James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
That verse is pretty straightforward. I’ve read it before, I understand what it means, and I think sometimes that is exactly why I can move past it too quickly without really thinking about the details.
This time, the word “flee” caught my attention.
To flee means to get away quickly, usually because of danger or fear. And that is interesting when you think about how Satan is described in the Bible. He is called a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. He is not someone we should underestimate.
But James says that when we submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, Satan is the one who runs.
That changes the picture a little bit for me.
I think sometimes I can give the enemy more power in my mind than he actually has. I can feel afraid of temptation, afraid of spiritual attack, or afraid that I am not strong enough to stand against it.
And on my own, I am not.
But the verse does not say, “Be stronger than the devil.” It says to submit to God and resist him. I stand in the truth of God’s Word. I rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. And the devil is the one who has to leave.
So yes, Satan is described as a roaring lion. But when you belong to Jesus, submit to God, and resist him with the truth, maybe he looks a little less like the scary one.
Maybe he looks more like a scaredy cat.