Thursday – Letters

Reading – James 4

Highlight Verse:

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
‭‭James‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Consider this verse in the context of the chapter and the book.

We know that we should humble ourselves because of our sin.

We also know that the devil is a tempter, trying his best to bury us in our sin.

When we humble ourselves and allow God’s power to take the place of our own, the devil doesn’t stand a chance!

When we hide our sin in pride, relying on our own power, we are unprotected against the temptations of the devil.

I asked our high school boys’ small group what the difference between guilt and conviction. One of them had an awesome answer.

Guilt knocks you down.
Conviction lifts you up!

A glance at verse 10 will confirm that.

Guilt brings sadness. The devil would have you believe that your sins should really be a source of pride. But that pride will keep you trapped in that sin, guilt, and sadness.

Conviction and humility will also bring sadness, but God won’t let you stay there. He will lift you up.

Have you ever felt trapped in guilt? What brought you out?
If you are still there, have you set your pride aside and humbled yourself before God?