Do you know the formula for defeating Satan? James 4-5

James 4:7-8

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double- minded.

Note that the above follows the previous verses about our need for humility to receive grace.  James has just told us that God "resist" the proud but gives grace to the humble.   In our above verse he tells them that "after" they submit to God they are to "resist" the devil.  Before we note the way and order James gives is for this work, we must remember that because of Christ's work we CAN resist the devil.  The Church writers believed this was not only possible but real. (See also 1 Pet 5:8- 9; Eph 6:13).   Having remembered that now note the order James gives us.  We must first humble ourselves.  We can't beat Satan and evil on our own.  We must first submit to God in humility.  This "submit" is written in the aorist imperative in the original Greek. This is a one time act done in faith.   What that means for us is that we give ourselves to God and He gives us the power and strength to resist the devil.   James than repeats the formula again: Come to God (applied, in faith) and God will give you humility and empower you to clean your hands and purify your hearts. Despite our double mindedness.  The key is the order of these steps and the act of God in the process.