February 22nd

James 4:1-6

James is very specific here, identifying the source of human quarrels and conflicts as our inordinate lust for the pleasures of this world.

From whence come wars and fightings among you?  "brawlings." The reference is to strifes and contentions of all kinds; and the question, then, as it is now, was an important one, what is source or origin? The more probable reference is to domestic broils, and to the strifes of sects and parties; to the disputes which were carried on among the Jewish people, and which perhaps led to scenes of violence, and to popular outbreaks among themselves. When the apostle says "among you," it is not necessary to suppose that he refers to those who were members of the Christian church as actually engaged in these strifes, though he is writing to them; but he speaks of them as a part of the Jewish people, and refers to the contentions which prevailed among them as a people - contentions in which those who were Christian converts were in great danger of participating, by being drawn into their controversies, and partaking of the spirit of strife which existed among their countrymen. It is known that such a spirit of contention prevailed among the Jews at that time in an eminent degree, and it was well to put those among them who professed to be Christians on their guard against such a spirit, by stating the causes of all wars and contentions. The solution which the apostle has given of the causes of the strifes prevailing then, will apply substantially to all the wars which have ever existed on the earth.

“even of your lusts?” - Is not this the true source of all war and contention? The word rendered "lusts" rendered "pleasures." This is the usual meaning of the word ; but it is commonly applied to the pleasures of sense, and thence denotes desire, appetite, lust. It may be applied to any desire of sensual gratification, and then to the indulgence of any corrupt propensity of the mind…on a larger or smaller scale.

That war in your members - The word "member" denotes, properly, a limb or member of the body; but it is used in the New Testament to denote the members of the body collectively; that is, the body itself as the seat of the desires and passions, Romans 6:13, Romans 6:19; Romans 7:5, Romans 7:23; Colossians 3:5. The word war here refers to the conflict between those passions which have their seat in the flesh, and the better principles of the mind and conscience, producing a state of agitation and conflict. Compare Galatians 5:17. Those corrupt passions which have their seat in the flesh, the apostle says are the causes of war. Most of the wars which have occurred in the world can be traced to what the apostle here calls lusts. The desire of booty, the love of conquest, the ambition for extended rule, the gratification of revenge, these and similar causes have led to all the wars that have desolated the earth. Justice, equity, the fear of God, the spirit of true religion, never originated any war, but the corrupt passions of men have made the earth one great battle-field. If true faith in Christ existed among all men, there would be no more war. War always supposes that wrong has been done on one side or the other, and that one party or the other, or both, is indisposed to do right. The human heart with a spirit of justice, equity, and truth, which Christ would implant in the heart, would put an end to war forever. 

A Source of Great Evil: The Desire for Worldly Pleasure (James 4:1-6)
One of the most prevalent conditions plaguing mankind is the tendency to fight and quarrel with others. Whether it be sibling rivalries in the home or devastating and bloody wars among nations, the ultimate cause is the same—an improper desire for worldly pleasures. Rather than humbly seeking from God the good gifts He gives to His children, we instead fight to obtain things that rightfully belong to others. Or, if we do pray to God, it is often with selfish motives or a demanding attitude. To those who humbly submit themselves to Him, God gives a grace that is greater than our evil desires, enabling us to successfully resist them.

Those who have much expect much (and will often fight to keep their opulent lifestyle, or to increase it. Thus it is very hard for the rich of this world.

Nor are the poor of this world exempt from the temptation to quarrel and fight in order to obtain the pleasures of this world. This is evident in the high rate of violent crime that plagues our inner cities. Conflict is a vice that characterizes both rich and poor, and we cannot blame our environment for our quarrelsome behavior. The problem comes from within…

Man's problem with worldly desire is twofold: First, we never seem to be content with the good gifts God has given to us.

Second, when we seek such gifts, we seek them through illegitimate means—through deception, theft or injury—rather than by seeking them from the great Giver of all good things.

James 4:2 – You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

Blessed is the man, who like Paul, has learned the secret of godly contentment.

Philippians 4:11 – Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 – But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

“your pleasures that wage war in your members” – Both the saved and the unsaved are engaged in conflicts that arise from the sinful desires that abide in us. The difference is that the unsaved wholly give themselves over to such desires—fighting against anyone who would stand in the way of fulfilling those desires—whereas the saved have declared war against such desires so that the battle is now fought in the heart rather than in the streets.

In other words, the believer no longer sides with these sinful desires. They are still his flesh desires, yet he now views himself differently—as belonging to Christ—and sees the sinful desires as being incompatible with a proper relationship to His holy Lord. It is because he is now a different person, and the old, sinful desires have passed away if I reckon it to be so!  In other words I am a NEW me, but can still act like the "old" man – FLESH! If I CHOOSE WRONGLY! The sinful desires belong to the "old" mAN, but the "new" me is the real me—the "me" that has been saved from sin and that will inherit heaven. The "old" mAN has dieD—and I MUST ‘RECKON IT TO BE SO!’

