Ja 4:7- 1 Pet 5:8-9 Text
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore
to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
VWS:
James 4:7
Submit yourselves (ὑποτάγητε)
Rev., be subject. The verb
means to place or arrange under; as resist (Jam_4:6) is to
array against. God sets himself in array against the proud;
therefore, array yourselves under God, that ye may withstand the
devil.
RWP:
Be subject therefore unto God -
old verb, to range under (military term also). The aorist has the
note of urgency in the imperative. Note the ten aorist imperatives in
Jam_4:7-10
imperative verb -explained
An imperative verb is a verb used as
a command or instruction.
The subject of the imperative verb
is the one who is commanded or instructed.
Clarke:
James 4:7
Submit - to God - Continue to bow to
all his decisions, and to all his dispensations.
Resist the devil - He cannot conquer
you if you continue to resist. Strong as he is, God never permits him
to conquer the man who continues to resist him; he cannot force the
human will. He who, in the terrible name of Jesus, opposes even the
devil himself, is sure to have a speedy and glorious conquest. He
flees from that name, and from his conquering blood.
Barnes:
James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God -
That is, in his arrangements for obtaining his favor. Yield to what
he has judged necessary for your welfare in the life that is, and
your salvation in the life to come. The duty here enjoined is that of
entire acquiescence in the arrangements of God, whether in his
providence or grace. All these are for our good, and submission to
them is required by the spirit of true humility. The object of the
command here, and in the succeeding injunctions to particular duties,
is to show them how they might obtain the grace which God is willing
to bestow, and how they might overcome the evils against which the
apostle had been endeavoring to guard them. The true method of doing
this is by submitting ourselves in all things to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you - While you yield to God in all things, you are to yield to
the devil in none. You are to resist and oppose him in whatever way
he may approach you, whether by allurements, by flattering promises,
by the fascinations of the world, by temptation, or by threats. See
1Pe_5:9. Satan makes his way, and secures his triumphs, rather by
art, cunning, deception, and threatenings, than by true courage; and
when opposed manfully, he flies. The true way of meeting him is by
direct resistance, rather than by argument; by steadfastly refusing
to yield in the slightest degree, rather than by a belief that we can
either convince him that he is wrong, or can return to virtue when we
have gone a certain length in complying with his demands. No one is
safe who yields in the least to the suggestions of the tempter; there
is no one who is not safe if he does not yield. A man, for example,
is always safe from intemperance if he resists all allurements to
indulgence in strong drink, and never yields in the slightest degree;
no one is certainly safe if he drinks even moderately.
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the
faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your
brethren that are in the world.
VWS:
Be ye sober (σωφρονήσατε)
The word is froth σῶς, sound,
and φρήν, the mind. Therefore, as Rev., be ye of sound mind.
Be vigilant (γρηγορήσατε)
Rev., be watchful. See on
Mar_13:35; and 1Th_5:6, where both verbs occur: watch and be sober. A
reminiscence of the scene in Gethsemane: Could ye not watch with me?
(Mat_26:40, Mat_26:41).
RWP:
(to be awake)-to arouse)
Barnes:
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober - While you cast your cares
Upon God, and have no anxiety on that score, let your solicitude be
directed to another point. Do not doubt that he is able and willing
to support and befriend you, but be watchful against your foes. See
the word used here fully explained in the notes at 1Th_5:6.
Be vigilant - This word (γρηγορέω
grēgoreō) is everywhere else in the New Testament rendered
“watch.” See Mat_24:42-43; Mat_25:13; Mat_26:38, Mat_26:40-41. It
means that we should exercise careful circumspection, as one does
when he is in danger. In reference to the matter here referred to, it
means that we are to be on our guard against the wiles and the power
of the evil one.
Your adversary the devil - Your
enemy; he who is opposed to you. Satan opposes man in his best
interests. He resists his efforts to do good; his purposes to return
to God; his attempts to secure his own salvation. There is no more
appropriate appellation that can be given to him than to say that he
resists all our efforts to obey God and to secure the salvation of
our own souls.
