James 4:7 (DBY)

Passage

Subject yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Nearby Context

James 4:5 Think ye that the scripture speaks in vain? Does the Spirit which has taken his abode in us desire enviously?

James 4:6 But he gives more grace. Wherefore he says, God sets himself against [the] proud, but gives grace to [the] lowly.

James 4:7 Subject yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse [your] hands, sinners, and purify [your] hearts, ye double-minded.

James 4:9 Be wretched, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and [your] joy to heaviness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "subject", "yourselves", "therefore", "resist", "devil", and "flee". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "subject" and "yourselves", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "But he gives more grace Wherefore he..." into verse 8's "Draw near to God and he will...", so "subject" and "yourselves" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "subject" and "yourselves" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.