Fighter Verses

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [James 4:7b]

This is a promise that can be depended on.

When you give into temptation with even the slightest compromise, it gives the devil a foothold and makes the temptation harder to continue resisting. But when you resist the temptation in all its difficulty in the moment, it will become easier to resist. The devil eventually gives up on the one whose hand is resolutely gripped to gospel promises, and he flees.

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.
[James 4:7-8]

These lines are an excerpt from James’ words to an “adulterous people” [4:4-10]. Having befriended the world, they are warned that such worldliness is a sign of pride, and that proud people are God’s enemies.

But James doesn’t leave them hopelessly opposed to God: he reminds them that God is still merciful, and that they can re-enter his favor if they repent, for God “gives grace to the humble” [4:6].

But how does James define repentance? He unpacks it through a series of commands:

1. Submit to God [4:7]
2. Resist the devil [4:7]
3. Draw near to God [4:8]
4. Cleanse your hands and purify your heart [4:8]
5. Grieve over your sin [4:9]

As I tried to understand how all of these parts of repentance fit together, I thought I saw a progression:

1. Surrender to God
2. Sin no more
3. Seek the Father’s face
4. Be Sanctified from your sin
5. Have godly Sorrow [see 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 for more on this]

Is that what you see?

But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. [James 1:22]

The kind of “hearing” James speaks of cannot be mere auditory intake. Every pagan who walks by a preacher, listens, and scoffs is that kind of “hearer.” Rather, the kind of “hearer” James refers to is one who may be deceived, one who thinks he is submitting to the word.

So, what is it that is self-deceptive about hearing the word and not doing it?

A revealing passage on the subject is Ezekiel 33:30-31. There the Lord addresses the prophet Ezekiel:

[Y]our people … say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’ And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

We “people of God” know better than to ignore God’s word. So we listen to it cheerfully, talk about it socially, speak to match the church jargon, give our hearty “Amen!” after prayers, and exclaim “Praise God!” after hearing good news. We even deceive ourselves into thinking we are subservient to the word.

But the evidence of whether the word of God has penetrated our hearts is whether we obey it (James 2:14-26).

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
[James 1:22-24]

It is significant that James exhorts us not to be hearers of the word “only.” The choice he offers is not between being a doer of the word and being a hearer of the word. After all, the only way you can do the word is by hearing it. So what makes the difference between the one who does the word and one who doesn’t, if both people hear?

The difference lies in how they hear the word. James continues in verse 25:

“But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
[James 1:22-24]

C. J. Mahaney expounds on this passage in the first chapter of Why Small Groups? (free download), referring to it as a “humorous illustration”.

Here’s a snippet of what he says:

Wouldn’t you be just a little concerned if you knew someone who got up each day, looked in the mirror, and walked away without making any adjustments? How long would that person be presentable to others? How long would you wait before you offered him a comb? It’s an absurd scenario…or is it? According to James, this is exactly what happens every time we encounter Scripture (the mirror) and then walk away without making any changes.

In yesterday’s post, I gave some pretty black and white examples of man’s commands in relation to God’s. But many life situations are not so easily diagnosed. Here are a few examples.

More Difficult Scenarios:

1. Your pastors warn you not to read that writer you feel so drawn to God through.
2. Your boss asks you to do what your conscience is unsettled about.
3. You sense that God has called you into missions. Your parents say, “No.”
4. Your husband doesn’t require you to (but wishes you would) discipline the children differently than you feel is best.
5. Chinese law doesn’t enforce its piracy prohibitions. So, your friend having you over in China one evening puts in a pirated movie.

We must obey God rather than men. [Acts 5:29b]

We are to obey God, not men. Yet, God commands our obedience to certain men.

Commands to Obey Man:

1. Church members: obey elders (Hebrews 13:7; 1 Peter 5:5)
2. Slaves: obey masters (Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22)
3. Children: obey parents (Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20)
4. Wives: obey husbands (Ephesians 5:22; 1 Peter 3:1, 5-6)
5. Subjects: obey rulers (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14)

So, how do we navigate obedience to both people and the Bible’s unique commands?

Diagnostic Questions:

1. Does man command what God commands? Obey.
   For example, church elders forbid gossip.
2. Does man command what God prohibits? Obey God, not man.
   For example, a boss might require ethically impermissible shortcuts.
3. Does man prohibit what God commands? Obey God, not man.
   For example, a Muslim father might forbid his reborn daughter’s confession and allegiance to Jesus.
4. Does man command what God otherwise allows? Obey man. You thereby obey God.
   For example, a husband might forbid drinking alcohol.
5. Does man allow freedom where God has commanded? Obey God.
   For example, federal law does not require citizens to provide for the needy.

