Recognizing and Overcoming Resistance to God's Call
Resistance to God's call is a recurring theme in biblical texts, often depicted as a form of rebellion against divine authority [5]. The call of God can manifest in various ways, including through Christ, the Holy Spirit, God's works in creation, ministers, and the Gospel message itself [4]. While this call is addressed to all, many reject it [4].
one tradition states in Romans that "he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment" [2]. This resistance is seen as provoking God, vexing the Holy Spirit, and is exhibited through unbelief, rejecting God's government, despising His law and counsels, distrusting His power, murmuring, and refusing to listen to Him [5]. Job, contemplating divine judgment, asks, "what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?" [1].
Overcoming this resistance involves submission and obedience to God. James 4:7 instructs believers to "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" [6]. Adam Clarke interprets "submit to God" as continuing to bow to all His decisions and dispensations [9]. This submission includes yielding to God's will and sovereignty, even in the face of suffering or loss [7]. Obedience to God is commanded and includes obeying His voice, His law, Christ, and the Gospel [8]. It is considered better than sacrifice [8].
Prayer is a crucial element in overcoming resistance and aligning with God's will. It is commanded in scripture and involves calling upon God, lifting up the soul and heart, and pouring out one's soul [3]. God promises to hear and answer such prayers [3, 11]. When facing God's judgment, repentance and prayer are identified as proper responses [13]. John Gill notes that the internal call of God, which is by the special grace of the Spirit, is always effectual and cannot be resisted, unlike the external call through the word, which can be refused [10]. However, even those who oppose themselves to the truth can be instructed in meekness, with the hope that God might grant them repentance [12].
Sources
- Job “Job 31:14 (BSB) — what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?”
- Romans “Romans 13:2 (ASV) — Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer — Commanded -- Isa 55:6; Mt 7:7; Php 4:6. To be offered To God. -- Ps 5:2; Mt 4:10. To Christ. -- Lu 23:42; Ac 7:59. To the Holy Spirit. -- 2Th 3:5. Through Christ. -- Eph 2:18; Heb 10:19. God hears -- Ps 10:17; 65:2. God answers -- Ps 99:6; Isa 58:9. Is described as Bowing the knees. -- Eph 3:14. Looking up. -- Ps 5:3. Lifting up the soul. -- Ps 25:1. Lifting up the heart. -- La 3:41. Pouring out the heart. -- Ps 62:8. Pouring out the soul. -- 1Sa 1:15. Calling upon the name of the Lord. -- Ge 12:8; Ps 116:4; Ac 22:16. Crying to God. -- Ps 27:7; 34:6. Drawing”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Call of God, The — By Christ -- Isa 55:5; Ro 1:6. By his Spirit -- Re 22:17. By his works -- Ps 19:2,3; Ro 1:20. By his ministers -- Jer 35:15; 2Co 5:20. By his gospel -- 2Th 2:14. Is from darkness -- 1Pe 2:9. Addressed to all -- Isa 45:22; Mt 20:16. Most reject -- Pr 1:24; Mt 20:16. Effectual to saints -- Ps 110:3; Ac 2:47; 13:48; 1Co 1:24. To man is Of grace. -- Ga 1:15; 2Ti 1:9. According to the purpose of God. -- Ro 8:28; 9:11,23,24. High. -- Php 3:14. Holy. -- 1Ti 1:9. Heavenly. -- Heb 3:1. To fellowship with Christ. -- 1Co 1:9. To holiness. -- 1Th 4:7. To liber”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Rebellion Against God — Forbidden -- Nu 14:9; Jos 22:19. Provokes God -- Nu 16:30; Ne 9:26. Provokes Christ -- Ex 23:20,21; 1Co 10:9. Vexes the Holy Spirit -- Isa 63:10. Exhibited in Unbelief. -- De 9:23; Ps 106:24,25. Rejecting his government. -- 1Sa 8:7; 15:23. Revolting from him. -- Isa 1:5; 31:6. Despising his law. -- Ne 9:26. Despising his counsels. -- Ps 107:11. Distrusting his power. -- Eze 17:15. Murmuring against him. -- Nu 20:3,10. Refusing to hearken to him. -- De 9:23; Eze 20:8; Zec 7:11. Departing from him. -- Isa 59:13. Rebellion against governors appoi”
