Charles Ellicott Commentary James 4:7

"Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you." — James 4:7 (ASV)

Submit yourselves therefore to God. (But) resist the devil.—For a person who relies on themselves, the hardest advice of all is to submit to anyone, especially to the Unknown. But, as a corresponding point, the Apostle shows where pride can become a stimulant for good, namely, in contest with the Evil One.

He will flee.—Or, he shall flee. “The Devil,” says the strange old book called The Shepherd of Hermas, “can fight, but he cannot conquer; if, therefore, you withstand him, he will flee from you, beaten and ashamed.”

The text is another proof of the personality of Satan; no amount of figures of speech could otherwise interpret it.