When I was younger there were a few times that I went fishing with some other people. Though often they used live bait, a few times they used lures. A lot of those lures were rather pretty to look at, nice and shiny, flashing in the sunlight. From Mr. Fish’s perspective they might look interesting. So he comes closer. Perhaps he thinks it might be something tasty. The temptation of that bright, shiny, flashy lure is too much to resist, so Mr. Fish decides to take a bite. Alas, now it’s too late for him. He has a hook in his mouth, and he’s being reeled in. He can struggle and fight as much as he wants, but that usually gets the hook in deeper and more secure. He is caught, and his doom is determined. We set similar traps for other animals. Even the spider weaves a tantalizing and alluring trap, which catches the curious bug. In our Scripture today from the Epistle of James, we see someone who sets a trap for us, and how we can avoid becoming his victim.
The enemy that we have, who has set his traps all around to catch us, is of course, Satan. The devil will go after anyone, but he is particularly interested in snaring Christians. Sometimes his traps are hidden, like the bear trap under a pile of leaves. Other times they are right in the open. The temptation and our curiosity are so strong that we fall right into it. Satan dangles temptation right in front of us. It looks tantalizing, just like that flashy fishing lure. But there’s a hook in there to catch us. God tells us to say no, to resist Satan’s bait (vs. 7). When we stand in Jesus’s Name and power, Satan will flee. We need to listen to God’s warnings, and submit to Him.
So how do we resist the devil, keeping free from his lures, traps, and webs? James tells us we need to draw near and submit to God, and to humble ourselves before Him. Throughout our Scripture passage, James gives us some ways to draw near to the Lord God, and thus stay out of the traps. First we need to submit to God. Just as a soldier submits to his commanding officer, we must yield to God’s authority, committing our life to Him and His control. James then tells us that we need to resist the devil. Don’t allow him to entice us with his seemingly attractive temptations. Do not submit to or fear Satan, but rather, stand against him (I Peter 5:8-9).
Another step that we are told to do in order to draw near to God and avoid temptations and traps is to have clean hands and a clean heart (vs. 8). We need to lead a pure life, and be cleansed from any sins we do commit. The cleansing of one’s life must involve both outward deeds and inner thoughts (Psalm 24:3-4). When we recognize what an affront our sins are to the Lord who died for us, and what they do to us and our walk with Him, we will grieve and mourn for our sins in sincere sorrow (vs. 9). God will not turn away from a heart that is broken and contrite over sin (Psalm 51:17).
The final thing that James tells us in our passage today to do is to humble ourselves before the Lord God (vs. 10). Humbling ourselves means to recognize that our worth comes from God alone. To be humble involves working with His power and not our own, throughout our life. We realize that on our own, we cannot accomplish anything of value, but are wholly dependent upon the Lord. We do not deserve God’s favor, but He reaches out to us in love, and gives us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings. A truly humble person will give his allegiance to God, obey His commands, and follow His leadership. When we humble ourselves before God, He will lift us up (I Peter 5:6). The humble, not the proud, will receive honor from God.
God promises us that when we draw nearer to Him, He will draw nearer to us. Moses reminds us that God is near whenever His children call out to Him (Deuteronomy 4:7). Jeremiah personally had evidence for this (Lamentations 3:57). God brought him comfort in his day of trouble, when he called upon Him. God is not unmoved when we humbly come to Him. His welcoming response is always near.
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