Practical Christianity — Submit to God; Resist the Devil

David Krueger

Book of James • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

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We can resist the devil, but only if we first submit to God.

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Transcript

Text: James 4:5-8

Theme: We can resist the devil, but only if we first submit to God.

Date: 04/30/23 File name: James09b-2023.wpd ID Number: NT20-04

In his hymn A Mighty Fortress is Our God, the 16th -century reformer Martin Luther, writes in the third stanza ...

And though this world, with devils filled,

should threaten to undo us,

we will not fear, for God has willed

his truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim,

we tremble not for him;

his rage we can endure,

for lo! his doom is sure;

one little word shall fell him.

Luther believed in the devil, and often had pitched battles with him. Throughout most of his life Luther felt pestered by devils, evil spirits, and demons. Some of that fear was probably cultural — a constant fear of Satan was normal for the late-Middle Ages and rooted in the teachings of the Roman Church. At one point, while translating the Bible into German, Luther felt so overwhelmed by the presence of Satan, that he picked up his inkwell and hurled it in the Devil’s direction. Modern Christians may make light of Luther’s open conflicts with the devil. We shouldn’t. Luther rightly saw Satan behind temptation, untruth, discouragement, despair and doubt — even his constant constipation (OK, maybe not that one). He certainly believed that Satan constantly opposed Christ, his Church and the Christian.

James paints a picture of the church as he saw it: fights and quarrels, battle, murdering and coveting. The ‘murdering’ probably refers to killing with words rather than literal murder, but the whole picture is familiar to anyone who knows the modern church. He traces the origin of these conflicts to non-reliance upon God and non-resistance to the influence of Satan. But, as Luther concludes the stanza, his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him. James would agree.

The Believer’s Arrogance

The Believer’s Adversary

The Believer’s Advantage

I. THE BELIEVER’S ARROGANCE

“Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”” (James 4:5–6, NIV84)

1. James is dealing with a serious problem that has emerged in the Churches he is addressing

a. not all, but some of his readers are being corrupted by bitter envy and selfish ambition leading to fights and quarrels

b. sometimes ... sometimes ... division is warranted

ILLUS. Consider what is happening worldwide within the Anglican. It’s an astounding moment in Church history. Conservative Anglican bishops and pastors, meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, have threatened breaking communion with the Church of England and, in particular, with Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Church of England, for 489 years, has been the mother church of what is known internationally as the Anglican communion. The Archbishop of Canterbury has been considered the bishop among bishops of that church — the voice of Anglicanism to the world. That may be coming to an end.

Just a matter of weeks ago, the Church of England affirmed that their pastors can now bless same-sex unions. Archbishop Justin Welby has wholeheartedly endorsed the plan. Welby’s role in leading the church to accept homosexual marital unions is at odds with the Scriptures, and is entirely indefensible. The Church of England has moved to endorse and to celebrate and to bless what Scripture makes unthinkable and impossible.

As a result, Archbishops representing 10 of the 42 provinces in the Anglican communion have signed a statement saying they no longer recognize Rev. Welby as leader of the global communion, and that the Church of England is now disqualified in their sight as the historic mother church of the Anglican communion. That’s huge. We’re about to witness one of the major religious schisms of the modern era.

A statement released by conservative Anglican bishops just last week stated. "The current divisions in the Anglican communion have been caused by radical departures from the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some within the communion have been taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophies of the world. Such a failure to hear and heed God's word undermines the mission of the church as a whole. The Bible is God's word written, breathed out by God as it was written by his faithful messengers. It carries God's own authority, is its own interpreter, and it does not need to be supplemented, nor can it ever be overturned by human wisdom."

1) I tell you this to illustrate that sometimes division and separation are warranted

2. sometimes what appears to be division is not

ILLUS. Christians also separate over important things. This doesn’t mean they are divided; it just means they disagree. Bible-believing Presbyterians and Bible-believing Baptists can love and respect each other and fellowship with with one another, but it makes good sense that they attend separate churches since they don’t agree on whether or not to baptize children. This doesn’t mean Christianity is divided; it just means there are important features about Christianity upon which civilized, thinking believers can agree to disagree.

