C o n d a L a s h l e y
James 4:7
Submit yourselves
therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and
he will flee from you.
James, the brother of Jesus, became the leader of the Jerusalem church after Peter. Many of the Christians were scattered throughout the Roman Empire because of the persecution in Jerusalem. They tried to grow in their faith and become mature Christians even though they were separated from the central church and were living in various foreign cities. James wrote this letter to encourage them to persevere against both the pressures from the non-Christians and from the conflicts and disputes they were having among themselves.
James explains that they (and we) must fight three enemies: the flesh, the world, and the devil. He describes the flesh as those desires that are causing the believer’s sinful actions including murder, theft, and covetousness (vv. 1-3). He says that being married to Christ yet loving the world is Spiritual adultery (vv. 4-5). He warns that Christians who live for the flesh and for the world become proud (v. 6) and that the devil takes advantage of the situation because pride is one of the devil’s chief tools. James says the key is to submit to God. If we use God’s Word to resist the devil, he will flee (v. 7).
Two thousand years later and we find ourselves still fighting the flesh, the world, and the devil. Just like the early church, we live in a divided nation with conflicts and disputes that separate us. And it seems the devil has our pride at an all-time high such that we don’t even try to listen and understand what others are saying. Amos 3:3 asks if two can walk together unless they agree, and Psalm 133 says it is tragic when brethren dwell together in discord rather than unity. It is time for us to grow up in the Word of God and become mature Christians. More than ever, we need to humble ourselves, to resist the devil, and to submit ourselves to God.
Conda Lashley
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