Many years ago a fad spread through the Christian community: WWJD? The idea was to get everyone to think about what Jesus would do in any given situation and then handle themselves accordingly. Paul says here in Ephesians something that is a little similar to that. He says to be imitators of God. The greek word for imitator is "follower." Did you ever play follow the leader as a child? One child was the leader and everyone behind that child had to do what the leader did, no matter how ridiculous or what it was. That is what Paul is saying here. We are to imitate God as little children. Children are interesting creatures, if you pay attention to their behavior. They are blank slates and learn everything as they grow. One of the ways they learn is by doing what we do. I know sometimes that would get annoying with my children. Especially when they got old enough to start imitating me in a mocking manner. Look what Jesus said in John 5:19,20:
John 5:19-20 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. (20) For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
Jesus said He sees what the Father does and He does things in a "like manner" or in a similar way. Paul also said in Ephesians 5 we are to imitate God as little children. 1 Peter 1:13,14 says "as obedient children." Isn't that what we expect out of our children? Obedience? I know we have always expected our children to behave and mind us based on the way we were teaching them.
To obtain the victory that is ours already through Christ, we must do what Christ did. One of the things that Jesus did, that I am not certain He had to do was fight the devil in the wilderness. Here He was...The Son of God, who could have called down angel armies to fight, but He did not. He spoke to the devil in the wilderness and used the Word of God to combat everything the devil said to Him. Winning the battles in our minds can be difficult. Look at what the devil tempted Jesus with in Matthew 4:1-11. He was hungry after 40 days of fasting in the wilderness alone, so Satan tempted Him with food, and saying "If you are what you say you are, then prove it." Satan said,
Matthew 4:3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."
Isn't this how Satan works on us even today? If you are a child of God..." "If you have really been saved..." He calls into question who we are in Christ and then presents a condition, or a solution, for us to prove who we are. How do we fight those thoughts? We do what Jesus did: We use the sword of the spirit, the word of God, to fight and resist the devil. In answer to Satan's challenge above, Jesus said,
Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.' "
God is our sustenance. He is the Living Water that flows. He is the Bread of Life. We want nothing more when we are full of Him. Yet, the food we eat every day to nourish our bodies only lasts for a short time, until we have to eat again. Our spirits are sustained from the Source of our Life.
James 4:7-8 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (8) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
We can resist the devil when we use the weapons God has given us. We submit ourselves to Him, allow Him full reign and control over every aspect of our lives, and then we resist the devil. Our victory comes in imitating God, what He does and what He says. We learn how to be overcomers, just as our children learned proper behavior from us.
So, today, be an imitator, a follower, of Christ and do what He would do, and speak what He would speak. Love who He would love. Being an imitator is just one more way we have victory as overcomers in every situation.
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