“淫乱的人哪，你们不知道与世俗为友，就是与神为敌吗？所以与世俗为友的，就成了神的仇敌。
但神所赐的恩更大；所以圣经上说：“神抵挡骄傲的人，赐恩给谦卑的人。””
雅各书 4:4, 6
“You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
“But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.””
James 4:4, 6
James’s emphasis on resisting temptationfits within his broader teaching regarding the behavior of believers. For James, being “doers of the word, and not hearers only” (1:22 nkjv) is central to being a believer, which echoes Jesus’s words that true faith is confirmed by obedience (Luke 6:49; 11:28).
In today’s text, James helps believers understand one way how to live with integrity—through humility. James 4:6, a reference to Proverbs 3:34, fits within many Jewish wisdom texts emphasizing the relationship between humility and godly living. Humility allows us to submit naturally to God and His plan (v. 8).
Submitting to God means we are friends with Him, instead of the world (v. 4). When we are friends with God, we naturally live according to His kingdom and values, not the world’s (3:15, 17). As we live and walk humbly with our God (see Micah 6:8), He lifts us up (James 4:10), draws near to us (v. 8), and makes the devil powerless.
Does it surprise you to think of humility and fellowship with God as essential for resisting temptation? How can we learn to make these virtues part of our Christian lives?
Monica Brands
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