Submit to God

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 Timothy Keller Sermon Archive, 1989-2011 (Courage)

The point all through the book of James is to make a distinction between mere profession of faith and actual possession of faith. James’ point is faith without works is dead. James’ point is to say Christianity is not just adopting a set of beliefs or an ethical code, but

Christianity is to have a living faith, which means to take the truths of the gospel and to lay them on your heart in such a way they change everything about you, including all of your life.

Did you hear that?

To be a Christian is not just to adopt some beliefs or some ethical code

but rather to have a living faith,

to take the truths of the gospel and lay them on your heart in such a way that every part of you is changed.

That’s what James is after, over and over and over. James is never merely exhorting.

Submit to God(4:7)

In Greek, Submit is actually a compound term. The two elements mean “arrange” and “under.”

To submit, in Scripture, is not to sit back and wait for God to issue orders.

Submission certainly includes obedience to commands, but we also submit when we arrange our lives under God’s general direction.[1]

A worker submits by obeying his supervisor’s directions,

but he also submits when he extrapolates from his leader’s principles,

taking on new tasks according to his principles.

He need not wait for orders, because he understands the leader’s goals, vision, and ethic well enough to apply them to new situations.

An athlete submits to her coach by coming into the season well conditioned, even if the coach did not specify a tight training schedule.

A wife can exercise considerable authority in the home and yet be submissive to her husband if she manages their money, property, and time in the ways they have worked out together.

James (Submit to God (4:7))

If we have a good relationship with someone for whom we work, we probably see things as he or she does. We gladly follow orders because they hardly feel like orders.

That is a great blessing, but such agreement does not test our willingness to submit.

The test of loyalty and submission to a superior comes only when his or her will crosses ours.

So it is with God.

We obey whenever we do his will.

We submit when we obey a command that seems hard or strange.

Such submission signifies that we have humbled ourselves before the Lord.

Doriani, D. M. (2007). James (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.; p. 146). P&R Publishing.

We obey whenever we do his will. We submit when we obey a command that seems hard or strange. Such submission signifies that we have humbled ourselves before the Lord.[3]

James is calling us to submissiveness. It is to be our everyday experience.

This is no small task because, though children of grace, we naturally rebel against many of the things God providentially allows in our lives.

We want to be accomplished and highly regarded, but we just do not have the gifts some of our friends have, and we resent the ways of God, the bestower of gifts (1:17).

Those around you are succeeding and it seems all you have is trouble, and we seethe toward God.

We have a love which is not returned, and we are angry at Heaven.

Our health fails us, so we rebel.

Many Christians have a sort of private feud with God, sit down with Jonah under the withered vine and mutter, “I do well to be angry, angry enough to die!” (Jonah 4:9, RSV).

Is there hidden rebellion in our lives? Is it so hidden that perhaps only those closest to us see it when they hear our morose humor and momentary bitterness's?

If so, there is only one answer: submit to God, let go and say, “Though I do not understand my situation, I bow before you and submit my whole life to you.”

The last words of Richard Baxter provide a perfect prayer: “Lord, what thou wilt, where thou wilt, and when thou wilt.”

Some of us need to pray this right now, and if we do, grace will flood our souls. Will you do it?[4]

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. … COME NEAR to God and HE WILL COME NEAR TO YOU (vv. 7b, 8a)

The negative expression is, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (v. 7b).

The positive side is, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

“Resist” is a military metaphor that means to stand against, as in combat. i can’t stand against a enemy that I don’t know

The primary element is an understanding of the enemy, which Paul memorably gives us in

Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

· The struggle is supernatural, supra-flesh, and bloody.

· It is personal; the word for “struggle” suggests hand-to-hand combat—swaying back and forth in sweaty battle.

· It is futile if fought with conventional weapons because we are fighting against ranks of evil angels led by fallen angelic princes.[5]

Once we understand the nature of the enemy, we must put on the proper armament.

For this let us picture the old warrior Paul in his own spiritual armor.

Ephesians 6:13–17 (ESV)

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

He has worn his war belt so long that it is sweat through and salt-stained and comfortable like an old horse’s bridle, and it holds everything perfectly in place.

The “belt of truth,” God’s truth, has wrapped him tightly for years, so that it permeates his life and truth reigns within.

He is armed with the clear eyes of a clear conscience. He can face anything.

His torso is sheathed with a battle-tarnished breastplate.

It is criss-crossed with great lateral grooves from slicing sword blows and dented from enemy artillery.

The “breastplate of righteousness” has preserved his vitals intact.

His holy life has rendered his heart impervious to the spiritual assaults of Satan.

His gnarled legs are comfortable in his ancient war boots. He has stood his ground on several continents.

His boots are the “gospel of peace,” the peace with God that comes through faith in him, and the resultant peace of God—the sense of well-being in wholeness—shalom.

He stands in peace, and being rooted in peace he cannot be moved.

Paul’s great shield terrifies the eyes, for the broken shafts and the many charred holes reveal him to be the victor of many fierce battles.

He has held the “shield of faith” as he repeatedly believed God’s Word and so extinguished every fiery dart of doubt and sensuality and materialism. None have touched him.

On his old gray head he wears a helmet which has seen better days. Great dents mar its symmetry, reminders of furtive blows dealt him by the enemy.

The “helmet of salvation,” the confidence of knowing that he is saved and will be saved, has allowed him to stand tall against the most vicious assaults.

