Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4: 7, NKJV
Loving Lord, help us to see that when we are weak (submitted), then Your strength can be manifested in us. Amen
Unlike some of the other letters (epistles) in the New Testament that are addressed to a particular church, or group, or individual, the Letter of James is addressed “To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (James 1: 1). One of the problems he addresses in his letter is pride. He talks about showing favor to the rich in preference of the poor (James 2: 1-6). He speaks openly of God’s opposition to pride (4: 6), and enjoins them to “Humble yourselves before the Lord…” (4:10). Our promise is tucked in the midst of these admonitions.
There was a time when I misquoted this text. I would simply say: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Then I noticed that that was not really the case. The devil does not flee from everyone who try to resist him. So I went back to the text, to see what I was overlooking. Surely enough, I had been leaving out the core of the text: Submit to God! When are we our strongest, but when we surrender to God; to His will, and to His way. There can be no resisting without us first submitting. There is strength in submission!
Listen to Paul: “Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12: 10). Submission to God may open the door to trials. ‘A servant is not greater than his Master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you…’ (John 18: 20). As we submit to God, we are willing to become “weak,” that Christ’s strength may take possession of us. As we become weak in the opinion of the world, we become strong in the sight of God!
He or she is no weakling who can take an insult and not retaliate; a weakling does not go through persecutions and “love those who persecute” him or her (Matthew 5: 44). A weakling does not “turn the other cheek” (39), a weakling does not “go the second mile” (41).
“Weaklings” in the world’s estimation, have, as their role model, One, who having the possibility to ask for “more than twelve legions of angels,” (Matthew 26: 53) was able to resist retaliating, and submitted Himself to the cruelty, ridicule, and humiliation, of His own creatures. He had the option, and was actually tempted by the mob to come down from the cross, and save Himself, but He resisted saving Himself from the shameful death of the cross, in order to save us from eternal death. Jesus could resist the devil because He was submitted to the will of His Father!
As we submit our wills to God, we too will have the strength to resist the devil and put him to flight!