But He gives us more grace. This is why it says:

“God opposes the proud,

but gives grace to the humble.” vs6

This is what we must be. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, so we must humble ourselves and admit our sins.

We don’t have because we don’t ask, and we don’t receive because we ask selfishly for worldly glory [vs2-3]. We are enemies of God in the flesh when we use the gospel to exalt ourselves, like a fire escape while we live in sin - not fornication and adultery but selfish vainglory, which is adultery from God. “You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever desires to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God [vs4].” We use the blood to glorify ourselves, and it must stop! It is not enough to say we are sinners. We must get to the root of the problem, confess, and be done with it! We must believe God enough to cleanse us.

He has promised healing! It’s not like He’s saying, “Your sins will drive you away!” He’s saying, “Come. Stop fooling around. Stop pretending. Stop playing games in religion, and come to Me as you truly are, and I will help you.” Admit your sins and confess. Don’t just keep praying the same worthless prayers. (Today, I wrote down what hinders me from usefuness, and I will pray the Father’s cleansing.)

Secondly, here is a fact: Submit to God, and the devil will run [vs7]. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” He doesn’t have power to stop your Savior. People think, “He’s too strong for me, “ and he is. They think, “I’m too tempted,” and you are not, because Christ won’t allow you to be tempted and not help you, so all that we need to be new people is for the taking. “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it [1 Cor 10:13].” The sin we were born with that’s so joined to our nature CAN BE overcome! It is possible through God in Christ.

Submit to His instruction, submit to your helplessness, and submit by faith, and then watch Him help you. He’ll give power because His will is your cleansing [1 Thess 4:3].

Finally, here is the absolute fact: He will exalt you [vs10]! “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” Nothing can stop it. Nothing can hinder His deliverance. Grace is more powerful than sin, and He’ll lift you up like the publican and the prodigal! He’ll hear your prayer, while the Pharisee goes home empty. He’ll receive you, while the self-righteous stand outside! He’ll transform YOU into what you should be, and you will shine - surprising yourself and others that Christ is with you, that YOU have changed, and YOU are like God’s Son. He’ll make a sincere and humble minister out of us. He’ll make us useful.