God Opposes The Proud (James 4:1-10)

James chapter 4. James is speaking to the Jewish Christians, the Jews among the dispersion, who are professing Christ.

James 4 · chapter mention

! He starts off his chapter by bringing up what is a friendship with the world, a type of worldliness in them that he confronts very directly.

And we'll see as we go through this how James deals with them and hopefully draw some conclusions for our church this day and age.

Before we dig into the text, I'm just going to pray and then we'll walk through it. Sound good?

All right. Lord, I thank you, God, for your word. Thank you, God, that in your word is power.

Thank you that it is a living word that is alive and active.

I pray, God, that you would help me to speak truthfully from your word, that you would give me your mouth, Lord, to only speak what you are saying.

I pray that you would encourage us, Lord, and build us up today, that we would walk away more sanctified, Lord, more trusting of you, more repentant, God.

In true and earnest repentance, Lord, we would turn back to you where we have gone astray.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Okay, James chapter 4, beginning in verse 1.

James 4 · chapter mention

It says,

Okay, so there's a lot in here.

As I was praying and thinking about how I would present this before you.

James is writing to Christians who are duplicitous in their living and acting as Christians.

He starts off with a question.

He says,

So he poses a question.

Obviously, there's not perfect unity.

At least that, you know, he can maybe see.

He knows that there's tension.

And then there's a little bit of fighting.

There's a little bit of arguing.

There's a little bit of obvious quarreling.

And he asks the question.

He's like,

What causes this?

Okay.

And then he almost rhetorically answers just after.

He says,

Isn't that this, that your passions are at war within you?

In other words, you fight because you want to fight from deep within.

You have a genuine reason for fighting.

It's not happenstance.

It's not, well, you know, like, I just don't get along with this person.

And, you know, so we bicker, you know.

He clearly gets to the heart of the quarreling and the fighting by saying,

There's something within us or within you that drives the fighting, and it's your passions.

He says,

Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?

In Mark 7, verse 14, Jesus says,

Mark 7:14

And he called the people again and said to them,

Hear me, all of you, and understand.

There's nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him.

But the things that come out of a person are what defile him.

Okay, so Jesus doubles down in a very similar manner to James,

saying that it's not the externals that frustrate us and cause us to quarrel and fight,

but the internals.

Okay, out of our, Jesus later says,

Out of our heart come all these things, envy and malice and greed and lust,

and all these things from within, out of our own hearts.

James is doing the same thing as Jesus.

He's doubling down and saying,

I know exactly what's going on here.

And I think you can see later that they actually do as well,

but there is a suppression of that truth,

or maybe a sharing,

even though they do know the truth that's within them,

there's a sharing of, or being okay with that,

that's letting them go on and quarreling and fighting.

And so, you can see here in Mark 7, when Jesus speaks,

he's almost reminding the people.

You can see it, he says,

he called the people again to himself.

And then, he's very direct.

He says, hear me all of you,

and understand that it's not,

there's nothing outside a person

that by going into him can defile him.

Okay, so he's reiterating, he's like,

you have to remember something about what comes from within,

and what issues from within outward,

not merely outward in.

Okay, and then he explains

how that person is guilty from within,

and not from the outside causes.

So, a lot of the times with us,

you know, in our day-to-day life,

we're tempted to think that

we get ripped off by

so many different things.

You know,

if only I made more money,

if only I had,

you know,

a different boss,

maybe different spouse,

you know,

if only he understood me,

if only she didn't nag me,

all these things.

I am this way because of the outside.

Okay?

Well, Jesus says,

no, you're not this way.

These frustrations within you

aren't merely,

only causal from the outside.

There's another acting thing,

and that's called your passions within you.

Paul gets at this when he says that

our passions are aroused by the law.

So, when the commandment comes,

sin comes as well.

It comes alive in us.

Not in the other person,

but in us,

Paul says in Romans 7.

