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Selected Verse: James 4:7 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Jas 4:7 |
King James |
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Submit to . . . God--so ye shall be among "the humble," Jam 4:6; also Jam 4:10; Pe1 5:6.
Resist . . . devil--Under his banner pride and envy are enlisted in the world; resist his temptations to these. Faith, humble prayers, and heavenly wisdom, are the weapons of resistance. The language is taken from warfare. "Submit" as a good soldier puts himself in complete subjection to his captain. "Resist," stand bravely against.
he will flee--Translate, "he shall flee." For it is a promise of God, not a mere assurance from man to man [ALFORD]. He shall flee worsted as he did from Christ. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Submit yourselves therefore to God - That is, in his arrangements for obtaining his favor. Yield to what he has judged necessary for your welfare in the life that is, and your salvation in the life to come. The duty here enjoined is that of entire acquiescence in the arrangements of God, whether in his providence or grace. All these are for our good, and submission to them is required by the spirit of true humility. The object of the command here, and in the succeeding injunctions to particular duties, is to show them how they might obtain the grace which God is willing to bestow, and how they might overcome the evils against which the apostle had been endeavoring to guard them. The true method of doing this is by submitting ourselves in all things to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you - While you yield to God in all things, you are to yield to the devil in none. You are to resist and oppose him in whatever way he may approach you, whether by allurements, by flattering promises, by the fascinations of the world, by temptation, or by threats. See Pe1 5:9. Satan makes his way, and secures his triumphs, rather by art, cunning, deception, and threatenings, than by true courage; and when opposed manfully, he flies. The true way of meeting him is by direct resistance, rather than by argument; by steadfastly refusing to yield in the slightest degree, rather than by a belief that we can either convince him that he is wrong, or can return to virtue when we have gone a certain length in complying with his demands. No one is safe who yields in the least to the suggestions of the tempter; there is no one who is not safe if he does not yield. A man, for example, is always safe from intemperance if he resists all allurements to indulgence in strong drink, and never yields in the slightest degree; no one is certainly safe if he drinks even moderately. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Submit yourselves (ὑποτάγητε)
Rev., be subject. The verb means to place or arrange under; as resist (Jam 4:6) is to array against. God sets himself in array against the proud; therefore, array yourselves under God, that ye may withstand the devil. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Therefore by humbly submitting yourselves to God, resist the devil - The father of pride and envy. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Submit - to God - Continue to bow to all his decisions, and to all his dispensations.
Resist the devil - He cannot conquer you if you continue to resist. Strong as he is, God never permits him to conquer the man who continues to resist him; he cannot force the human will. He who, in the terrible name of Jesus, opposes even the devil himself, is sure to have a speedy and glorious conquest. He flees from that name, and from his conquering blood. |
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.