10.30.02

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

Donald Rumsfeld, US Secretary of Defense, has made it official that the President is the only “Commander in Chief.” Now you may have thought that the President was always the only “Commander in Chief” but the title has been in use by others. Until the October 24 order by Rumsfeld the regional US military commanders across the world were known as “Commander in Chief” of their area of command. The regional commanders’ title has now been changed to “combatant commander.” Bryan Whitman, a senior Pentagon spokesman says, “There is only one commander in chief - the President.” Hopefully any confusion about who is the real commander in chief has been cleared up.

Who is the “commander in chief” in your life? Do you have only one chief commander or do you have several? The very real problem that many of us have is double mindedness. We want to be obedient and faithful believers serving our Lord and God. But at the same time we find ourselves heeding the call of the world by doing, saying, and watching things that we shouldn’t. Our problem is double mindedness. We want what God wants but at the same time we still desire much of what the world has to offer.

Why can we not continue on swearing allegiance to the Lord and to the devil at the same time? James points out in 1:8 that the double-minded person is unstable in all their ways. A lack of stability in our lives leads to our having problem after problem. Paul points out in Romans 8:6 that to be carnally minded results in death and to be spiritually minded results in life and peace. Why? Paul writes, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be (Romans 8:7).” To allow the carnal mind to continue in our lives is only asking for trouble because if we are carnally minded trouble and problems is what will be the result.

So how can we become single minded? James says, “submit to God,” “resist the devil,” “draw near to God,” “cleanse your hands” and “purify your hearts.” Confess your sins and your double mindedness to God (1 John 1:9). God will cleanse and purify you as you turn from the world and turn to Him.