Romans 7:19-25 “…Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”

Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Romans 6:11 – Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Our sinful desires are here seen to be waging a war within us, to obtain control of our bodies. If we do not resist and subdue the enemy THE FLESH it will gain control THROUGH OUR WRONG CHOICE! and expand the war to fight against those around us. This underscores the need to deal with sin in our hearts before it spills over into our words and actions.

Galatians 5:15-18 – But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

What does it mean to "walk by the Spirit" and to be "led by the Spirit" in this passage? Among other things, it means that we should always be conscious of our new relationship to Christ—united with Him in His death and His present life in heaven. And it means our lives should be lived with a constant concern for the things of God…

Matthew 6:33 – But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Colossians 3:1-3 – Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Matthew 6:20-21 – But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We are not to go on living our lives as the unsaved do. It should not be "business as usual" for the Christian. Instead, we should live each hour of each day before the face of God —being concerned for His glory, for our own sanctification and obedience, for the salvation of family members, friends and acquaintances, and for the spiritual growth of our brothers in Christ.

In part, this means meditating often upon God's glorious character and upon the great works He has done to save us: choosing, redeeming, quickening us. It means saturating yourself with the Scriptures, and with sound teaching from good books, good audio tapes, good radio programs, etc. It means looking for opportunities for witness and service, and being quick to take advantage of them. It means examining your heart—identifying the sin within—sins of both omission and commission—and dealing with them via confession, repentance and prayer. It also means examining your life— prayerfully considering the progress and direction of your life—evaluating your priorities, your job, your ministry in the church and at home, your witness at work and in your neighborhood—and considering how you might best use your gifts for God's glory.

It means asking yourself some important questions: Am I spending enough time in prayer and in the Word? Am I ministering adequately to my family through family devotions, by witnessing to my children, and encouraging my spouse regarding the things of the Lord? Am I living a consistent life? Are my job, my commute, my chores or my hobbies taking up precious time that could be spent with my family or with the Lord? Should I be giving more of my resources to the Lord's work? Should I change jobs or "sell the boat" or move into a less expensive house to free up more money for Christian ministry? Are there ministries at church I could be helping with? Or, am I so overcommitted with church ministries such that I am neglecting the spiritual care of my family? Should I consider starting a home Bible study, or perhaps offer my home as a place where someone else in the church could hold such a study? Has the Lord called me to be a pastor or a missionary? Should I adopt a child, or become a foster parent, or welcome an exchange student into my home? Could I help out at a nursing home, a shelter for unwed mothers, a youth camp or an inner-city mission? …

The list is virtually endless, and will undoubtedly be different for each of us, as the Lord lays particular burdens on each person's heart. The important thing is that we are asking such questions, and that we have an earnest, continual concern to live our lives for God's glory.

You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. – Lust and envy are the root cause of many sins. When a person is prevented from obtaining by legitimate means something he greatly desires to have, he often resorts to deceit, theft or quarreling. Yet earthly pleasures never satisfy—once we obtain the thing we desired, we want more, or else we want something different. The craving never ceases. The emptiness can never be filled with the pleasures of this life. It can only be filled with God Himself—He must come into our hearts and abide there. Once we have tasted God's goodness, earthly pleasures seem hollow and unsavory in comparison.

You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. – Rather than resorting to sinful solutions to obtain the things we want, James says that we should instead seek them from God in prayer. Those who do ask for such things often find that God does not give them the thing they ask for. Why? Because their motive for seeking these things is not pure. When we try to pray for some extravagant thing that doesn't honor God, we often feel the hypocrisy of it. Such a prayer seems merely to "bounce off the ceiling". At least it should. Those who have learned to value the things of God tend to pray differently. The subject matter of our prayers becomes more directed toward the things that glorify God, and the luster of earthly possessions seems to fade.

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. – James uses the word "adulteresses" to teach us that our love for the Lord is to be single-hearted. To set your desires on the pleasures of this world is to forsake God as your greatest pleasure. It is no different from a wife who sets her desire on someone other than her husband. This is why scripture equates covetous greed with idolatry…

Colossians 3:5 –Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

Friendship with the world is hostility toward God and makes you an enemy of God.

Matthew 6:24 –No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.  Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?

 

Some seem to find that as a difficult verse.  What do you think?  I believe that God desires that the human spirit He gave us at creation should set its affections wholly upon Himself. The Spirit who dwells within us earnestly yearns for us (i.e. for our affections and sanctification).  AND  God desires that we be filled with the Holy Spirit that He has made to dwell in us.

 

"GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." Submit therefore to God. – This seems to support interpretation that —God gives us a grace that is greater than our intense envy. This "greater grace" is able to overpower the intense envy that plagues our flesh!  Such grace is given only to those who are humble, for those who are proud would falsely claim credit for God's work. For this reason, we are to be submissive to God, forsaking pride in exchange for humility, that we might receive His powerful, victorious grace. (Proverbs 3:34)