“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7 (ESV)
If you have been a reader of Alive Ministries USA’s posts for some time, you will probably recall founder Rev. Christopher B. Cain referencing our late father, Rev. Clifford L. Cain, when saying “what is the ‘therefore’ there for?”. In the case of today’s verse, we need to jump back a few verses to see what James tells us in verse 4: “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4) You cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24); you cannot be a friend of the world while simultaneously being in perfect harmony with God. In order to be in harmony and at peace with God, you must submit yourself fully to Him and to His will for your life. In doing so, you must also make an active choice to resist the devil and all of his temptations that will try and pull you away from God. Once you have made these two distinct decisions, you will begin to draw closer to God and He in turn will draw closer to you (James 4:8). Are you fully submitting to God and actively resisting the devil? That is our prayer for each and every one of you!
Jessica Ford
Communications Director
Alive Ministries USA