Obviously there were some divisions and disputes
among the early church. James wrote his epistle to the Jewish Christians who had
been scattered abroad because of persecution. He addressed problems they had
with prejudice and partiality, problems the tongue, and now he discusses fights and quarrels among them and shows them where
these problems originate.
What
causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your
passions are at war within you? James 4:1
When we choose to follow Christ we’re given the
Holy Spirit and a new nature, but we still have to battle the old fallen nature. We will have this struggle within until the day we meet Jesus.
When we get into a fight or argument we are quick
to shift blame to the other person. We've all said, “You make me so mad!” Nobody makes you mad other than yourself. Frankly, most of our
relationship problems exist because of unmet expectations.
You
desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you
fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not
receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. James 4:2-3
These believers desired what others
possessed, but rather than praying for what they wanted they would fight,
quarrel and murder. And when they did pray they still didn’t get what they
wanted because they prayed with selfish motives. We don’t know if this means
literal murder, but remember the scripture says, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer…” 1 John 3:15. God promised to supply all of our needs but not all
of our wants. Jesus said whatever we
ask according to His will, he would give it.
You
adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity
with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an
enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says,
“He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? James
4:4-5
Adultery is when you are married to one person and
yet you are sleeping with someone else. Spiritual adultery is being married to
Christ and sleeping with the world. You would be jealous if your spouse was an
adulterer, and God’s indwelling Holy Spirit is jealous when were guilty of
spiritual adultery with the world.
Worldliness elevates creature comforts to the
point of idolatry; sex, money and lots of material goods become our god. Worldliness
is preoccupation with temporal things of life and giving them more importance
than the things which are eternal. We are not part of the world system, so why
do we act as though we were? Engage the world but keep
Christ at the center.
But
he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace
to the humble.” Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James
4:6-7
We you read, study and
memorize the Word of God, you have an effective offensive weapon to use when
tempted and the Holy Spirit will enable you to resist the Devil. Remember the
Word is an essential part the armor of God. You’re no longer a slave to sin.
You can choose to resist temptation.
God wants to give us
more grace, but He can't help you when you're proud and refuse to repent of sin. First submit to God; then you can
effectively resist the devil.
Humble
yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time
he may exalt you,
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls
around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist
him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being
experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:6-9