3. but, like I told you last week, most of the time division in the church — especially a local congregation — is over silly and stupid stuff

ILLUS. Let’s be honest, it you’re driving through a community and you pass a church, and on the marquee the church’s name is Unity Baptist Church you can immediately assume this is a split off of some other Baptist Church. Thom Rainer, former president of Lifeway, has written that one the most contentious church fights he ever witnessed was over what coffee to use — Starbucks French Roast or Folgers.

1) a congregation that is characterized by bitter envy and selfish ambition that leads to fights and quarrels is certainly not in God’s will

2) when Jesus told his disciple in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” he wasn’t proclaiming some utopian pipe-dream for his church, but giving a command

4. our envy, pride and arrogance are usually the underlying causes of schism in the church

A. GOD GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE AND OPPOSES THE PROUD

1. pride can kill a church ... or at the least, make its membership miserable, and its ministry ineffectual

a. pride can have a number of symptoms within the Church (let me give you five)

1) Fault-Finding — While pride causes us to filter out the evil we see in ourselves, it also causes us to filter out God’s goodness in others. We sift them, letting only their faults fall into our perception of them

2) A Harsh Spirit — Pride creates in one’s heart a spirit that speaks of others with contempt, irritation, frustration, or judgment. Pride is crouching inside our belittling of others

3) Superficiality — When pride lives in our hearts, we’re far more concerned with others’ perceptions of us than the reality of what’s in our hearts. We fight the sins that have an impact on how others view us, and make peace with the ones that no one sees

4) Desperation for Attention — Pride is hungry for attention, respect, and worship in all its form. Pride often leads to an idolization of ourself

5) Neglecting Others — Pride prefers some people over others. It honors those who the world deems worthy of honor, and dishonors or ignores the weak, the inconvenient, and the unattractive, because they don’t seem to offer us much

b. according to James this is what God opposes

1) confession of pride signals the beginning of the end for pride

2. the Apostle James provides an answer to our arrogance issue

a. it’s a genuine humility that comes with grace

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV)

ILLUS. C.S. Lewis was correct in his assessment: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself less.”

2. a revival of humility among believers would settle many of the issues the plague congregations

II. THE BELIEVER’S ADVERSARY

1. the architect of a spirit of envy and church division is Satan

a. in vs. 7 James refers to the accuser of the brethren, and the great adversary of our Lord’s Church

2. James doesn’t say much about the devil in this passage

a. he simply acknowledges his existence and that believers must resist him

b. let me take just a few minutes to describe our adversary ... Satan is

1) in rebellion against God

2) at war with Christ’s Church

3) on the prowl against God’s people

A. SATAN IS IN REBELLION AGAINST GOD

1. he was once called Lucifer, son of the morning star

2. the prophet Ezekiel describes his glory and his pride which resulted in his fall

“ ...“You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. 14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.” (Ezekiel 28:12–17, ESV)

a. just as we have Old Testament characters that are considered a Christ-type so also we have Old Testament characters that are considered a Satan-type

1) this passage in Ezekiel describing the Prince of Tyre is one of them

3. Lucifer was created, as were all angels, for the purpose of glorifying God

a. but there came a point where Lucifer desired not to glorify God, but desired to rule over heaven and creation in the place of God

“You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” (Isaiah 14:13–14, ESV)

b. Satan fell, and has been in rebellion against God ever since

B. SATAN IS AT WAR WITH CHRIST’S CHURCH

1. the last thing Satan wants to see happen is our Lord's Church succeed

2. we live on a perpetual battlefield of titanic unseen spiritual warfare

a. the Apostle Paul refers to spiritual rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, and spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places