And so,

it's really important for us to remember

as we're reading James,

is that

we are the same,

you know,

these people were born after Adam

in sin,

and so are we.

So,

this type of quarreling,

this type of struggle,

is the same struggle

that we are vulnerable to.

Okay?

And these aren't

maybe degenerate unbelievers.

These are professing Christians.

So,

this is our category as well.

So,

when we read this,

let's hear the words of James

and examine ourselves.

Amen?

Amen?

Okay.

You see this all the time.

I think,

honestly,

with parenting,

it's even more clear.

Parents love to make excuses

for their children's misbehavior,

even if there's some truth to them.

You know,

I hear a lot,

you know,

he just didn't nap.

Sorry.

It's just like,

well,

yeah,

it makes sense.

I would probably be a little crabby

if I was tired,

but,

in the end,

his lack of napping

is not the causal agent

for his screaming.

Right?

They come out of the womb

disobedient,

and

it's not merely that

the world is against them.

It might be,

but

we as parents

are supposed to teach them

how to master their passions

within them.

Okay?

You know,

I was listening to,

actually,

an unbelieving parent talk

to his son,

probably three or four years old,

and his son was really fussy,

would not calm down,

and all the dad was saying

is basically,

son,

like,

you ate a lot of sugar.

You know,

that's what happens

when you have too much sugar.

You know,

you hit a low,

and you need to learn from that.

I'm kind of thinking,

like,

he probably did eat a lot of sugar,

but that is not the reason

for why he's acting this way.

You know,

in fact,

if I ate a lot of sugar,

I would probably be super stoked.

You know,

like,

maybe I'll hit a low later

and be like him,

but

the problem is not

the externals.

I think you guys get that,

but

it's not merely that,

you know,

it's all external,

but

we frustrate ourselves,

you know.

This dad was trying

to convince his son

that he really valued

not fussing,

which was pretty much

pointless for his son

because his son

clearly didn't have that

as a category for value.

You know,

he valued sugar,

you know.

Not fussing,

he was cool with not fussing

because

he wants something

completely different.

That's an easy

illustration for us,

but we,

like children

in Christ,

if we are not

sanctified by the Holy Spirit,

are not mature

and are like children,

okay,

in that we

want to do the things

that we should not

want to do.

From within,

we

don't have self-control,

you know.

We might have

it put together

on the outside,

but where

is our hearts?

Are we like children

in our hearts,

wanting,

maybe even lusting,

as we're going to examine

the way that James speaks?

So it's good to ask ourselves

and even pray,

Lord,

make us not like children,

as the Apostle Paul said.

Let us grow up

into maturity.

Save us from the ways

that we are

throwing

inner tantrums.

Okay,

and so

James says,

is it not your passions

that are at war

within you?

All right,

and

he says,

you desire,

so that's the passion element,

you desire

and do not have,

so you murder.

You can even hear

James chapter 1

James 1 · chapter mention

in here,

the progression of sin.

First comes desire,

and then

it gives birth

to sin.

It says,

you desire

and do not have,

so you murder.

You covet

and cannot obtain,

so you fight

and quarrel.

You do not have

because you do not ask.

So we fight

and quarrel

because we want to.

We fight

also because we're empty.

Okay,

notice how

James says,

you desire

and do not have,

okay,

emptiness.

You don't have,

and so you murder.

Now,

emptiness

doesn't necessarily

lead to

only the sin of murder,

as we can see

when James says,

you also covet

and what?

And cannot obtain,

so you don't have

something again.

Okay,

you do not have,

can't obtain,

you don't possess,

because you do not ask.

So,

we see James

is going hard,

he's saying,

he's like,

you fight because

you want to,

and you fight

because you're empty.

You fight because

you don't have something.

The emptiness

always comes

from a place

of not being satisfied.

It always comes

from the lack

of satisfaction,

lack of having enough,

and so,

that makes

our passions

eager

to fill

the lack,

right?