His imperial confidence gives him a regal bearing.

Then there is his sword. He was equal to a hundred when his sword flashed.

The “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” the ultimate offensive weapon, cut through everything—armor, flesh, glistening bone, and running marrow—even the soul.

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

These are the weapons: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God—and any believer who resists with these will put the Devil and his armies to flight!

This is not arrogance. This is the truth! You and I can withstand the Devil if we wear the armor God provides. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (v. 7).[6]

Matthew 28:18 (ESV)

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

As a church, we need to take heed, be sober, and serve him. We will not be intimidated! For all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Christ and He has sent us in this power to plunder the strongholds of Satan.

“Come near to God and he will come near to you” (v. 8a).

There are two views which the Christian ought to cultivate with all that he has: the Devil’s back and the face of God.

if you go after God, he will go after you!

This was the prodigal son’s experience when he neared his home: “‘But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him’” (Luke 15:20). The father smothered him with kisses. Inch toward God, and he will step toward you. Step toward God, and he will sprint toward you. Sprint toward God, and he will fly to you!

What is James’ overall point here in this positive call to draw near?

In a word, prayer. The essence of prayer is the heart drawing near to God.

Prayer is the soul’s desire to come to him, to receive his love, to feel his power as we conform to his will.

This is exactly what Paul’s soldier in spiritual armor does. Every piece is in place. The spiritual forces of wickedness approach, and there will be lethal battle.

But first the soldier falls to his knees and prays in the Spirit with all kinds of prayers (cf. Ephesians 6:18).

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” If you will take that step, a new nearness to God will be yours.

and with it buoying tides of his grace.[7]

Wash Your Hands, You Sinners (4:8)

This is a call to clean up one’s acts and inner life.

The Lord calls us to a single-minded allegiance to himself. He wants us to have eyes only for him!

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart (the single-minded), for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Jesus meant they would see him in this life, because this purity of focus invites deeper spiritual understanding. Seeing God in life is the highest good—the summum bonum—because all those who see him become like him. “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).[8]

Grieve, Mourn, and Wail (4:9)

The final challenging couplet is in verse 9: “Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.” Before applying this, it must be said that Christianity is preeminently a religion of joy and that the Bible is a joyous book. Solomon said, “A cheerful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22), and this is eternally true. The desire for a pure heart leads logically to sorrow for sin. When sin is manifest, the righteous grieve.[9]

“Be devastated” is the perfect expression of what “grieve” means.

“Mourn” expresses inner grief, and “wail” refers to a funeral lament.

“Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom” is a scathing denunciation of Christians who are so insensitive and superficial that they are laughing when they ought to be weeping! Some laughter indicates a sickness of soul which only tears can cure. Have we wept over our sins?

Humble Yourselves before the Lord and He Will Lift You Up (4:10)

We are not to wait passively for this to somehow happen.

We are not to wait for someone else to humble us, nor should we wait for the vicissitudes of life to do it.

Self-humbling is our Christian duty. We must take inventory of our sinfulness and weakness, then bow in total submission to God, yielding our total being.

our dreams, our future, our everything to him. It is then that he will pour on the grace—grace upon grace—grace heaped upon grace—“and he will lift you up.[10]

What we Conclude

1. We serve notice to Satan and to all his angels and to any of his servants (2 Corinthians 11:15) we will not be intimidated. "We have not been given a spirit of timidity but of power, love, and self-control!" (2 Timothy 1:7).

2. We are renewing, here and now, our dedication to the command and the promise of the Lord Jesus when he said: "Resist the devil and he will flee from you!"

3. We rededicate ourselves to fight back in the name of Jesus Christ—the one who has sent us into the world under this banner: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me; go therefore. . . and I will be with you to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:18-20).

4. We dedicate ourselves to strengthening our hands for war. Focused, war-time prayer is an essential part of our assault on the strongholds of Satan.

5. We believe that if we draw near to Him he will draw near to us.

6. Our desire is to be a people who live in submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

7. We will not presume that we can defeat the enemy of our souls without the humility that bows before Jesus Christ.

[1]Doriani, D. M. (2007). James (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.; p. 146). P&R Publishing. 1 1. Carl F. H. Henry, Confessions of a Theologian, An Autobiography (Waco, TX: Word, 1986), p. 388 says: History has reserved for renegade humanity in our century an eager embrace of what ancient, medieval and early modern sages fled like a dread disease — the illusion that the human species is the sole crown of the cosmos, generator of the good, touchstone of truth, fashioner of the future and designer of destiny. [2]Hughes, R. K. (1991). James: faith that works (pp. 183–184). Crossway Books. [3]Doriani, D. M. (2007). James (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.; p. 147). P&R Publishing. [4]Hughes, R. K. (1991). James: faith that works (pp. 184–185). Crossway Books. [5]Hughes, R. K. (1991). James: faith that works (p. 185). Crossway Books. [6]Hughes, R. K. (1991). James: faith that works (pp. 185–186). Crossway Books. [7]Hughes, R. K. (1991). James: faith that works (pp. 186–187). Crossway Books. [8]Hughes, R. K. (1991). James: faith that works (p. 188). Crossway Books. [9]Doriani, D. M. (2007). James (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.; p. 150). P&R Publishing. 8 8. Ralph Martin, Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 8, James (Waco, TX: Word, 1988), p. 154. [10]Hughes, R. K. (1991). James: faith that works (p. 190). Crossway Books.

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