(7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (9) Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. (10) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (11) Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. (12) There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
Though in the first Chapter of this Epistle, verses 2 and 12 (James 4:2; James 4:12), I dwelt somewhat long upon the subject of temptation; yet, in addition to what was there said; I know not how to resist the present occasion, of offering, if but a short remark, on the gracious precept, and gracious promise blended with it, of baffling the devil by resisting him; and drawing nigh to God, who is always drawing nigh to his people.
It is very certain, that Satan knoweth not who are, or who are not the Lord's people, while in their stage of unregeneracy. And, therefore, it is said, that he goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour: not whom he will, for if he had the will, that would be all; but whom he may, 1 Peter 5:8. Now, in his impudent attacks upon a child of God, it is very blessed, When through grace, we are enabled to resist him by faith. Those now in heaven, are said to have overcome by the blood of the Lamb, Revelation 12:11. And certain it is, Satan will flee from nothing, but the blood of the cross.
Secondly. The very resisting the devil in the Lord's strengths cannot but ultimately succeed. For the devil always dreads that, Christ is at hand. When he finds in the child of God, the grace of resistance; if he still tempts, he tempts with fear. So that when the precept is, Submit yourselves, therefore to God: This calls in God's presence, and protection. And, when it is added, draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you: this secures victory. And Satan's devices are then, carried on, before his flight, in cowardly fear. He dreads Christ's presence, and he fears the consequence.
Once more. It is the disgrace of Satan to be overcome, in the triumph of a child of God over every single temptation. He feels ashamed, and skulks away. Not as much from our victory, and his disgrace, that the worm Jacob should thresh the mountains; but froth: the ultimate victory, which every successful skirmish on our part, puts him in mind of. And the punishment that may be inflicted upon him for his attempt, even before, his final ruin, no doubt works upon him now, as it did in the days of Christ's flesh. Hence that question: What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time? Matthew 8:29. And may we not conclude, that often now, though we know it not, the Lord doth punish him, and rebuke him; as the Holy Ghost hath given us a beautiful example of in that precious scripture: Zechariah 3:2. From all these considerations, I think, we may, through grace, derive sweet instruction and comfort, that where the Lord's precepts are blended, as in this instance, with the Lord's promise, boldly the child of God may go forth, in the name of the Lord, and in the Lord's strength resist the devil's policy. For, as the armies in heaven, overcame by the blood of the LAMB, so the same precious blood is the sure sign of victory now upon earth. They that are with Jesus, both here and there, are called, and chosen, and faithful. Revelation 17:14.