(Midweek bible study notes)
Introduction
“Submit
to God, Resist the devil” - Christian discipleship is aptly summarised by these
6 succinct words.
The
4-verse paragraph read thus:
7 ¶
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you.
8 Draw
nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and
purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and
your joy to heaviness.
10
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Jas 4:6 ¶ But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
1.
Some notes on the text of James 4:7
a. “therefore” (oun; oon) in light of what has been said, consequently, these
things being so.
-
What is the conjunction “therefore” there for? What is it pointing the readers
back to?
-
v6 is a 1-verse paragraph, making a wonderful and heartening statement.
-
How is v6 related to the command to submit to God, and resist the devil?
b.
“submit” (ὑποτάσσω; hypotassō): ὑπο: under, τάσσω: to put, to place, to
assign, to arrange.
-
to submit is a conscious deliberate effort to put/place/assign/arrange oneself
under something.
-
“submit” is in the imperative mood, second person plural, and passive; it
expresses a command to the hearers to act upon themselves certain actions by
the order and authority of the one commanding.
-
What are presupposed by this command?
-
What is submission to God?
-
Who can submit to God?
-
What does submission to God involve/require?
c.
“resist” (ἀνθίστημι, anthistēmi): ἀντί: over against, opposite; ἵστημι: to cause/make to
stand, to place, put, set.
-
to resist is to set/place/put oneself over against, or cause or make a stand
against or opposite to someone.
-
“resist” is also in the imperative mood, second person plural, but active;
actively acting against the devil.
-
What are presupposed by this command? See Eph 6:11; 1Pe 5:8,
-
What is it to resist the devil?
-
Who can resist the devil??
-
What does resistance to the devil involve/require?
d.
“devil”: (διάβολος, diabolos); false
accuser, slanderer.
-
He must be looked upon as an arch-enemy of your soul,
-
He is to be opposed as such, and to be watched and guarded against;
-
God’s adequate provision for the urgent task of resistance: Eph 6:11-13.
-
The whole armour of God ought to be taken and made use of, particularly the
weapon of prayer, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and the
shield of faith; and also the grace of humility.
e.
“flee from you”: (φεύγω, pheugō); seek safety by
flight; the roaring lion who seeks to devour you is now driven away from you
because you submit yourself to God.
-
The mighty devil fears a man who is submitted to God.
-
What a great promise! No black magic; no secret formula.
-
Submission to God is the only way to resist the devil and drive him away from
you.
2.
The connections of 4:7 and 4:6
a.
State some of the connections between these two verses.
-
Who are the proud in verse 6? How are they indicated in verse 7?
-
Who are the humble in verse 6? How are they indicated in verse 7?
-
What is said about the proud, and the humble?
-
To whom is God opposed?
3.
The connections of 4:7 and 4:8-10
a.
Verse 7 commands, “Submit yourselves to God. Verses 8-10 elaborate on what is
involved.
-
Draw nigh to God…
-
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners… cp 5:19-20.
-
Purify your hearts, ye double-minded
-
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: through sorrow and repentance.
-
Let your laughter be turned to mourning… (they are not centred in God…)
-
Let your joy be turned to heaviness… (they are not centred in God…)
-
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord (i.e. submit to Him; stop being
proud, resist your own ways.)
-
He shall lift you up… He will cease to resist the proud; He will give grace to
the humble, those who submit to him.
What
will you do to submit to God?
What will you do to resist the devil?
Will
you pay the price of giving up your own ways?
