Be humble and experience victory in the Lord!

Humble. Does this word create an image of weakness for you? The Websters Dictionary states that to be humble means meek, lack of spirit or a timid submissiveness, not assertive, or ranking low in hierarchy. It also states not arrogant or proud, the lack of boastfulness or deceit. Some of these definitions confirm that picture of weakness, but nothing in the definitions suggest a position of power. God says otherwise! Humility actually leads you to the power of God through Jesus.

God says, “He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6; Proverbs 3:34). Grace is God’s favor to you. Having His grace means you are empowered by Him, empowered to live the life that He equips you to live. Jesus gained the victory for you so that you may experience this empowerment. But you must submit to Him. Submitting to God is act of humility. If you submit yourself to God, to His power, to His way of thinking and doing, then you are able to live victoriously. One of the ways that you live victoriously is to “resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). That is, you resist all things that do not line up with God’s Word. A humble stance leads you toward God where you are empowered. Empowered by God you are able to resist.

If you are proud, self-righteous, thinking you can do things in your own strength, you are not empowered. You cannot resist the enemy and have him flee from you. In a humble position, recognizing that in yourself you are unable, poorly equipped, lack wisdom and power, you draw near to God where you find your full supply. “As you draw near to God, He draws near to you” (James 4:8). As you humble yourself before the Lord, He lifts you up (James 4:10).

Striving of yourself in any area shows that you are not humble. Often the thought is, ‘oh, I can do this by myself’ or that you must exert significant human effort to be successful. Instead, this only causes you to be worn out trying. Or have you ever found yourself casting a care upon the Lord and then taking it back? The humble position would cause the problem to be cast upon the Lord and once given, to leave it right there in His capable hands. What you are doing in giving it to the Lord, is permission for Him to work. He is the capable One, the Greater One. No one and nothing can stand against the Lord Almighty. The victory is settled in Him! If you leave that humble place of trust, take it back, work harder, you are withdrawing permission for God to work. Worry, fear and anxiety do the same thing, you are working harder than God.

Your words, attitude, and emotions help you to know if you are in a humble position. A humble position is one of rest and peace as you cast your care, as you trust the Greater One, as you believe His Word. God works when you rest. There is never anything wrong with His power or ability. He is the same today as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same quality of power that you are equipped with in your spirit today as His child. His power supply has not diminished. He is not hard of hearing when you speak to Him. God’s wisdom has not changed. All the powerful things about Him that scripture confirms, is the same truth about Him today.

As you humbly submit and surrender to God, casting your burden upon Him, He sustains you. He will not allow the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22). If you resist Him instead of satan, if you are not humble and casting your care, or take back that which you have given to Him, you have stepped away from grace and removed yourself from that humble position. God is unable to work, even though He desires you to experience His best, His provision that has already been provided through Jesus. Psalm 78:41 explains that you may limit God, just as the Israelites limited Him in the wilderness, or limited Him during their struggles; “Yes, again and again they tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel”.

Notice in 1 Peter 5:6 that God instructs you to be humble, to “demote, lower yourself in your own estimation under His mighty hand” (Amplified version). He confirms this necessary position when you are in the midst of experiencing a challenge, have worry, anxiety, some kind of care in your life. He explains further that this is needed because it is at this time when satan is seeking someone to devour. You must be strengthened in the Lord to withstand him! This humble stance is essential because you are acknowledging God, His power and ability, and giving Him the opportunity to work on your behalf. The humble position does require you to be firm in your faith, rooted, established, immovable and strong in the Lord (1 Peter 5:9). God’s intention is for you to experience His victory! In this humble position, you are “strong in the Lord and the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10)!

Being humble is a position of surrender, yet being submissive is empowering because you are surrendering to God. It is also an act of worship as you are trusting Him. All boasting is in the Lord. He gets the glory, and you experience His victory!