- James “James 4:7 (BSB) — Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Resignation — Christ set and example of -- Mt 26:39-44; Joh 12:27; 18:11. Commanded -- Ps 37:7; 46:10. Should be exhibited in Submission to the will of God. -- 2Sa 15:26; Ps 42:5,11; Mt 6:10. Submission to the sovereignty of God in his purposes. -- Ro 9:20,21. The prospect of death. -- Ac 21:13; 2Co 4:16-5:1. Loss of goods. -- Job 1:15,16,21. Loss of children. -- Job 1:18,19,21. Chastisements. -- Heb 12:9. Bodily suffering. -- Job 2:8-10. The wicked are devoid of -- Pr 19:3. Exhortation to -- Ps 37:1-11. Motives to God's greatness. -- Ps 46:10. God's love. -- Heb 12:”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Obedience to God — Commanded -- De 13:4. Without faith, is impossible -- Heb 11:6. Includes Obeying his voice. -- Ex 19:5; Jer 7:23. Obeying his law. -- De 11:27; Isa 42:24. Obeying Christ. -- Ex 23:21; 2Co 10:5. Obeying the gospel. -- Ro 1:5; 6:17; 10:16,17. Keeping his commandments. -- Ec 12:13. Submission to higher powers. -- Ro 13:1. Better than sacrifice -- 1Sa 15:22. Justification obtained by that of Christ -- Ro 5:19. Christ, an example of -- Mt 3:15; Joh 15:20; Php 2:5-8; Heb 5:8. Angles engaged in -- Ps 103:20. A characteristic of saints -- 1Pe 1:14. Saints ”
- James (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on James 4:7: Submit - to God - Continue to bow to all his decisions, and to all his dispensations. Resist the devil - He cannot conquer you if you continue to resist. Strong as he is, God never permits him to conquer the man who continues to resist him; he cannot force the human will. He who, in the terrible name of Jesus, opposes even the devil himself, is sure to have a speedy and glorious conquest. He flees from that name, and from his conquering blood.”
- Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 1:24: Because I have called, and ye refused,.... This is to be understood not of the internal call of Wisdom, or Christ, which is by the special grace of his Spirit; is according to an eternal purpose, the fruit of everlasting love, peculiar to God's elect, and by a divine power; and is also a call to special blessings of grace, and to eternal glory; and which is always effectual, unchangeable, and irreversible, and can never be refused, rejected, and resisted, so as to become void and of no effect: but of the external call by the word, to the natural duties of religion, ”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 91:15: He shall call upon me, and I will answer him,.... God is to be invoked by prayer, and to be called upon in every time of trouble, in faith and with fervency, in truth and uprightness, and sincerity of soul; and he himself directs and encourages to it, and promises an answer, which he always sooner or later gives; for he is a God hearing and answering prayer; see Psa 50:15. I will be with him in trouble; the Lord knows his people in adversity; he visits them in their affliction, grants his gracious presence with them, supports them under it, that they are not overwh”
- 2 Timothy (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Timothy 2:25: In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves,.... To the truth; resist it and deny it; or contradict some other tenets and principles of theirs, or the Scriptures, which they themselves allowed to be the word of God, and the rule of faith and practice, and so are self-convinced and self-condemned. These are to be instructed, being ignorant, and in a tender and gentle manner, though very perverse and obstinate. If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth: repentance here designs a repentance of errors in principle, a cha”
- Lamentations (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Lamentations 2:18: 2:18-19 Repentance and prayer are the proper responses when facing the devastation of God’s judgment.”