James 4:6-10
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore 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. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
The earlier context for these verses is that we need to choose between God and the world. We experience this battle when we struggle with our sinful desires. The solution is simple but difficult: "submit yourselves therefore to God" (verse 7), "resist the devil" (verse 7), and "draw near to God" (verse 8). To submit to God means to trust His ways, rather than doing our own thing. It requires humility (verse 6), to admit that we need God's help. Submitting to God gives us the power to then resist the devil. If I resist in my own strength and name, the devil will just laugh at me, but when I rest in God and resist, then the devil flees. The last step is the summary of the previous two, to draw near to God. Whatever we draw near to, we will have fellowship with, whether that be God or the devil. So let us choose to submit ourselves in humility and draw near to God.
God, so often I try to fight my battles alone. Forgive me, as I know that I need You. Thank you for being with me, and that I can draw near to You.
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore 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. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
The earlier context for these verses is that we need to choose between God and the world. We experience this battle when we struggle with our sinful desires. The solution is simple but difficult: "submit yourselves therefore to God" (verse 7), "resist the devil" (verse 7), and "draw near to God" (verse 8). To submit to God means to trust His ways, rather than doing our own thing. It requires humility (verse 6), to admit that we need God's help. Submitting to God gives us the power to then resist the devil. If I resist in my own strength and name, the devil will just laugh at me, but when I rest in God and resist, then the devil flees. The last step is the summary of the previous two, to draw near to God. Whatever we draw near to, we will have fellowship with, whether that be God or the devil. So let us choose to submit ourselves in humility and draw near to God.
God, so often I try to fight my battles alone. Forgive me, as I know that I need You. Thank you for being with me, and that I can draw near to You.