The Remedy to Worldliness: Part 2 - James 4:7

The Remedy to Worldliness: Part 2 - James 4:7
Written by LaRosa Johnson
Tuesday, 01 July 2008

After some introductory work, we are now ready to begin our look at the ten aorist imperatives that James gave to his readers as a remedy to their current state of worldliness. In looking at these imperatives, we're going to take it one verse at a time, with the number of imperatives increasing with each verse, from verse 7 to verse 9, and concluding with a final imperative in verse 10. Our study today contains two imperatives, and they are two that contrast one another, as they depict the first steps necessary in order to turn away from the world and cleave to God. As our hearts and minds are ready to engage in spiritual truth, let us look at our text.

Quote :

James 4:7 (NASB) - Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

This is a rather short verse, but the spiritual implications are eternal. The two imperatives that we find in this passage are "submit" and "resist," which are contrasting terms when placed next to each other. By using these words, James is urging his readers to do just as the text suggests: 1) submit to God, and 2) resist the devil. The basis of this devotion, as well as our subsequent studies, will focus on the imperatives and understanding exactly what it is that James is wanting his reader to do. This will involve using Greek word studies so that we can grasp the full context of these commands, so let us begin with our first sentence in James 4:7.

"Submit therefore to God." The word that is used here for "submit" is the Greek word hupotasso (Strong's #G5293). There are many subtleties in which this word can be looked at, but for the most part, it simply means to subject or yield one's control over to someone else. One of the interesting things about this particular word is that it has a military context and can mean "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader." In its non-military sense, it represents "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden." In layman's terms, what we are talking about here is humility. Submitting to God is an act of humbling one's self and giving over total control to God. In other words, submitting to God means that we are falling in line and under the command of our leader (Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit). This is not the only time that believers are told to humble themselves before God, as we can see it all throughout Scripture, especially in a passage like 1 Peter 5:6. One thing of dire importance to note about this particular imperative is that it is passive; this means that the person is not actively doing the submitting, but they are the one being acted upon. To put it more plainly, this is to say that I have chosen to submit to the Lord, but He [God] is the one that is actually making the submission happen. So, we only make the decision to submit to God, and then God does the rest from there in terms of conforming us to His will. This will serve as a sharp contrast to the imperative in the second half of this verse.

After you have submitted yourself to God and have chosen to follow His commands, the next command is, "Resist the devil," which is then followed by a purpose clause that depicts the end result of resistance. As we know, "resist" is our imperative, and it comes from the Greek word anthistemi (Strong's #G436). This word means to set oneself against, withstand, resist, or oppose. With that in mind, James was using this word to tell his readers that they literally need to take a stand against the devil. This line of thought goes back to James 4:4 where James says that friendship with the world makes one an enemy of God. There is no middle ground when it comes to serving God, because you can only have one master at any given time; either you are serving God or you are serving Satan. This is why we need to pay special attention to the directives in the Word of God, such as are found in Ephesians 4:27; 6:11f; and 1 Peter 5:8f. We are not to give any place to our adversary, always being fully armored and on the alert, which is what we find in these passages of Scripture. What about that contrast between the imperatives? As stated above, "submit" is a passive imperative, whereas "resist" is an active imperative. What does that mean? It means that this is something that is actively carried out by the participant. In other words, you have to be the one doing the standing, as no one else can do it for you. Therefore, when you actively choose to stand firm, you will be in great shape spiritually.

This second imperative, as I said, is followed by a purpose clause. The purpose clause essentially tells what will happen if you take heed and follow through with this command. James tells us that "he [Satan] will flee from you," if you you are able to make your stand against him. The reason that Satan will flee is because he is already a defeated foe and there is nothing that he can do when a believer is well armored and on the alert. When we make the active and conscious decision to serve the Lord, there is no door or crack for the enemy to enter in, therefore he has no other choice but to leave. This is not to say that he will not continue to try and tempt us, but we can rest assured that if we resist those temptations he has absolutely no power over us. The one thing to keep in mind with this, though, is that resisting the devil is impossible unless you are first submitted to God and under His direction; otherwise, you are completely susceptible to falling prey to his attacks.

To close, we have looked at two of our ten imperatives; and, of all, these are likely to be the two most important. Without following through on these two commands, the rest are worthless to even attempt. Their order in the letter is of importance because they should be followed in that order to achieve their maximum effect, as we just noted above. So, first, we have to consciously decide to put ourselves under the authority of God and allow Him to reign in our lives. From there, we are to then stand firm against our enemy, knowing that he will flee if we don't give him an inch. With this as our foundation, we will build upon it and move forward in remedying worldliness and sinful behavior. Next time we will look at another handful of imperatives in verse 8. Until then, stay submitted to the Lord and stand firm against your adversary.

devotion courtesy of Trailblazin Ministries
http://www.trailblazinministries.com/daily-devotions/07-01-2008.php