But he gives more grace. Why he said, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
God.
Exodus 10:3,4 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me…
Exodus 15:9,10 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them…
Exodus 18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
giveth grace.
2 Chronicles 32:26 Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
2 Chronicles 33:12,19,23 And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, …
2 Chronicles 34:27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.
This is why it says:
This introduction to the quotation indicates that the following statement is a well-known truth or principle, likely derived from the Old Testament. James often draws from Jewish wisdom literature and teachings, reflecting his audience's familiarity with these texts. This phrase serves as a bridge, connecting the teaching of grace with the scriptural authority that follows.
“God opposes the proud,
This part of the verse reflects a consistent biblical theme where pride is seen as a significant barrier to a relationship with God. Proverbs 3:34, which is likely being referenced here, states that God mocks the proud but shows favor to the humble. Pride is often associated with self-reliance and a lack of acknowledgment of God's sovereignty, as seen in the fall of Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15) and the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). The opposition of God to the proud is a warning that pride leads to downfall and separation from God.
but gives grace to the humble.”
Humility is presented as the key to receiving God's grace. This principle is echoed throughout Scripture, such as in Matthew 5:3, where Jesus blesses the "poor in spirit," and in 1 Peter 5:5, which also quotes Proverbs 3:34. Humility involves recognizing one's dependence on God and submitting to His will, which is essential for spiritual growth and maturity. The ultimate example of humility is found in Jesus Christ, who, though being in the form of God, humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death (Philippians 2:5-8). This humility is the pathway to exaltation and favor with God.
– James has just exposed the bitter fruit of worldly passions (James 4:1-5). Yet the very next sentence dazzles with hope: “But He gives us more grace.”
• God’s answer to human waywardness is not less favor but an overflow of it. When sin increases, “grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20).
• “More” signals sufficiency beyond the immediate crisis—fresh, present-tense help (Hebrews 4:16).
• Grace here is not merely pardon; it is the empowering presence that enables obedience (2 Corinthians 12:9).
• The Giver is personal—“He.” The same God who is jealous for our affection (James 4:5) now supplies what He demands, echoing Philippians 2:13.
James grounds his statement in Scripture (Proverbs 3:34), showing that this has always been God’s pattern.
• Opposition to the proud
– Pride puts self at the center, resisting God’s rightful rule (Isaiah 14:13-14; Luke 18:11-14).
– Divine “opposition” is an active stance; the proud find God acting as their adversary (Psalm 18:27).
• Grace to the humble
– Humility is simply agreeing with God about our need (Isaiah 66:2; Micah 6:8).
– Those who bow low experience lifting up (1 Peter 5:5-6, echoing this very verse).
– The humble are teachable, so grace can flow unhindered into attitudes, relationships, and choices (Matthew 11:29).
• Practical takeaways
– Reject self-reliance; welcome God-reliance.
– Confess sin quickly; grace rushes in (1 John 1:9).
– Practice voluntary lowliness—serving others, listening well, admitting weakness (Philippians 2:3-4).
James 4:6 beams with contrast: though our hearts drift, God supplies “more grace.” That surplus, however, is reserved for the humble; the proud meet resistance, not relief. Choose the low place, and the Lord’s abundant grace will meet you there, empowering joyful obedience and deepening fellowship with Him.
(6) But he giveth more grace--i.e., because of this very presence of the Holy Ghost within us. He, as the author and conveyer of all good gifts, in their mystic seven-fold order (Isaiah 11:2) adds to the wasted treasure, and so aids the weakest in his strife with sin, resisting the proud, lest he be led to destruction (Proverbs 16:18), and helping the humble, lest he be "wearied and faint in his mind" (Hebrews 12:3).God resisteth the proud . . .--Excepting "God," instead of "Lord," this is an exact quotation from the LXX. version of Proverbs 3:34, which reads in our Bibles, "Surely He scorneth the scorners, but He giveth grace unto the lowly." It is again brought forward by St. Peter (1Peter 5:5), and seems to have been a common saying--"a maxim of the wise that had become, as it were, a law of life." . . .
Verse 6. - God resisteth the proud. The connection of this with ver. 4 is very close, and is favorable to the view taken above as to the meaning of the first clause of ver. 5, as the words appear to be cited in support of the statement that whosoever would be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. The quotation is from Proverbs 3:34, LXX., Κύριος ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται, ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσι χάριν. St. James's version agrees with this exactly, except that it has ὁ Θεὸς instead of Κύριος (the Hebrew has simply "he," ran). The passage is also quoted in precisely the same form by St. Peter (1 Peter 5:5), and with Θεὸς instead of ὁ Θεός by St. Clement of Rome. In St. Peter the quotation is followed by the injunction, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God .... Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom withstand (ω΅ι ἀντίστητε) steadfast in the faith." There is clearly a connection between this passage and the one before us in St. James, which proceeds, "Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil (ἀντίστητε δὲ τῷ διαβόλῳ), and he will flee from you." This passage, it will be felt, is the simpler, and therefore, probably, the earlier of the two (cf. James 1:3).