James 4:7 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

James 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

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

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "submit", "yourselves", "therefore", "resist", "devil", and "flee". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "submit" 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 giveth more grace Wherefore he..." into verse 8's "Draw nigh to God and he will...", so "submit" 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 "submit" and "yourselves" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.