Humble yourselves before [the] Lord, and he shall exalt you.
This verse closes a run of sharp commands in James 4. It raises two questions: what does real humbling look like, and who does the lifting?
The last of seven calls
One writer counts it as the last in a series of calls:
Seventh, the Apostle says, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you." We may well be humbled when we think of the condition of the professing people of God. But above all we are to be humbled because of what we find in our own hearts.
The call is for something settled, and then for a life kept in step with it:
A larger call follows, and one of deep practical importance: "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." Like the rest, this call is to have it done once for all. It is a finished act, not a mere process going on. But here, as in the other cases, the believer must ever after watch against anything inconsistent with what he has done.
Before the Lord, not before people
The verse names the audience: this happens in God's sight.
Notice that the humbling of oneself is before the Lord, not before men. It is a real inward work which destroys self-esteem. When we realise the presence and the greatness of God, it gives Him His true place in the heart, and gives us ours also. Then all is real, and then alone we can act for God according to truth.
Because only God sees the heart, the work has to begin in private:
Other people may judge your humble words, humble looks, and humble ways. But God views the heart. So you must begin there in this, as in all matters. In your private devotion, let the light of God's word to stream into your soul and show you your true place in His presence.
Why humility fits us
This is the path Christ walked, and it fits what a person is before God:
Then he exhorts them to humble themselves in the sight of the Lord and He would lift them up. It is what Christ did (Phil. 2), and He has said, "Whoever humbles himself will be exalted." God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humility suits man. It suits his littleness before God, in view of the greatness of His grace and of all that man is in himself.
Humble, or humbled
If we will not take the low place, God has another way of bringing us there — and it costs more:
There are two forms of it. The happiest of all is to be humble; the next best thing is to be humbled. It is better to be humble than to be humbled, but there is no comparison between being humbled and being lifted up. Humility is the effect of grace. Humiliation comes rather from God's righteous government, where we are not humble... Humility is the effect not so much of a moral process with ourselves, but of occupation with Him.
The order in which we live this out matters, and we often get it backwards:
If humility marks us, we shall have no difficulty in submitting to God. And as we submit to God, we shall be able to resist the devil. All too often things work the other way round with us. We start by submitting to the devil. That leads us to develop the pride that marks him, and so to resist God. As a result God resists us, a fall becomes inevitable, and humiliation follows. If only we were humble we should escape much humiliation.
Who lifts, and when
The promise is real, but the timing belongs to God:
If man exalts himself, he will be humbled; when God exalts a man, there is no danger of this... If we would deliver ourselves, and get out of this path of trial, it must be by some by-path, and we shall lose blessing. We must remember that the promise adds this: God will exalt us at the proper time — not a minute after the time. When He has worked out the whole purpose of His love, then He will exalt us.
A counterfeit to avoid
Lying low is not the same as blaming God for our defeat:
To lie face down before God is the only true attitude a believer can take in a season of shame and dishonour. To put on any other is only to add the sin of pride to what caused the defeat. "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you" (James 4:10). True humiliation before God is our only "door of hope" (Hosea 2:15) for blessing in a day of distress. But to lie there without judging ourselves, blaming God instead, is not humility.
Summary
- Command. The call is to a settled act, done once for all. Then watch against anything that contradicts it.
- Place. It happens in the sight of the Lord, not of people — inward work, not humble looks and humble words.
- Content. It is our littleness before God, and it is the road Christ Himself took.
- Alternative. Being humble is grace. Being humbled is God's government when we refuse. Humility spares us much humiliation.
- Promise. The lifting up is His to give and His to time: at the proper time, not a minute after.