Lesson 8 | Submit Yourselves To God
1. Conflict Begins in the Heart
James 4:1–3 — “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”
James confronts the root of conflict—not external circumstances, but internal desires. The Greek word for “passions” is hedonē, from which we get “hedonism.” When personal pleasure becomes the ultimate goal, strife is inevitable.
He makes it personal: our wars with others reveal the war within. Selfish desires lead to fights, envy, and frustrated prayers. Instead of asking God with pure motives, we demand from Him as if He were a genie for our passions.
James urges believers to diagnose relational problems by looking inward. Is the issue someone else’s behavior—or your own unfulfilled desires? Lasting peace begins with a heart yielded to Christ.
2. Friendship with the World Is Enmity with God
James 4:4–5 — “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?...”
James uses strong covenantal language: spiritual unfaithfulness is like adultery. To flirt with the values and priorities of the world is to betray loyalty to God. Friendship with the world—meaning deep alignment with its values—is spiritual treason.
The world promotes pride, self-centeredness, and self-rule. God calls His people to humility, grace, and obedience. We cannot serve both masters (Matthew 6:24). To choose the world is to place ourselves in opposition to the Lord.
James 4:5 is difficult to translate but conveys the jealousy of the Spirit within us. God desires His people to be wholly devoted. The Spirit does not tolerate divided allegiance.
3. God Gives Grace to the Humble
James 4:6 — “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”
Amid the heavy rebuke, this verse shines with hope. Though we all struggle with pride and worldliness, God gives “more grace.” His mercy is greater than our sin. The solution is not self-effort but humble surrender.
Pride resists grace; humility receives it. God is personally opposed to the proud—but He draws near to the broken (Psalm 34:18). Every act of repentance and submission is met with abundant mercy.
James anchors this principle in Proverbs 3:34. The pattern of Scripture is clear: God lifts the humble, but He tears down the proud. This is both a warning and a promise.
4. Submit to God and Resist the Devil
James 4:7–10 — “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you… Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
James now gives a series of commands to restore spiritual fellowship with God:
Submit to God – Yield fully to His authority. Stop fighting for control.
Resist the devil – Stand against Satan’s lies, accusations, and temptations. Victory is promised!
Draw near to God – Pursue Him with a repentant heart. He will not turn you away.
Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts – Repent of outward sin and inner divided loyalties.
Mourn and weep – Take sin seriously. Let worldly joy be turned to godly sorrow.
Humble yourselves – Accept your need for grace. God will lift you up in due time.
This is one of the most practical and hope-filled passages on repentance in the New Testament. God's exaltation follows our humility—not our performance.
5. Do Not Judge One Another Pridefully
James 4:11–12 — “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers… who are you to judge your neighbor?”
James ends this section with a warning about slander and judgment. When we speak evil of others or judge them harshly, we place ourselves above the law—and even above God.
To judge in this sense is not discerning sin biblically, but assuming a proud, condemning spirit. This violates both the command to love and the humility that submission to God requires.
Only God is Lawgiver and Judge. He alone sees the heart. When we walk in humility before Him, we will not elevate ourselves by tearing others down.