7 Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:7-8 CSB)

Today we are given the recipe for repentance and resisting the enemy – Submit, Resist, Draw Near, Cleanse & Purify.

Each step in this process is critical to our faith walk.

As we submit to God and resist the enemy we build our spiritual and faith strength so that the next time is easier.

As we draw near to God we are engulfed in His love and protection.

As we ask God to forgive us from our willful sins we are cleansed from its negative touch on our lives.

Then as Jesus’ work on the cross has guaranteed we are purified once again and ready for our Christian duty.

I wish this were a one-and-done process but it is not. There are times that it must be daily until we gain the spiritual muscles to resist. But this process provides us a clear example of God’s plan for our continued redemption.