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James 4:7
Submission and Resistance
James 4:7
Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
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Why it is worth knowing
- Submission to God comes first: resistance of the devil flows from it
- “Resist” implies an active, determined stance, not passive hoping
- “He will flee”: this is a promise: the devil cannot stand against one submitted to God
- The two commands are a pair: you cannot effectively resist the devil without submitting to God
Where it sits: James 4:6-10
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Be subject therefore 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. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Hear the passage it sits in, sung word for word, on BibleDo's James page.
Background
James 4 addresses a community torn by quarrels and worldliness. The counsel is simple: stop fighting each other and start fighting the right enemy. The sequence (submit to God, resist the devil) reveals the source of spiritual power. Pride and independence leave us vulnerable; humility and submission to God provide the ground on which we stand against the enemy. The promise “he will flee from you” is remarkable: the devil is not invincible but is, in fact, repelled by a soul submitted to God.