"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:7 (NKJV)
Submit and resist are two words that mean different things, and those words could be said to be the opposite of each other. One meaning of the word submit is "to yield to". The word resist is the opposite of submit and it means "to oppose something or someone". If you submit to something, it often means you are resisting or opposing someone or something else. No one can submit to and resist the same thing at the same time; you are either submitting to something or you are resisting it.
In James 4:7 we are told to submit to God and resist the devil. The word submit here means "to subordinate, to obey", and the word resist in James 4:7 in the Greek means "to stand against". James tells us that we must obey God and stand against, oppose, the devil. How do we submit to God? We do what God says, we follow His plans and His direction in our life. We are also told to resist the devil. How do we resist the devil? By opposing what he says and by not following his direction or plans.
The Bible shows us that we must submit ourselves, and every area of our lives, to God, and we must resist the devil and his influence in every area of our lives. Jesus gives us a great example of this from when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. When the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus replied with the Word of God. Jesus submitted to God by focusing on Scripture and Jesus resisted the devil by opposing what the devil said that would have taken Him away from what God had said. We need to follow the example of Jesus as we submit to God and resist the devil.
James 4:7 (NKJV)
Submit and resist are two words that mean different things, and those words could be said to be the opposite of each other. One meaning of the word submit is "to yield to". The word resist is the opposite of submit and it means "to oppose something or someone". If you submit to something, it often means you are resisting or opposing someone or something else. No one can submit to and resist the same thing at the same time; you are either submitting to something or you are resisting it.
In James 4:7 we are told to submit to God and resist the devil. The word submit here means "to subordinate, to obey", and the word resist in James 4:7 in the Greek means "to stand against". James tells us that we must obey God and stand against, oppose, the devil. How do we submit to God? We do what God says, we follow His plans and His direction in our life. We are also told to resist the devil. How do we resist the devil? By opposing what he says and by not following his direction or plans.
The Bible shows us that we must submit ourselves, and every area of our lives, to God, and we must resist the devil and his influence in every area of our lives. Jesus gives us a great example of this from when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. When the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus replied with the Word of God. Jesus submitted to God by focusing on Scripture and Jesus resisted the devil by opposing what the devil said that would have taken Him away from what God had said. We need to follow the example of Jesus as we submit to God and resist the devil.