We must obey God rather than men.
[Acts 5:29b]

This was Peter and the apostles’ response just after being reminded not to speak in Jesus’ name. God’s words were clear—”Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life” [Acts 5:20]—and they would obey.

But even before God spoke to them, the rulers had also been clear when they charged Peter and John “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” [Acts 4:18].

So notice: God knowingly told the apostles to do something that they had already been told not to do.

Three Implications for Missions

1) At times God purposefully pits his people against the world. Though he elsewhere commands us to obey the authorities (Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1,7), there is a point in which leaders can overstep their God-given jurisdiction. And we shouldn’t submit to them in this. God puts us there to bravely and broken-heartedly disobey, even if it’s to our own earthly cost.

2) A law that says you shouldn’t preach the gospel doesn’t mean you shouldn’t preach the gospel. God has commissioned us to share the message of his Son to every people group on the planet (Matthew 28:19-20), not just to those who are “allowed” to hear it.

3) Secrecy may not be the solution. The apostles were forthright with their rulers—”We will not obey you!”—which made the Jews want to kill them (Acts 5:33). But look what they did anyway!

And every day, in the temple [could they have been more public?!] and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. [Acts 5:42]

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. [John 15:7-8]

Why does Jesus go from talking about answered prayer to God-glorifying fruit-bearing? How does verse 7 relate to verse 8?

Verse 16 connects the two subjects more explicitly:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. [John 15:16]

Jesus chose and appointed his disciples for the purpose that they would go live out fruitful obedience (i.e., God-glorifying works; see verse 8 and Matthew 5:16). Then he continues, “so that …” Is the clause a further purpose? In other words, did he choose his disciples to bear lasting fruit in order for their requests in his name to be granted?

That is unlikely, since it would imply that good works (i.e., bearing fruit) must be performed before prayer can be answered. Such would be contrary to Scriptures that show good works as an end, not a means (or a means only to glorifying God, e.g., Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Peter 2:12).

It seems rather that the “so that” is a repeat of the earlier “that.” In other words, Jesus chose and appointed his disciples so that they would bear fruit, that is, so that their requests in his name would be granted.

Thus, fruit-bearing consists in asking requests in Jesus’ name. This is also confirmed by the fact that bearing fruit is what glorifies the Father (John 15:8) and asking and receiving in Jesus name is what glorifies the Father (John 14:13).

And what does that look like, for fruitful obedience to be the asking and receiving of requests in Jesus’ name? I think it probably looks like living out life in pursuit of God’s glory and praying for satisfaction in that pursuit and making supplications whenever you encounter obstacles. I offer an example to close:

Say my heart breaks for a local refugee population. I ask the Lord what I can do to be involved in seeing them relieved of their suffering and finding that lasting satisfaction I’ve found in Jesus. Soon, an idea comes to mind of starting an orientation and English-teaching ministry for disoriented newcomers. Praise the Lord for an idea. I continue praying for blessing as I run with it. I raise money and purchase a building through the support of the government’s refugee funds. Then the government retracts their support, as they realize they cannot legally support my vision. I’m now stuck with a building’s mortgage beyond my means, and a lack of ability to carry out the vision. I cry out for help in Jesus’ name. He brings other believers to support the ministry. Many believers glorify God as they hear the story. And then one day, refugees themselves comes to experience the same promises. And all this “that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
[John 15:7]

Jesus’ words effect fulfilled desire. If they are abiding in us, we will be given what we ask for. How does that happen? Are we to treat memory verses like textual genies? Just stick a few in your noggin and you get three wishes?

I don’t think so, mainly because having Jesus’ words abiding in you means a resurrection has taken place.

Jesus’ words are inseparably linked to eternal life. Simon Peter says to Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). When Jesus prays to his Father in John 17, he says:

“Father, the hour has come; glorify the Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him” (John 17:2).

Jesus gives eternal life. But how does he give it? Verses 7 and 8 continue:

“Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.”

Jesus gives eternal life by giving words. But how do Jesus’ words communicate eternal life? Verse 3:

“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

Jesus’ words give eternal life because they impart the knowledge of the only true God and his Son Jesus Christ. “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:18). If these words abide in you, eternal life abides in you. A resurrection has taken place, which means you don’t relate to Jesus’ words like a genie in a bottle. You relate to them like oxygen.

And when you are inhaling these words through the nose of your soul, you can smell the sweet fragrance of God. And you’ll ask for the things that carry his scent. And he’ll give them to you.