1) the wars among earthly nations and peoples are minor affairs compared to the fierceness of battle in the spiritual world

b. this invisible spiritual conflict waged around us incessant and unremitting

c. the Body of Christ is right in the middle of it

1) many continue to fight the good fight, refusing to acquiesce to Satan’s schemes

2) some have surrendered, walked into the enemy’s camp, and laid their armor on the ground

3. wherever the Lord is at work, Satan’s forces seek to hinder that work

a. that hindrance frequently comes in the form of people doing the devil’s bidding

“We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.” (1 Thessalonians 2:2, NIV84)

b. all this comes about because the powers of darkness press their counterattack to recapture the ground held for the glory of God

4. when there are problems in a church or animosities between the people of God, you can bet that Satan is the author of those difficulties

a. we must be on guard in the Church

b. forgiveness must be quickly sought and pardons quickly granted or Satan will quickly grab the high ground in the battle for the local church

C. SATAN IS ON THE PROWL AGAINST GOD’S PEOPLE

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, ESV)

1. temptation is an ever-present problem for God’s people and Satan is always the author of temptation

a. even Jesus was tempted

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15, ESV)

1) unlike Jesus we are not divine, and cannot claim to be without sin

b. it is in the fourth chapter of Matthew’s gospel that we find the story of that temptation

2. the devil uses the same techniques with us as he used with Jesus

a. 1st, he will entice you by tempting your body

“And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”” (Matthew 4:2–3, ESV)

1) in James 4:1 he refers to the passions within us

2) Satan will appeal to those passions and tempt us to go past the boundaries God

b. he will entice you by tempting your spirit

“Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”” (Matthew 4:5–6, ESV)

1) Satan knows you well

2) he’ll appeal to your sense of pride

3) or he’ll appeal to your self-effacement

4) he knows what works best against you, and that’s what he uses

c. he will entice you by tempting your mind

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”” (Matthew 4:8–9, ESV)

1) it is through the mind that we covet power and wealth and the splendor of the world

3. Satan is always the source of our temptation, but we bear the responsibility for desiring what he puts before us

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14–15, ESV)

4. the Scriptures make it clear that when you or I do sin we have no one to blame but ourselves

... the Devil Tempts Us Because He Is in Rebellions Against God, Hates Our Lord’s Church and Seeks to Hamper Our Christian Walk and Negate Our Spiritual Effectiveness

III. THE BELIEVER’S ADVANTAGE

1. when it comes to spiritual warfare, the believer’s great advantage is that Christ is on our side

2. resisting the devil has a prerequisite

a. we will never be able to resist the devil if we do not first draw near to God, and submit ourselves to His authority and sovereignty

1) a disobedient or unsubmissive believer cannot and will not see spiritual victory

3. James knows that if his readers are going the experience spiritual victory there are some things they must do

A. 1st, STOP RESISTING GOD

1. the Apostle tells them to submit yourselves to God

a. the implication is that they’ve been opposing God

1) James knew of that which he spoke

2) this is the an Apostle who was the brother of Jesus

a) when Jesus began his public ministry and began to increasingly reveal identity as God’s Messiah, James opposed him

b) John 7:3-5 tells us "For even his brethren did not believe in him" and at another point want to put him away believing he was a lunatic (Mark 3:21)

3) the resurrection appearance of Jesus to James changes everything and the earthly brother of James becomes James’ Savior and Lord

b. James understands opposing God and submission to God!

