James 4:7

James 4:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
• New International Version (NIV)Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Context of James 4:7

5The Bible says, ‘God has caused his Spirit to live in us. He wants very much to keep us for himself.’ Do you think that is not true? 6But God will be very kind to us and he will help us. That is why the Bible says, ‘God is against those people who think that they are important. But he is kind to people who do not feel important.’ So obey God's authority. Be strong against the Devil and he will run away from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Be clean in the way that you live. Stop doing wrong things. Make your minds clean. You cannot love sin and love God at the same time. 9Be sorry about your sins and weep. Stop laughing and instead be sad. Do not be happy but be very upset.

James 4:7 word by word

ὑποτάγητε οὖν τῷ θεῷ. ἀντίστητε δὲ τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ φεύξεται ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Submit yourselvesὑποτάσσωhupotassō · to subjectG5293
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• to Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• Resistἀνθίστημιanthistēmi · to opposeG436
• the devilδιάβολοςdiabolos · devilish/the DevilG1228
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• he will fleeφεύγωpheugō · to fleeG5343
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• youσύsu · youG4771

Cross-references for James 4:7

• 1 Samuel 3:18So Samuel told Eli everything. He did not hide any of God's message. Then Eli said, ‘The Lord. must do what he thinks is right.’
• 2 Samuel 15:26But if he is not pleased with me, then he must do to me whatever he decides is right.’
• 2 Kings 1:13So the king sent a third captain, with 50 more soldiers. This captain went up to Elijah. He bent down on his knees in front of Elijah to ask him to be kind to them. He said, ‘Man of God, we are your servants. Please do not kill me and my 50 soldiers.
• 2 Chronicles 30:8Do not refuse to obey him, as your parents did. Instead, agree to serve him. Come to his temple. He has made it a holy place for ever. Serve the Lord your God so that he will stop being so angry with you.
• 2 Chronicles 33:12This gave Manasseh a lot of pain. He asked the Lord his God to be kind to him. He made himself humble and he prayed for help to the Lord, the God of his ancestors.
• Job 1:21He said, ‘When I was born, I had nothing. When I die, I will take nothing with me. The Lord has given me all the things that I have. The Lord may choose to take those things away. I will continue to praise the name of the Lord!’
• Job 40:3Then Job answered the Lord. This is what he said:
• Job 42:1Then Job replied to the Lord. He said this:
• Psalms 32:3When I said nothing to God about my sin, my whole body became weak. I cried all the time because of the pain.
• Psalms 66:3Say to God, ‘You do great things! Your great power makes your enemies afraid. They come to you and they bend down to the ground.
• Psalms 68:30Speak against your enemies! Some are like wild animals that live in the reeds. Some are proud nations, like bulls among their young cows. They must be humble and offer to you gifts of valuable silver things. Chase away those nations that like to fight wars.
• Jeremiah 13:18Tell the king and his mother, “Come down from your thrones. Your beautiful crowns will soon fall from your heads.”
• Daniel 4:25People will chase you away from the city, so that you have to live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like cows do. Dew from the sky will make you wet. You will live in that way for seven years. Then you will understand that the powerful God above rules over human kingdoms. He gives authority to rule to anyone that he chooses.
• Matthew 11:29Do what I teach you to do. Listen to my message and learn from me what is true. I am very kind and I do not make myself important. I will help you. Then you will have peace in your mind.
• Acts 9:6Now you must get up and go into the city. Someone there will tell you what you must do.’
• Acts 16:29The guard said, ‘Bring me some lights.’ Then he ran to the prison room where Paul and Silas were. He was very frightened. He went down on his knees in front of them.

Commentaries on James 4:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Submit - 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.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Submit 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7Resist the devil: See also Ephesians 6:11; 1 Peter 5:8.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Submit to ... God--so ye shall be among "the humble," Jas 4:6; also Jas 4:10; 1Pe 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…Read the comment

Topics related to James 4:7

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Commandments
• Resignation
• Satan
• Temptation
• War

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Adulterer
• Amiss
• Consume
• Enmity
• Flee
• Hence
• Lust
• Resist

Commentaries on James 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings