I shared with you in my last post that most of my “down” times were my fault because I would let the devil in & as a result I would move a little further away from God each time. I never did it consciously…the devil knows exactly which buttons of mine to push…he knows my biggest weaknesses! And trust me, he uses them as often as he can just to watch you fall! Looking back throughout my life I can see these down times in a different light than when it was actually happening. My goal was never to move further away from God or to let the devil win. But during the times I was drifting away from Him are the times when i would give in to the devil, whether it be temptation, sin, or my weaknesses. It’s extremely hard to resist when you’re facing a situation in that exact moment…but possible. In my last post almost the last sentence I stated that the key to resisting the devil is to sincerely & consistently draw near & remain close to God. God’s word assures us in James 4:7 “Therefore submit to God, Resist the devil & he will flee from you.” So if we resist those evil thoughts or negative feelings that lead to depression, or deeper depression than we may already be experiencing, then they will leave you. However, this promise is directed towards those who are willing to “submit to God”, as stated in the beginning of the verse. This verse is immediately followed with the instruction in the next verse, James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” So I cannot stress the importance of keeping God close! I can’t tell you how many times I have let the devil rob me of the joy of my salvation. It is truly disheartening when I think about it. And in all honesty, it’s a tragedy. In all the years that I have proclaimed to be a Christian, I have wasted so many of them. People, the devil is REAL and his main desire is none other than to seek us out, and to destroy us!!! We must be aware and alert at all times. Another verse that refers to this topic is: 1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” You say, “but it’s so hard! How do I even start?!” In Ephesians 6:11 it reads “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” The word “wiles” is generally used to express deception through trickery. The devil is the master of wiles! He lies to us, discourages us, & ultimately destroys us! He goes to work daily trying to produce in us discouragement, confusion, indifference, & imbalance. These are some major things to watch for: (1) The devil exaggerates the pleasures of sin while minimizing the true nature & outcome of sin. (ie…tempting you with sex…it may be pleasurable in the moment, but if done in sin, there will be consequences to follow) (2) The devil sees an opening into our lives through emotions or mood. (ie…if you’re depressed or just not having a good day, he will come at you with whatever he can because he knows you’re at your weakest) (3) The devil will use people to lead us astray. (ie…that friend that begs you to go party with them) (4) The devil is the master marketing agent; he packages sin in neat, attractive bundles. (ie…from the outside looking in at that party it sure looks like fun…) Submitting to God & resisting the devil is a daily battle for us all. But it’s a battle worth the fight!