And James

says,

you do not have,

almost shockingly,

in a way,

shockingly simple,

that is,

you do not have

simply because

you don't ask.

So,

he turns it away

from their passions

and their emptiness

and now turns it

towards God.

You don't,

you don't have

something because

you don't actually

come to the one

who possesses it,

who owns everything,

who is God,

who created you

in this world

with everything in it.

You don't have

because you don't

come and ask.

You ask,

verse,

in verse 3,

you ask and do

not receive

because you ask

wrongly.

Okay,

now he's doubling

down on even

the asking.

It's not merely

asking,

but it's,

why do you ask?

What do you ask

for?

With what motive?

He says,

you do not ask,

or you ask

and do not receive

because you ask

wrongly

to spend it

on your own

passions.

He says,

there is a way

that you come

to the Lord

that's genuine.

That doesn't say,

okay, James,

we get it.

Pray to the Lord,

you know,

and we'll get something.

I'll pray to the Lord.

Lord,

give me what I want.

You know,

just,

just make,

make my wife

less this way.

It's like,

well,

the Lord's just like,

maybe I called you

to love her,

right?

And vice versa.

We pray all the time.

Maybe we don't,

maybe we don't call it prayer.

Maybe we just offer up

thoughts to God

of accusations

of the things

in our life.

But this is an asking,

this is an asking

that's wrong.

This is asking wrongly.

And we need to watch out

with how we approach God.

And we're going to see

as James walks through this,

how we actually do truly

come to the Lord

and ask genuinely.

that we receive.

So he says,

you ask and do not receive

because you ask wrongly.

Spend it

on your own passions.

This reminds me of

when Jesus fed

the 5,000.

He gave them all bread,

performed the miracle.

And he,

he brought a crowd with them

as he left.

and then he started

to speak to them

and he's just like,

I know why you're seeking me.

It's because

you enjoyed the bread

I gave you

and you probably want

some more of that.

Maybe it wasn't a bad thing,

but you can kind of hear

a tone in there

of

childlike

following.

You're only seeking me

because I fed you.

You know,

you don't really want

to ask of me

for my teaching.

You don't really care

about my teaching.

You want to be fed again.

And that's when he,

of course,

says,

I am the bread of life.

I am

the one who comes down

from heaven

and feeds you.

Not in a mere

temporal sense,

but I feed your soul.

You know,

and so

you can hear that

even as James speaks

with the asking

of the Lord.

Do we ask

in the mere temporal sense

for a temporal bread,

so to speak?

Or are we seeking

the Lord

because we want Him?

We want the satisfaction

that comes from Him

as the bread of life.

So in verse 3,

he says,

you ask and do not receive

because you want

to spend it wrongly.

And then James

keeps going.

He says,

you adulterous people.

He brings His rebuke

just almost to its antithesis.

He calls them

an adulterous people.

Okay?

I mean,

this is,

so if you're a Jew,

even if you're a,

now a Messianic Jew,

follower of Jesus,

you don't forget

all that you were raised

and born with

from the Old Testament

scriptures.

These people are

well keyed into the law.

And that is one,

as we know,

one of the Ten Commandments,

you shall not commit adultery.

Okay?

So he just straight up,

doesn't seem like he

cuts any corners.

He spares the temperate speech.

And he just says,

you are an adulterous people.

Okay?

Sure,

if I would hear this

and I had a little bit

of pride in me,

I would be very offended.

So James says,

you're an adulterous people.

And both the Old Testament

and the New Testament

speaks of God

in a way,

many times,

as our husband,

we are his bride

in a covenant,

in a marriage covenant,

so to speak,

spiritually.

And,

the Jews know this.

And so James says,

you

are a people

having an affair.

there's something

grossly unfaithful

about you.

There's an infidelity

that has snuck

into your hearts

with how you live,

with how you say,

I live for the Lord.

I live for God.

And he's saying,

you are an adulterous people.

You fight and quarrel.

You let your lust

and your passions

rule you.

Okay?

