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James 4:7 - Submit And Surrender To God And The Devil Will Flee.James 4:7 (NIV) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.James 4:7 (CEV) Surrender to God! Resist the devil, and he will run from you. James 4:7 (NLT) So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. CONTEXT 4:7-10 How can you come close to God? James gives five ways: (1) "Humble yourselves before God" (4: 7). Yield to his authority and will, commit your life to him and his control, and be willing to follow him. (2) "Resist the devil" (4: 7). Don't allow Satan to entice and tempt you. (3) "Wash your hands [and] purify your hearts" (that is, lead a pure life) (4: 8). Be cleansed from sin, replacing the desire to sin with the desire to experience God's purity. (4) "Let there be tears for what you have done" (4: 9). Don't be afraid to express deep, heartfelt sorrow for what you have done. (5) "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor" (4: 10; also see 1 Peter 5: 6). Recognize that your worth comes from God alone. To be humble involves leaning on his power and guidance and not going your own independent way. Although we do not deserve God's favor, he wants to lift us up and give us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings. (For more on drawing near to God, see Hebrews 10: 19-22.) [Life Application SB 2019] INTRODUCTION Although God and the devil are at war, we don't have to wait until the end to see who will win. God has already defeated Satan (Revelation 12: 10-12), and when Christ returns, the devil and all he stands for will be eliminated forever (Revelation 20: 10-15). Satan freely influences our wills now, however, and he strives to win us over to his evil cause or, when he can't, destroy us. But he cannot defeat the Holy Spirit. We have a choice to either follow our natural tendencies or ask the Holy Spirit to fill us. With the Holy Spirit's power, we can resist the devil, and he will flee from us. [Life Application SB 2019] COMMENTARY PEARL So we may resist temptation, and force Satan to depart from us, Jesus gained the victory through submission and faith in God, and by the apostle He says to us, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you."[James 4:7, 8.] We cannot save ourselves from the tempter's power; he has conquered humanity, and when we try to stand in our own strength, we shall become a prey to his devices; but "the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe."[Prov. 18:10.] Satan trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty name. DA131 COMMENTARY Longing For More Each of us has felt the tug like we were made for more than just this everyday life on planet Earth. We've all sensed a deeper, inner longing for something or someone more. Many people throughout history have felt this way, but not all have come to the truthful conclusion that only God, the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ, can fill your deepest inner longing. How incredible would it be if you experienced God's desire to be known by you? Suddenly, in one glorious revelation, you could find what you've been searching for all along and discover the God who longs to be found by you. As great as that sounds, there's something more specific God wants to reveal to you about who He is. God wants you to come to know Him as a perfect Father. A Father who gave you life, made you uniquely you, adores you, and wants to be a part of your life. Let that truth wash over you today. Dear God, because You are a good Father, I'm trusting today that when I come near, You will meet me with love and compassion. [Grace and Glory by Louie Giglio] TESTIMONY If we want God's grace for power over temptation and sin (and of course that is the only way to have victory over temptation and sin) then we need to submit to God and his ways by turning from the devil and our sinful nature. We do this by drawing near to God so He can come near to us and give us the grace we need to follow in His ways. The way we draw near to God is through prayer (earnest and spiritual), Bible promises (claiming them), service to others (using gifts and talents for the needy), and Christian fellowship (praises, singing, thanksgiving, and testimonies). PTL!!! LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY James 4:7, 8 - Drawing Near to God. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20221019-0824.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2017/20170306-1007.html James 4:7-8: How To Deal With Temptation. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20241111-1412.htm https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20240901-1245.html https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230627-0954.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190823-0932.html Ephesians 6:10-13 - Christian Warfare. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20240423-0827.html Exodus 14:13, 14 - When He Leads Us Through. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210416-0920.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |