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

Some grandmothers give their children recipes for gooseberry jelly.

The grandmother of 26-year-old Chase Dellwo is not that kind of grandmother. She gave her beloved grandson an article which told him big animals have a strong gag reflex. It was an article that would, as you are about to see, come in handy.

A few weeks ago, Dellwo and his brother, Shane, went bow-hunting for elk in Montana. Dellwo was trying to drive the animals toward his brother when he came upon a grizzly. He saw the bear before the bear saw him. He drew back the arrow in his bow, but he was too slow.

In a few seconds the bear was on him.

It bit him on the back of the head and then chewed on his leg before shaking him and throwing him no small distance. When the bear came at him a second time, Dellwo remembered his grandmother's article, you know, the one about big animals having a strong gag reflex.

At that moment the theoretical became reality for Dellwo. When the bear came at him a second time, he pushed his right arm down the bear's throat. From a hospital bed, he reported the unorthodox procedure worked. The bear left him battered, bruised, and with more than 200 staples and stitches in his head.

Dellwo had resisted, and the bear had fled. In fact, looking back on the situation, he commented the bear "was as scared as he was."

Now if you're wondering what this has to do with a Daily Devotion, I would encourage you to take a second look at the passage from James printed out above. Note that James doesn't say the devil will depart or make a slow retreat.

Nope, James says the devil "will flee." He will turn tail and run from a person who, trusting and relying on the Lord for guidance, takes a stand against Satan.

Now I emphasize this for a reason. All too often, I see believers who are almost willing to give the devil god-like powers. They act as if he is almost omnipotent, almost omniscient, almost omnipresent.

He ain't.

He's a powerful force who is experienced in and dedicated to the art of tempting and tripping up God's people. But when it comes to a contest between the Lord who is working through the lives of someone who follows the crucified and risen Redeemer, well, it's just no contest, which is something you might want to remember the next time the devil comes calling.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks You have made me Your ally in the fight against evil. May I be given the courage to resist evil temptations. This I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Jeremiah 3-5    Acts 27:1-26

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