We want to say,

and I would caution

even myself

as I read this,

we want to say,

surely not me.

You know?

Or surely not to

the degree

that I would

put other

people in the category of.

You know,

that's not me.

I know who it is.

They're in that category.

And so,

I think I'm good

with the Lord.

James,

watch out.

So as to

not actually

be found

genuinely

in the category

that James

is speaking to.

The Lord wants

us to be humble

and receive

what the Lord

is saying

to James.

Examine ourselves.

He spares no expense.

He says,

you are an adulterous people,

unfaithful in the way

that you are living

and acting.

And the reason

that I know this,

he says,

is because you are

fighting and quarreling.

Okay?

Now,

that doesn't mean

that we're off the hook

if you have

a

merely

externally

non-quarreling

marriage,

friendships,

etc.

Because remember,

he doubles down

on the passions.

You know,

there is a way,

and I'm sure

all of you

have experienced this,

where you can

hold it together,

but you are angry

on the inside.

Okay?

James is also

speaking to us.

Who know that

and struggle with that.

Maybe we'd be humble.

Okay?

This is the exact language,

actually,

that Jesus uses

in Matthew 12,

when he's talking

to the Pharisees,

essentially the

proud ones

of his day,

professing Christians,

maybe,

they would say,

or at least

followers of

their father Abraham.

He says,

an evil

and adulterous

generation

seeks for a sign,

but no sign

will be given,

except the sign

of the prophet Jonah.

So he uses,

again,

to the Jews,

this image

of evil

and adulterous

infidelity.

and we

must take heed

that we

understand

where James

is going.

So,

moving on,

what does he say

after his

strong abuse?

Do you not

know

that friendship

with the world

is enmity

with God?

Therefore,

whoever wishes

to be a friend

of the world

makes himself

an enemy

of God.

in what ways

do we live

our lives

that are,

that we know,

what areas

are we neutral

to the world

so that we can

have

maybe some

pleasure

and mostly,

we might say,

living for the Lord,

that sort of thing.

I would,

I would,

I would press this

that there is no

neutrality to the world.

that we can share.

Neutrality to the world

ends

in serving

two masters.

We,

we can't be neutral.

We either have to be

enemies of the world

so as

to not be

drawn in

by the world.

Friendship with the world

is enmity with God.

You know,

a lot of examples

of this is,

obviously,

we're put in,

we're in the world.

Jesus says,

you know,

we're in the world

but not of the world.

We're called to preach

the gospel to the world

so we have to

interact with the world,

much of the world,

all the time.

But,

obviously,

I hope it's obvious

that James is speaking

about the state

of our souls

with the world.

Our souls must remain

untouched by the stain

of the world.

And he's speaking

of the world

in this sense,

not in the

all-encompassing

general world

but the world

that is in rebellion

against God

and the ways of God

that doesn't accept

God's Son,

Jesus Christ.

And we must watch out

that we don't

become

neutral.

Obviously,

not share,

but the neutrality

is difficult.

That is where

the schemes of the devil

want to sneak in

and let us think

like the world.

We're born into it.

We're born into

actually already

having a carnal mindset.

And praise be to God

that if we're in Christ,

we are daily

being sanctified,

saved from that carnality,

but take heed.

You know,

Corinthians says,

if any man thinks

he stands,

let him take heed

lest he fall.

Okay?

God is saving us,

no doubt.

And we should have

assurance

on God's promises

that he will indeed

cleanse us,

but God does not want

us to be

unaware

and passive.

And so,

that leads me to

the next part of James

where James

starts to begin

his solution

to their problem.

He kind of just went

on a mini saga

of explaining,

diagnosing,

and then rebuking

them hardcore

for what's going on.

And he says

in

verse 6,

right there,

yeah,

verse 6,

but he gives more grace.

Therefore,

it says,

God opposes the proud

but gives grace

to the humble.

This is the first part

of his portion

that we kind of get

a little bit of a lift,

right?

