James 4:7
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
King James Version (KJV)
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In a call to humility and repentance, James urges believers to yield fully to God and so find the strength to drive away the tempter.
What Does James 4:7 Mean?
James gives a two-part command with a promise attached. First, submit to God; then, resist the devil, and the result is that the devil will flee. The order matters: surrender to God comes before successful resistance to evil. A person cannot stand against temptation while in rebellion against the One who gives the strength to stand.
To "submit" means to place oneself under God's authority, yielding one's will to his. This is the foundation. From that posture of surrender, the believer is then able to "resist the devil" -- to take a firm stand against his temptations and lies rather than giving way. The astonishing promise is that the devil "will flee." The enemy who seems so powerful retreats before a soul anchored in God. This verse refuses to leave the reader passive; resisting is active, deliberate, ongoing. Yet it is never resistance in one's own strength alone, for it rests on submission to God. James offers great encouragement here: temptation does not have the final word. The same God to whom we submit empowers our stand, and in that strength even the tempter is put to flight.
In the Original Language
The word "submit" is hypotasso, a military term meaning to place oneself under authority; "resist" renders anthistemi, to take a stand against.
Cross References
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
- James 4:8
“Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
- 1 Peter 5:9
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
- Ephesians 6:13
Application
When tempted, first yield yourself to God in dependence, then take a firm, deliberate stand against the temptation rather than negotiating with it.