Resist the Devil is the church’s answer when the adversary draws near
—
submit first,
then stand.
Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
Be sober-minded;
be watchful.
Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour.
Resist him,
firm in your faith.
The order is not swagger.
It is God first,
then a no that will not move.
He flees.
He does not get the last word.
James puts the two verbs in one breath. Submit to God. Resist the devil. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Clean hands. A single mind. The resistance is not a technique you own. It is the backside of yielding to the Lord.
Peter writes to exiles under pressure and names the enemy a prowling lion. Sober. Watchful. Firm in the faith. The same sufferings are on your brotherhood throughout the world.
Ephesians tells you to stand against the schemes, take the whole armor, and having done all, to stand.
Jesus in the wilderness did not debate the tempter on the tempter’s terms. It is written. Three times. Then the devil left Him, and angels ministered.
Michael would not pronounce a blasphemous judgment. The Lord rebuke you.
Revelation’s saints conquer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives even unto death.
Resist is not deny that he prowls.
It is refuse him the ground.
Give no opportunity.
Do not be outwitted by his designs.
The flee-promise belongs to people who have already bowed.
- Submit comes before resist. A proud stand is not James’s stand.
- Firm in the faith is the material of the resistance, not volume.
- He will flee is a promise, not a timetable you set.
- It is written is how the Son resisted. The church has no better sword.
- The Lord rebuke you keeps the fight from becoming your private court.
- Blood of the Lamb and the testimony outrank any private ritual.
- Schemes means he has more than one mask. Watch the design, not only the roar.
- Submit First – To God; draw near; clean hands.
- Then Resist – He will flee.
- Sober and Watchful – A lion prowls; firm in the faith.
- Stand – Whole armor; schemes; having done all.
- It Is Written – Wilderness pattern; the Word as answer.
- The Lord’s Rebuke – Not your blasphemous judgment.
- The Lamb – Blood; testimony; lives not loved unto death.
- James 4:7-8 – “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
- 1 Peter 5:8-9 – “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
- Ephesians 6:11-13 – “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood… Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”
- Matthew 4:4, 7, 10-11 – “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone…’”… “Again it is written…”… “Be gone, Satan! For it is written…” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
- Ephesians 4:27 – Give no opportunity to the devil.
- 2 Corinthians 2:11 – So that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
- Jude 1:9 – The archangel Michael… did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
- Zechariah 3:2 – The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan!”
- Revelation 12:9-11 – The great dragon was thrown down… the accuser of our brothers… “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
- 1 John 4:4 – Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
- Luke 10:18-19 – “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority… over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”
- James 4:7 – Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Resist him, firm in your faith.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Having done all, stand firm.
It is written. Be gone, Satan. Then the devil left Him.
The Lord rebuke you. They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.
He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Do not skip the submit. Do not hunt the lion in your own name. Draw near. Speak what is written. Stand. Give him no opportunity. The flee is his when the ground is the Lord’s.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.