Jesus said, "Resist not evil"; James said, "Resist the devil"

King James Bible, Mt 5:

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist [G436] not evil [G4190, adjective]: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

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Strong's Greek: 4190. πονηρός (ponéros) — 79 Occurrences

BDAG:
① pert. to being morally or socially worthless, wicked, evil, bad, base, worthless, vicious, degenerate
ⓐ as adj.
α. of humans or transcendent beings

That's mistranslation. Let's see the context. ESV, Mt 5:

38 You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’

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This teaching was part of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus challenged His followers to live by a higher righteousness that transcends retaliation or retribution.

39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person.

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The adjective G4190-evil was used as a substantive to imply an evil person, not the general concept of evil as suggested by KJB.

If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; 40 if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; 41 and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

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Jesus was talking about a human person who misbehaved against you. He called his followers to break the cycle of retaliation.

Elsewhere in Ja 4:

1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passionsa are at war within you?

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Spiritual warfare.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist [G436] the devil, and he will flee from you.

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Strong's Greek: 1228. διάβολος (diabolos) — 38 Occurrences

BDAG:
② subst. in our lit. as title of the principal transcendent evil being the adversary/devil

James was talking about Satan, the devil, not a human person. It's spiritual warfare. He taught believers to stand firmly against temptation, deception, and sin. Resistance here involved recognizing the devil's strategies, relying on God's strength, and refusing to give in to evil influences.

How to reconcile the two passages?

Jesus' teaching and James' exhortation complement each other. They reveal the dual nature of the Christian life: lovingly absorbing personal offenses while boldly resisting the spiritual forces of evil. By submitting to God and walking in His wisdom, believers can embody both the humility of Christ and the steadfastness of faith.