As a roaring lion - Compare
Rev_12:12. Sometimes Satan is represented as transforming himself
into an angel of light, (see the notes at 2Co_11:14); and sometimes,
as here, as a roaring lion: denoting the efforts which he makes to
alarm and overpower us. The lion here is not the crouching lion - the
lion stealthfully creeping toward his foe - but it is the raging
monarch of the woods, who by his terrible roar would intimidate all
so that they might become an easy prey. The particular thing referred
to here, doubtless, is persecution, resembling in its terrors a
roaring lion. When error comes in; when seductive arts abound; when
the world allures and charms the representation of the character of
the foe is not of the roaring lion, but of the silent influence of an
enemy that has clothed himself in the garb of an angel of light,
2Co_11:14.
Walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour - “Naturalists have observed that a lion roars when he is
roused with hunger, for then he is most fierce, and most eagerly
seeks his prey. See Jdg_14:5; Psa_22:13; Jer_2:15; Eze_22:25;
Hos_11:10; Zep_3:3; Zec_11:3“ - Benson.
Vrs 9-Barnes:
1 Peter 5:9
Whom resist - See the notes at
Jam_4:7. You are in no instance to yield to him, but are in all forms
to stand up and oppose him. Feeble in yourselves, you are to confide
in the arm of God. No matter in what form of terror he approaches,
you are to fight manfully the fight of faith. Compare the notes at
Eph_6:10-17.
Steadfast in the faith - Confiding
in God. You are to rely on him alone, and the means of successful
resistance are to be found in the resources of faith. See the notes
at Eph_6:16.
Knowing that the same afflictions
are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world - Compare for
a similar sentiment, 1Co_10:13. The meaning is, that you should be
encouraged to endure your trials by the fact that your
fellow-Christians suffer the same things. This consideration might
furnish consolation to them in their trials in the following ways:
(1) They would feel that they were
suffering only the common lot of Christians. There was no evidence
that God was especially angry with them, or that he had in a special
manner forsaken them.
(2) the fact that others were
enabled to bear their trials should be an argument to prove to them
that they would also be able. If they looked abroad, and saw that
others were sustained, and were brought off triumphant, they might be
assured that this would be the case with them.
(3) there would be the support
derived from the fact that they were not alone in suffering. We can
bear pain more easily if we feel that we are not alone - that it is
the common lot - that we are in circumstances where we may have
sympathy from others. This remark may be of great practical value to
us in view of persecutions, trials, and death. The consideration
suggested here by Peter to sustain those whom he addressed, in the
trials of persecution, may be applied now to sustain and comfort us
in every form of apprehended or real calamity. We are all liable to
suffering. We are exposed to sickness, bereavement, death. We often
feet as if we could not bear up under the sufferings that may be
before us, and especially do we dread the great trial - death. It may
furnish us some support and consolation to remember:
(1) that this is the common lot of
people. There is nothing special in our case. It proves nothing as to
the question whether we are accepted of God, and are beloved by him,
that we suffer; for those whom he has loved most have been often
among the greatest sufferers. We often think that our sufferings are
unique; that there have been none like them. Yet, if we knew all, we
should find that thousands - and among them the most wise, and pure,
and good - have endured sufferings of the same kind as ours, and
perhaps far more intense in degree.
(2) others have been conveyed
triumphantly through their trials. We have reason to hope and to
believe that we shall also, for:
(a) our trials have been no greater
than theirs have been; and,
(b) their natural strength was no
greater than ours. Many of them were timid, and shrinking, and
trembling, and felt that they had no strength, and that they should
fail under the trial.
(3) the grace which sustained them
can sustain us. The hand of God is not shortened that it cannot save;
his ear is not heavy that it cannot hear. His power is as great, and
his grace is as fresh, as it was when the first sufferer was
supported by him; and that divine strength which supported David and
Job in their afflictions, and the apostles and martyrs in theirs, is
just as powerful as it was when they applied to God to be upheld in
their sorrows.
