Happy Friday, {{first_name | everyone}}!
Let’s review the week and send you into the weekend with encouragement and a challenge!
In today’s email…
📕 The whole week in one place, in case you missed a day
❤️ One challenge to carry this verse into the weekend
📚️ Recommended resources in case you missed it…
MEMORIZE 🧠
______ __________ _________ __ ___. ______ ___ _____, ___ __ ____ ____ ____ ___.
James 4:7
Want to review all your memorized verses in one place? Try our new iPhone app here.
CONTEXT 📕
This week we went deeper into the world of James 4:7:
On Monday we met the author James, who most scholars believe to be James, the half-brother of Jesus.
We talked about the believers he was writing to, who were scattered and feeling unsure about what to do with their faith.
On Tuesday we discovered what the word “therefore” was referring to and how James 4:7 was part of a response to a question James posed:
You adulterous people! 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.
This led us to see how all of James 4:1-12 fits into his commands on how to live as a friend of God rather than a friend of the world.
On Wednesday the language of a broken marriage became apparent in the surrounding verses.
James was not making it up when he called his audience “adulterers.” He was quoting directly from the Old Testament and bringing to mind the powerful metaphor for God’s relationship with his people, used all throughout Scripture.
And on Thursday, we followed the Bridegroom into the wilderness and discovered practical steps for resisting the devil and making him flee from us.
Jesus gave us the perfect example of how to conquer temptation by:
Commanding the devil to flee, and
Declaring the truth of God’s Word
As we reflect on this verse for the last time this week, I want to leave you with one important thought:
The most important aspect about spiritual warfare is that the battle is already won.
When the Father sent Jesus to Earth, he did so for a very specific reason:
Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
Jesus accomplished exactly what he was sent to do.
We get to step under his covering.
And we don’t have to earn it ourselves.
By all means, yes — wear the armor of God (Ephesians 6), stay close to Jesus (John 15), and practice discernment (1 John 4) — but do all of this remembering that you are standing on ground already won.
APPLY AND RESPOND 🏃♂
💪 Challenge
Declare the words of James 4:7 over a situation in your life right now:
“God, I submit to you alone. Nothing that is not from you can stand in my life. I declare that the devil will flee from me in the name of Jesus.”
And the next time you face temptation to sin, call James 4:7 to mind.
🙏 Pray
Father, you already conquered over the devil, evil, darkness, and sin. They have no place in my life since I am yours. Jesus is King and Lord of my life and the enemy must flee. There is power in the name of Jesus. Amen.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES 📚
In case you missed them, here are a few resources to help you dig deeper into our memory verse and its themes:
📚 The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (link)
📚 Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices by Thomas Brooks (link)
📚 Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness by Andrew Murray (link)
📹 James Overview by The Bible Project (link)
📱 Our iPhone app for Scripture memorization (link)
🎶 Battle Belongs by Phil Wickham (Spotify | Apple Music)
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ANSWER KEY ✅
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
Have a blessed weekend!
May you walk in the victory you have through the finished work of Jesus.
Best,
The Malachi Daily team 🙏
Today’s Contributors
Eljoh is a South African writer, editor, and artist with a Master’s in Practical Theology. She creates resources to help believers of all ages abide in Christ and grow in faith. Explore more free resources and creative tools at Vine Creative Studio.
Kieran is a husband and father living in NJ. In addition to Malachi Daily, he writes a personal newsletter about the intersection of faith, fatherhood and entrepreneurship.
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Try our iPhone app 📱
Want to go even deeper with memorizing Scripture and learning its context?
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Memorize 1 verse every single week and learn its context through daily devotionals you can read (or listen to)
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And much more!
What are the differences between Within and Malachi Daily?
Malachi Daily 📧 | Within 📱 | |
|---|---|---|
Type of tool | Email newsletter | iOS mobile app |
Cost | Free | 7-day free trial, then $5.99/mo or $49.99/year |
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Who chooses the verse | We choose | We choose AND you can memorize any verse you want, anytime |
Bible translation(s) | ESV | ESV, NIV, NLT, KJV, and NASB |
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