2. the word submit means to obey and the word obey comes from two words which together mean to place oneself under

a. it’s an imperative verb, which if obeyed, leads to our spiritual flourishing

1) according to James, we are to do this in light of our tendency toward bitter envy and selfish ambition

2) the therefore of vs. 7 points us backwards to the preceding verses where James refers to these people as spiritually adulterous

3) they’ve made other things their first love which accounts for their arrogant behavior, and all the problems it’s caused withing the Church

b. the solution is to submit yourselves to God (which always involves repentance)

c. James knew that if the problems these churches are facing are going to be rectified these believers must turn to God first

1) His command implies that in real submission to God there is contained the necessary mutual submission to reconcile with one another

2) the Apostle’s model for conflict resolution in the Church begins with a renewed submission to God

3. first, submit yourself to God

B. 2ND, START RESISTING THE DEVIL

1. James challenges us to actively oppose evil — he clearly believed that the Devil had a part in what was taking place among the believers to whom he writes

a. when the sinner submits to Christ and is born again, we immediately get a new enemy ... Satan

b. the Apostle Peter compares him to a roaring lion who seeks to devour his prey

c. but, according to the Apostle James the “roaring lion” can be resisted

1) the word resisted is a military term and means to take your stand against

2) there is an enemy coming against us, and we are to take our shield of faith, plant our feet shod with the gospel of Jesus Christ and lean into the attack knowing that the helmet of salvation and the breastplate of righteousness will protect us

d. there is nothing more frightening to Satan than a believer who is fully equipped with the spiritual armor the Apostle Paul mentions in his letter to the Ephesians

1) we dare not enter spiritual battles without it

2. Satan desires to keep us at war with each other

a. he knows that when we submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ, we will declare war on him

b. consequently, he appeals to our pride and sense of self-importance to keep us from humbling ourselves before God and each other

3. James understands that Satan is in Rebellions Against God, and that Satan is at War with Christ’s Church, and that Satan is on the Prowl Against God’s People

a. put it all together and Satan is the one behind the discord and disfellowship among the congregations to whom the Apostle writes

1) that’s still the case

b. therefore Satan must be resisted

1) that resistance takes the form of step #1 — submitting to God

a) this is the primary way that we resist the devil

2) that resistance may also take the form of step #2, what Martin Luther called preaching to the devil

ILLUS. Luther wrote, “If the devil approaches us and says, ‘Look here, see how great your sin is; see too, how bitter, how terrible is the death you must suffer,’ we can answer: ’Devil, don’t you know the power of my Lord Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection? In Him there is eternal righteousness and eternal life; His resurrection from the dead is mightier than my sin, death, and hell’ … this is all so very true that the devil cannot deny it.”

ILLUS. Luther also wrote, “Don’t dispute long with the devil. One does not gain much ground against the devil with a lengthy disputation. Simply say, ‘I am a Christian, of the same flesh and blood as is my Lord Christ, the Son of God. Settle your account with him.’ Then the devil does not stay long.”

3) how soon the Devil returns to tempt us may depend on step #3...

C. 3RD, CONTINUE DRAWING NEAR TO GOD

1. for the Christian to obey God the Father means placing ourselves under the Lordship of Jesus Christ

a. if Christ is the Head of the Church, and he is, then he is also the Head of every believer

b. submitting to Christ’s headship and lordship is how we draw near to God and in return, God with draw near to you

c. that presence forces us to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts

d. this is “temple language” i.e. a reference to what the Jewish priests would do before rendering worship and service to God

1) it’s all about spiritual cleansing

2) under the Old Testament this cleansing came through elaborate ceremonial washing with water

3) under the New Testament this cleansing comes through confession of and repentance from sin

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, ESV)

2. this is how we draw near to God — a nearness that, according to the author of Hebrews allows us to come right into the heavenly throne room of God (how cool is that)

3. the verse begs the question, How do we draw near to God?

a. let me offer the suggestions that repeatedly stand out in the rest of the New Testament

1) Prayer

2) Scripture Reading

3) Worship

b. in other words it ain’t rocket science!

Luther was right: Satan is powerfully real and present. We too must realize that Satan is no mythological figure, and that his blows can be powerful and lethal. With Luther, let us remember that we have a Savior who has crushed the Serpent’s head and is stronger than death, sin, hell, and even the devil. May we, too, fight Satan’s real and deadly assaults with the weapon of the Word, the gospel of Jesus Christ!

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