice to learn how to resist the devil passively. We are asked to submit first, then fight because we need God’s help. Don’t get discouraged if you are having trouble in the beginning. Give yourself the time to learn to trust God deeper and allow him to accomplish what is trivial for him but too much for you. Come under the influence and allow God to set you free!