At least on the back

end of that.

He says,

God opposes

the proud

but gives grace

to the humble.

A lot of this

comes from

simply not

knowing God

as he truly is

and

the pride

of life

as 1 John says,

the love of the world,

things like money,

things like just

ways of thinking

that are carnal.

all these things

are desirable

but when we actually

think about God,

we seldom have

a true fear

that extinguishes

our pride.

If we truly

feared the Lord,

we would regard

the ways

and the methods

of the world

as nothing

in comparison

to the ways

of God.

God,

as in the prophets,

I think Isaiah

the prophet says

that

the Lord says

that I

am not like you.

My thoughts,

what I think

as God,

are not your thoughts.

We are not God.

Now a lot of us

may be like,

well duh,

we're not God.

But

we act

as though

we have

the final say,

that we are

the masters

of our own destiny,

so to speak.

We determine

the ways

and methods

of our life.

But let me remind us

that God

is not like us.

Okay?

God is not

like us.

God is not a man

that he should

lie,

the scripture says.

We lie

to ourselves

and are tempted

by the king

of lies,

the devil.

He speaks

and we listen.

Okay?

God is not like us.

God is so far

different from us.

And

make no mistake,

God is condescended

to where we

can know him

and become like us

in the sense that

in the face

of Jesus Christ

that we can know God.

But make no mistake

that God

is not

one of us.

Okay?

God is completely other.

He is completely holy

without stain,

without threat

of neutrality

to the world.

He would have to

not be God

to lay down

his divine

nature

in order to

be like us.

And I'm saying

all these things

that are the fundamental

things in Christianity

that we should

yes and amen

and even

you know

in the general sense

we do.

But I'm reminding us

because we're forgetful.

Okay?

It means that

all of our

methods,

all of our

principles,

all of our

practices,

beliefs,

opinions,

preferences,

tastes,

styles,

must

in the end

come into subjection

and must bow

prostrate before

the true and living God.

Okay?

His name

is the King

of Kings.

And

he will have that

written on his thigh

when he comes.

We're forgetful.

The reason I bring this up

is because

to not

live and regard

God as such

is to be proud.

Okay?

James says

in verse 6,

but he gives more

grace.

Therefore it says

God opposes the proud

but gives grace

to the humble.

So,

this is also

another weighty

verse.

God opposes

the proud.

God straight up

opposes our

prideful selves.

I don't know

about you,

but I do not

want to be

opposed by God.

Even as we

build this church,

it would be

a lot of sorrow

if in our pride

God opposed

Christ's church.

Lord,

save us

and help us

that we be not

lifted up

in our own souls.

That we not

care so much

for the things

of the world

or the thoughts

of men

that we

care less

about the thoughts

of God.

God

So,

let's really

consider the

severity of this.

It's not merely

that our spouses

oppose us,

our friends

when we're

prideful or

in some general

way that life

is of less

quality and

worse for us

because of our

pride,

but it's

actually,

maybe all those

things are true,

but it's actually

that the almighty

true and living

God who created

us opposes us

in some way.

God stands

against us

when we're proud.

You see this

throughout scripture

many times.

I mean,

you could even

say that that

was the origin

of evil.

It was the pride

of Lucifer

that made him

be cast down.

It was the pride

of Adam and Eve

in the garden

that brought

humanity with

him into the grave.

It was the pride

of Saul

that he became

wise in his own

eyes,

Samuel said,

and he lifted

himself up

that he was

removed as

God's anointed.

This lives

very close

at hand.

O Christ

Church,

may we not

build God's

house with

pride in our

hearts,

for God

will not

build with

us.

So what are

some examples

of pride?

There's so many

examples of

pride.

When I was

praying

specifically for

our body

and the Lord

to speak,

like,

Lord,

if you

would convict

us of this

sin of

elevation and

loftiness in

our own

selves and in

our own

pride,

what would

it be?

And a couple

things came to

mind that I

think maybe

aren't concrete

but could be

for our body.

