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

5Do you think this passage means nothing? It says, “The Spirit that lives in us wants us to be his own.” 6But God shows us even more kindness. Scripture says, “God opposes arrogant people, but he is kind to humble people.” So place yourselves under God’s authority. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. 8Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Clean up your lives, you sinners, and clear your minds, you doubters. 9Be miserable, mourn, and cry. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into gloom.

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. Eli replied, “He is the Lord. May he do what he thinks is right.”
• 2 Samuel 15:26But if he says, ‘I’m not pleased with you,’ let him do to me what he considers right.”
• 2 Kings 1:13The king sent a third officer with 50 men. The officer of the third group went up the hill and knelt in front of Elijah. The officer begged him, “Man of God, please treat my life and the lives of these 50 servants of yours as something precious.
• 2 Chronicles 30:8Don’t be impossible to deal with like your ancestors. Reach out for the Lord. Come to his holy place that he made holy forever. Serve the Lord your God, and he will turn his burning anger away from you.
• 2 Chronicles 33:12When he experienced this distress, he begged the Lord his God to be kind and humbled himself in front of the God of his ancestors.
• Job 1:21He said, “Naked I came from my mother, and naked I will return. The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away! May the name of the Lord be praised.”
• Job 40:3Job answered the Lord,
• Job 42:1Then Job answered the Lord,
• Psalms 32:3When I kept silent ⌞about my sins⌟, my bones began to weaken because of my groaning all day long.
• Psalms 66:3Say to God, “How awe-inspiring are your deeds! Your power is so great that your enemies will cringe in front of you.
• Psalms 68:30Threaten the beast who is among the cattails, the herd of bulls with the calves of the nations, until it humbles itself with pieces of silver. Scatter the people who find joy in war.
• Jeremiah 13:18Say to the king and his mother, “Come down from your thrones, because your crowns have fallen off your heads.”
• Daniel 4:25You will be forced away from people and live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like cattle. The dew from the sky will make you wet. And seven time periods will pass until you realize that the Most High has power over human kingdoms and that he gives them to whomever he wishes.
• Matthew 11:29Place my yoke over your shoulders, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble. Then you will find rest for yourselves
• Acts 9:6Get up! Go into the city, and you’ll be told what you should do.”
• Acts 16:29The jailer asked for torches and rushed into the jail. He was trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas.

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