Title James 04:1-8 Oppose the Devil
Contents
04:1-8 Oppose the devil
It is said that James had the nickname 'the man with camel's knees'. He prayed a lot and his knees were as stiff as a camel, so it is believed that it was given the nickname. Armed with prayer like this, James was also a leader with spiritual discernment. In Acts 15, there is a scene of a meeting at the church in Jerusalem, and James moves people with his coherent speech. The sermon teaches a great lesson even to us today.
Today's text says, “Those who are friends with the world are enemies of God. Do not be friends with the world, but resist the devil.” Let's think about what kind of person is a friend of the world and how we can resist the devil.
First, who are friends with the world? Christians are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). Therefore, Christians must have pride and dignity as citizens of heaven.
“Do you not know that friends in the world are enemies of God?” (James 4:4) Fighting quarrels lust and lust All these terms are worldly. Christians should never associate with these terms. After 40 years, as they were about to enter the land of Canaan, Moses delivered the voice of God to his people, saying, “You shall not marry them again… He will destroy you.” (Deuteronomy 7:3~4) God, who had told the Israelites not to mate with other Gentiles, is still telling us, “You must not be friends with the world.”
As long as we live, we have no choice but to live with our feet on the ground. However, even if life is with the world, we must put our hearts in heaven instead of being in harmony with the world. This is the true nature of Christians.
Second, how can we resist the devil? The Christian life of faith is compared to a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12). The battle is not a worldly battle, but the good fight of faith, that is, defeating the devil (1 Timothy 6:12). Those who win in the spiritual battle You become a mature saint. A young child may find it difficult to sustain himself. However, a mature adult can not only protect himself, but also help his neighbours.
So, how can we resist the devil? We must get rid of the greed, pleasure, and luxury that is prevalent in the world. And our life must be holy like God. This is the good fight of faith. Let's get rid of complaints and hatred in our lives. Let's get rid of pride and have a humble heart. This is the opposite of the devil.
According to the Bible, when the number of people in Israel is counted, only mature men who can go to war are counted, except for children, women, and the elderly (Numbers 1:3). wish.