One of them

is when we

have a culture

that speaks

the truth in

love,

as we should,

or we

confront one

another as

we should,

there's

kind of two

acting parts

in that

equation.

One is the

deliverer,

right?

Pride in

bringing the

confrontation,

pride in

getting it

across,

right?

Trusting in

yourself to

make something

happen,

right?

So that's

pride in the

deliverer.

But also,

let's say

there is

true speaking

the truth in

love.

So that is

without pride.

That's truly

loving the

person,

truly caring

for them.

But then

there's the

other side

of the

reception,

the receiver

of the

word.

Oftentimes

what can

happen,

I think

it's always

the case

where I'm

tempted when

I'm confronted

with pride,

is to

immediately

be offended.

Immediately

say,

you know,

you're wrong,

or even

if you're

right,

you're still

wrong.

You know,

kind of

attitude.

A type

of cringe

that pushes

you to

go with

your passions,

right?

And I

think this

is a way

that God

would warn

us as a

church when

we are

confronted,

even with

small things,

seemingly

small things,

not to be

lifted up

in our

pride,

so as

not to

receive

what the

Lord might

be saying.

Okay?

It might

seem like

on the

outside,

like,

everything

can be

cordial and

temperate and

good,

but examine

our hearts

with how we

actually believe

when someone

comes to us

and say,

hey,

I think

this might

be a little

off,

or I think

there might

be,

maybe even

not like

straight up

confrontation

of sin

per se,

but maybe

even just

bringing up

our personal

ways,

bringing up

a better

method of

something,

a better

way of

doing

things.

If we

bring something

up and say,

hey,

I think it

would be best

to do

something this

way,

X,

Y,

and Z,

insert your

own scenario,

and the

other person

is just like,

nah,

my way is

better,

kind of

reaction in

your heart,

or,

this guy

doesn't know

what he's

talking about,

like,

I think

I'm,

you know,

my way is

better,

and your

way might

be better,

but your

heart is

not,

okay,

and watch

out lest

we lift

ourselves up,

even in

the small

things,

even in

the ways

and the

methods

and the

principles,

okay,

the Lord

stands

against the

pride of

our hearts,

and so,

are we

immediately

offended,

do we

stay offended,

do we

provide

ourselves

with a

sort of

purgatory,

a time

where,

you know,

I'm offended

until I'm

not,

you know,

a certain

amount of

time passed,

or my

relationship's

bad right now,

but it'll get

good type of

attitude,

it's like,

no,

make it right,

confess your

sin,

resist your

sin,

resist those

feelings that

rise up

within you,

okay,

we're all

susceptible to

this,

I know

myself that

I'm tempted

many times

to be

offended,

and to

think,

to elevate

my way

above others,

and God

forgive me,

and give me a

heart after

his,

lack of

submission

to God,

or the

authority that

God has

appointed,

either authority

in the church,

or authority

in the home,

husbands,

and wives

that relationship,

one of the

worst,

one of the

worst things

to be

is a

person in

authority

that although

someone

submits to

your authority

and yet

disagrees,

is kind of

begrudgingly

goes along

in that

sort of

submission.

That's not

submission,

because full

submission actually

says,

I'm stating

what I

disagree,

if it's not,

you know,

obviously sin,

and things that

God tells you

to oppose,

but if it's

mainly things

that you have

differing opinions,

methods,

principles,

one of the

things that's

the worst

is when

you say,

you know what,

I'll go along

with you because

you're the guy

in authority,

you're my

husband,

but I'm not

going to be

happy the

whole time.

I'm just

going to go

along with

you because

I have to,

and you know

what,

I disagree,

so I don't

have to be

happy about

it.

Well,

that's not

real submission.

That's simply

trying to

appease God

and the

person you're

under just

to get

by,

and the

Lord wants

us actually

to submit

with joy,

to say,

you know what,

this is not

on me.

