Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are at war! It is not a war to liberate an oppressed nation. It is not a war to conquer a land. It is a war for our souls–for our very survival! To be victorious in this war, we must choose sides–decisively, firmly, purposefully, enduringly! Simultaneously, we must, according to James 4:7, (1) “submit to God” 
(become a part of THE winning team) and (2) “resist the devil” (oppose and take a stand against THE enemy)! “Submit” is a passive verb–let God be in control! “Resist” is an active verb–you must be in control against the devil!
What if we choose to fight our own way? What if we choose to not-so-actively “resist” the devil? What if we “submit” only when it is easy, convenient or in our best interest? If we choose that path, we will find ourselves the recipient of the other time that the word “resist” is found in this passage: “God resists the proud” (4:6).
Let us give our all to “submit to God” and to “resist the devil” every single day!