We spend a lot of time praying, asking God to get the devil off our case, to heal us, to fix our finances, to do this or that, when all the time God has already given us the solution to our problems.   His instructions are clear and are not a mystery hidden in layers of dark sayings, yet we tend to ignore them and try to find another way.  Why is that?  It is written in James 4:7-8 :
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Look at these verses like a recipe or a formula that will get you the results you desire:  First and foremost, SUBMIT YOURSELVES THEREFORE TO GOD.  That’s the first step, and if you don’t do that, none of the rest will work for you. Some people want to arrive at step three without paying attention to steps one and two.  It would be like trying to build a third story on a house without first building the first two stories.  Yet people do it all the time. Maybe you’re one of them.  If so, pay attention, this is for YOU!

Second step is RESIST THE DEVIL.  Well, that’s pretty plain and clear, no mystery there.  But you’d be amazed at how many don’t do it.  They expect GOD to resist the devil for them.  When the Lord Jesus was tempted of the devil out in the wilderness, if you’re paying attention, you will notice HE had to resist the devil.  His Father in heaven did not do it for Him.  Believe it or not, if you’re submitted to God, you CAN successfully resist the devil and not let him put his junk on your body or on your family or on your goods.  You know, the Lord Jesus clearly told us in John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Here, the Lord Jesus identified not only who the thief is, but what he does when he comes to you.  If you have had anything in your life stolen, anything killed, including your hopes and dreams, or destroyed, then the devil has been to your house and left his calling card on your table.

Maybe you’ve given up on that vision the LORD gave you years ago because it hasn’t happened yet.  Maybe you’ve lost loved ones to sickness and have given up on healing from God for your own body because it didn’t happen to them.  There are a lot of areas in which the devil steals, kills and destroys.  And he is relentless, he never takes a vacation, or calls in sick, or shows anyone any mercy whatsoever.  I like to say it like this, “The devil is an equal-opportunity destroyer.  He would as soon destroy you as anyone.” If you have anything, he is out to steal it.  If you HOPE to have anything, he is out to steal your hope.  If you’re well, he is out to steal your health.  If you have any joy in your life, he will do all he can to put an end to it.  So, part of the solution is to identify your enemy.  It isn’t God; it’s the devil.

The third step:  AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU.  Have you considered you must do the first two steps before you can see the third one happening?  I like to tell people, “Do number one and number two on the devil and he will flee from you.” Those who are fully submitted unto God are under His protection, and have the right to use the Word of God as a sword.  Your relationship with God is what puts you in position to be able to resist the devil in the first place and make him leave.  Now he always comes back, looking for a more opportune time to afflict and test you, but if you’re always submitted unto God, that more opportune time never comes for him.  I like the word the Lord Jesus used: FLEE. To flee from something is to leave quickly like your life is in danger, to run away from as in terror.  That’s what will happen to him when you do the first two steps of God’s instructions.  Don’t bother asking God to “shoot the devil” for you.  He gave YOU the gun.  Use it.

Perhaps you have sickness in your body right now.  What are you doing about it?  Are you begging God to heal you?  Are people praying for you, asking God to heal you if it’s His will?  You aren’t going to get well doing that.  I said, YOU ARENT’ GOING TO GET WELL DOING THAT!  Go back and do what God said to do, and you’ll get well.  Draw nigh unto God.  Personally, I want to be so very close to God that if I tried to be any closer to Him, I’d simply be on His other side.  If you draw nigh to God, He will draw nigh to you.  That’s His promise to you.  Getting close to God requires effort on YOUR part.  Don’t expect God to do it all for you.

Cleanse your hearts, you sinners.  Cleansing IS available for FREE from God through the blood of His Son, Christ Jesus of Nazareth, Y’shua Messiah.  Confess your sins unto Him and be rid of them, ALL OF THEM, now and forever.  Then you will be unto God as one who has NEVER SINNED.  A pure heart goes a long way with God, and you can have one, it’s your choice.

Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. The last part to deal with here is being “double minded”.  Many suffer from being double minded, that is, going from being fully convinced, to not too sure, to not convinced at all.  Listen, Friend, God is not a liar.  He says what He means, and means what He says.  You can be what God says you can be.  You can have everything He says you can have.  You can do everything God says you can do.  Stop being double minded about it.  Submit yourself fully unto God, resist the devil and he will FLEE from you.  Draw nigh to God and He WILL draw nigh to you. Love God with everything you have because He loves YOU with everything He has.  All the power in heaven will back you up when you are fully submitted unto God.  And when you whisper “BOO” to the devil, he will flee from you in terror.  You won’t even have to yell at him.  The Lord Jesus never had to yell at the devil, and neither will you have to.  Just draw nigh to God. And STAY there.