God has

appointed the

authorities that

be,

and I am

going to

champion their

way,

even though I

disagree,

even though it's

not how I

want it,

but I will

with joy

support them

because in

doing so,

I am

obeying the

Lord.

And when we

say we have

submission,

when we say

we,

you know,

we are

obeying,

when in

reality our

hearts are

far from

obedience,

we betray

our own

selves and

the Lord.

Another area

I think pride

can sneak

in,

or maybe

just,

this is a

little bit

at a

different

angle,

but discounting

yourself and

your gifting.

We have

some exceptional

people in

this room,

exceptionally

gifted people

by the

Lord.

the Lord

has given

people gifts

in this

room.

And I

think

sometimes

we can

discount

ourselves

and say,

no,

the Lord,

you know,

the Lord

uses people,

but probably

not so much

me,

and I'm

fine with

that,

and maybe

I'll just

kind of

just sit

my whole

life type

of thing.

that sounds

slightly

humble,

but the

problem is

if the

Lord gifts

you,

if it's

the Lord

who gives

and you

say,

no,

I won't,

you can

see the

pride in

that,

right?

You can

see the

disobedient

aspect towards

how the

Lord gifts

us.

And so

don't

discount

yourself.

If the

Spirit of

God truly

lives in

us,

then we

will want

His Spirit

to be

dispensed

from us.

Okay?

And so

where are we

at?

I think I'm

still on

verse 6.

It says,

God opposes

the proud,

but gives

grace to

the humble.

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.

Cleanse

your hands,

you sinners.

Purify

your hearts,

you double-minded.

So,

he opposes

the proud,

but he

gives grace

to the

humble.

Now we're

getting into

the good

news of

this passage,

which James

prepares us

for,

I think,

in exposing.

Every time

the gospel

comes with

good news,

it always

comes with

conviction,

with a

type of

repentance.

If the

gospel is

good news

to you,

but your

sin is

nowhere in

sight,

and there's

no evidence

of repentance,

it's merely

good news.

It's not the

gospel.

And so,

he says,

God opposes

the proud,

but he gives

grace to the

humble.

So when we

know that

we're sinners,

when we know

that we lift

ourselves up,

what do we

do?

Do we stay

there,

like I said,

or do we

humble

ourselves?

Humility is

always way

easier and

way better.

I mean,

easier in the

sense where

it's not easy

that you have

to deny your

pride,

because that's

hard to do,

but it always

goes better.

It always is

easier in the

sense where

humility,

when someone

genuinely

confronts you,

for example,

and says,

hey,

you sinned in

this area,

or hey,

you're not

great at this,

you know,

speaks the truth

and love to

you,

and you have

an option.

Do I be

lifted up?

Do I entertain

my pride and

offense?

Or do I say,

this is an

opportunity for

me to be

humble?

I can be

humble right

now.

I can say,

you're right,

I did do

that,

or yes,

that's not

my strength.

Thank you

for bringing

this to me.

I'll pray

about this,

you can pray

for me,

and I'm

going to

seek the

Lord and

be better.

That's

humility.

That's

humility.

That always

brings the

Lord into

it.

There's no

opposition from

God on that.

God does

not oppose

that person

that bows

and says,

Lord,

you know

you're right,

I am

but a

man,

and you

are

God.

Okay?

James

in verse

7 says,

submit

yourselves

therefore

to God.

After he

says all

this,

he says,

what do

we do

now?

We

submit.

We

come

underneath

the

Lord.

We

agree

with

the

Lord.

We

agree

that

only

the

Lord

is

right.

Submit

yourselves

therefore

to

God.

Resist

the

devil

and

he

will

flee

from

you.

The

author

of

pride

you might

even

say,

the devil

tempts us

to be

proud,

tempts us

to come

in,

agrees and

partners with

our flesh

to lift

us up.

James

says,

resist him

and he'll

leave.

That's

a promise.

If you

say,

I will

be

humble,

even

though

it's

painful,

even

though

my