James 4

James wrote -

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (New Testament James 4:7)

What does James mean to "submit yourselves therefore to God". James explains this saying -

"...Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." (New Testament James 4:8)

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord..." (New Testament James 4:10)

And -

"Speak not evil one of another..." (New Testament James 4:11)

And what does James mean to "resist the devil". President Spencer W. Kimball wrote -

“James gave a formula for conquering: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. In abandoning evil, transforming lives, changing personalities, molding characters or remolding them, we need the help of the Lord, and we may be assured of it if we do our part. The man who leans heavily upon his Lord becomes the master of self and can accomplish anything he sets out to do, whether it be to secure the brass plates, build a ship, overcome a habit, or conquer a deep-seated transgression.

He who has greater strength than Lucifer, he who is our fortress and our strength, can sustain us in times of great temptation. While the Lord will never forcibly take anyone out of sin or out of the arms of the tempters, he exerts his Spirit to induce the sinner to do it with divine assistance. And the man who yields to the sweet influence and pleadings of the Spirit and does all in his power to stay in a repentant attitude is guaranteed protection, power, freedom and joy.” (Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 176.)

I truly that through the atonement of Jesus Christ, as you -

"...come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot." (Book of Mormon Moroni 10:32 - 33)

It is by His grace that we receive strength additional strength such that Satan has less affect on us. The bible dictionary defines grace as -


"A word that occurs frequently in the New Testament, especially in the writings of Paul. The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by his atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.

Divine grace is needed by every soul in consequence of the fall of Adam and also because of man's weaknesses and shortcomings. However, grace cannot suffice without total effort on the part of the recipient. Hence the explanation, "It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Ne. 25:23). It is truly the grace of Jesus Christ that makes salvation possible..." (Bible Dictionary G Grace:Entry)