(4) we are especially fearful of
death - fearful that our faith will fail, and that we shall be left
to die without support or consolation. Yet let us remember that death
is the common lot of man. Let us remember who have died - tender
females; children; the timid and the fearful; those, in immense
multitudes, who had no more strength by nature than we have. Let us
think of our own kindred who have died. A wife has died, and shall a
husband be afraid to die? A child, and shall a father? A sister, and
shall a brother? It does much to take away the dread of death, to
remember that a mother has gone through the dark valley; that that
gloomy vale has been trod by delicate, and timid, and beloved
sisters. Shall I be afraid to go where they have gone? Shall I
apprehend that I shall find no grace that is able to sustain me where
they have found it? Must the valley of the shadow of death be dark
and gloomy to me, when they found it to be illuminated with the
opening light of heaven? Above all, it takes away the fear of death
when I remember that my Savior has experienced all the horrors which
can ever be in death; that he has slept in the tomb, and made it a
hallowed resting-place.
From this we learn much from the
bible and the Greek.
I, and many of you, are doing just
this, your in a battle, some , the battle of your life.
The key to dealing with Satan starts
with our 100% submission to God, no matter what he says, does, does
not do, commands.
Not easy but it can be done ,
simple obedience to God and submitting to God, and God alone, not
man, this is the first important way to over come and deal with
Satan,
As we read in RWP, the verb used was
a military one, this is key. Thus Eph 6- the armor of God is for a
reason, it is a battle.
We deal with Satan by resisting him,
simple, resist him, how?, Standing firm in the faith, steady in the
faith with a clear, sober mind, and not one of fear, or panic, we
fear God, we do not fear the Devil.
He is like a lion, but notice , he
is like a lion, he no lion, there is only one, Jesus the lion of the
tribe of Judah, this shows us how Satan tries and copy cat God in
many ways.
He does this by preachers who come
as angles of light, but are of Satan, you know a tree by its
fruit, not gifts.
Fleeing youthful lust, as Paul told
Timothy, a good run is better than a lousy stand, key, flee4,
run, get out of that place.
Also, we simply need to say as Jude
teaches how to biblicaly rebuke Satan, even the biblical wording.
The lord rebuke you Satan.
Not me, not you, the lord, many do not understand this.
We have been given authority over
the Devil and his demons with a simple words, be gone, the lord
rebuke you, flee, you may have to follow that up with fleeing
yourself. Understand Co-operation with the spirit.
All authority has been given to the
true believer, refer to my sermon, 'Does the devil know your name'.
no long drawn out deliverance seminars, or antics in deliverance
Churches that talk more about Satan than Jesus, this invokes the
dark side, get out, have nothing to do with these deliverance
ministries.
I ministered in a few of these
places as an Evangelist, the Pastor, the congregation seemed to be in
fear, and some seemed to be arrogant and thinking they are all
powerful, no the lords Spirit in you is all powerful, not you.
They had glossy eyes, and could not
grasp even the most simple gospel messages I preached, why, they are
in darkness, and they do not even know it. unable to grasp simple
bible verses, as they do not preach true doctrine, and thus the sheep
do not know how to even discern anymore , yet they all claim to have
discernment, how? If you do not know the bible, you can not properly
discern anything.
Spiritual discernment, the Gift of
the Holy Spirit, remember a gift a manifested gift, not fruit, fruit
comes from reading, obeying, and living in the word, without it , you
have no gift of discernment only paranoia from false fear mongers ,
like Agusto Perez, Steve Quayle, Tom Horn , etc. and others,
run from such ministries and men, you will be bound with fear, put in
chains of anything, but what sound bible doctrine teaches.
We can stomp on scorpions and
serpents, but how, in arrogance? No, by understanding the lords ways
and word. We are able to by his holy spirit in humility, not railing,
on spiritual wickedness in high places, as such ones do, read all
of Jude and you will understand my point, it is only one chapter
, read and re read it, it is a very important one Chapter.
It clearly, teaches what the word of
the lord is saying concerning how to deal, and how not to deal with
the Devil, should have been my text, another time. I will do the
whole chapter verse by verse.
So, submit to God, rebuke the
devil in Jesus name, and any and all demons and the Devil MUST flee,
not maybe.
This may have to be done a few times
a day, but with simple words, one sentence, every time, they must in
Jesus name flee, fact.
How to deal with the Devil is not
complicated, but mans doctrine makes it so, the bible does not.
It is easy, battle is hard, but we
always win, always, if we apply these bible principles, and only
by the bible and experience doing what is says , will you reader
learn, " How to Deal With The Devil".
Know your bible, and you will know
how to deal with the Devil, and his demons.
