Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
What does James 4:7 mean?
Since all wars and fightings come from the corruptions of our own hearts, it is right to mortify those lusts that war in the members. Wordly and fleshly lusts are distempers, which will not allow content or satisfaction.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside James 4:7-8 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on James 4:7
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.
Context in James 4
Show chapter context
James 4 belongs to the late movement of the book, especially the section often described as patience, prayer, and restoration. James is a wisdom-shaped epistle about testing, speech, wealth, impartiality, works, prayer, and practical holiness. Read this chapter with the wider themes of works, wisdom, and speech in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
Explore by topic
What Scripture teaches about resisting temptation, the source of temptation, overcoming sin, and the faithfulness of God in providing a way out.
Passages on the nature of sin, its consequences, God's judgment, repentance, and the way of forgiveness through Christ.
Passages on asking, persistence, confession, dependence, and the way prayer shapes Christian life and attention.
Verses on the fear of the Lord, wise speech, practical judgment, teachability, and the difference between biblical wisdom and mere cleverness.