Matthew 28:6 KJV “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

On the morning of Jesus’ resurrection, the angel uttered these words to Mary Magdalene and the “other” Mary who was with her: He is not here, for he has risen. No, of course the Lord Jesus Christ is not on the cross. He is also not in the grave. He was raised from the dead and he is now in heaven, sitting on the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1). He is set on the right hand of the throne of Majesty in the heavens, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come (Hebrews 8:1, Ephesians 1:20-21). This is a hope-filled statement. Our hope is not in the crumbling world system, but rather in the One who defeated death for us and will return to take us home for eternity! Hallelujah! Jesus Christ is alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18). But is He alive in you? Is Christ’s light shining through you and visible around you so much that darkness cannot stand your presence? Is Christ’s life being lived through you so that men can see and experience His good works through you? Can He manifest His power through you in tangible ways? Is Christ’s love being expressed through you so you can love the unlovable; that you can look into people and have compassion on them instead of looking down on people and despising them? Jesus Christ is alive. But can you show with proof that He is alive in you? That is the critical question you and I need to answer as we celebrate His resurrection.

Ephesians 5:11 NLT “Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.”

Deal with the cause, the consequences will be taken care of. It is time to confront darkness, so the consequences of the reign of darkness can be taken care of. We need the fire of the Holy Spirit to manifest the boldness and love of God through us. We are living in a culture where we are labeled as intolerant, narrow-minded, and judgmental when we speak up for truth. As Christians, no matter what, we should not tolerate sin. We are to confront sin by speaking the truth in love.  We need to compassionately and lovingly explain the truth. Apostle Paul warned the believers in Ephesus, “Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them” (Ephesians 5:11 NLT). The Lord Jesus Christ also warned, “Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness” (Luke 11:35 NLT). We Christians are dealing with very serious issue; that of eternity. We have to tell people the truth. It may be difficult. It may be uncomfortable. It may separate us from some people and groups. But we have to tell the truth. We love to tell people that God loves them and has compassion on them. And of course, that is true. Yet we are reluctant to say they are sinners who are separated from God, or believers living sinful lifestyles. We need to tell the truth. People need to hear the truth. Yes, it is easier to blend in to avoid offending anyone. But do we want to offend God? If we do not tell the whole truth, then we will offend God. Every believer is called to declare the whole counsel of God. He has called us to preach the gospel and to be His witnesses. Our common enemy is the devil; let us unite to confront him and his evil works!

James 4:7 AMP “So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.”

We are all called to be in submission to God as addressed in James 4:7. James conveys the idea that when we submit to God, we are committed to Him and we will be able to withstand the temptations the devil, and the devil will “flee from us”. A place of submission to God is a place of power, provision, and protection. Resisting the devil must be preceded by submitting to God. Believers who are not obedient or submissive to God will not be able to resist the devil so he can flee (run away) from them. To resist means to withstand, strive against, or oppose in some manner like in resisting or withstanding the temptation to sin and resisting the devil in afflicting us. We cannot be disobedient to God and expect the devils to be subject to us at His Name. The seven sons of Sceva attempted to cast out an evil spirit in a man only to receive a resounding beating (Acts 19:16). Why? They were not submitted to the authority of Jesus they were using! The words of believers, who are submitted to God resonate God’s authority in the spirit realm. We must realize that the enemies we are up against are not humans, but real forces that come from the powers of darkness. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12 NIV ^“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” The Bible assures us that we need only to put on the full armor of God to be fully protected from evil and to actively resist it. There is nothing more frightening to Satan and his kingdom than a believer who is submitted to God and fully equipped with spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:14-18).