James 4:1-12 Lesson 10

Friendship with the world and the solution to it

Verse 1

The source of fights and quarrels

In our previous chapter, James discussed the inner cause of the spiritual problems his “congregants” were experiencing by focusing on two of the more negative motives that drove said conduct (bitter jealousy and selfish ambition). But one may well ask, where do those come from? They don’t just originate out of nowhere. Verse one begins to answer this question by explaining the ultimate source of all the negative attitudes one can possess. Chapter four builds upon the previous chapter, continuing the subject through a closer examination of the inward cause of sinful behavior and the solution to the problem.

Worth addressing early on is the question of “What were the believers of our book fighting and quarreling about?” If we go back to chapter three, verse one, the subject of teachers begins with a warning from James that not many within the assembly (of which there were multiple scattered throughout the Roman Empire of that time) should become teachers. Apparently, many unqualified individuals contended for leadership positions in the church. However, our present verse has more than just that in mind, including likely disputes among the rich and poor brothers and sisters over money and decision-making (what should be done to alleviate suffering?). There were multiple causes for the spiritual turmoil that occurred (power, prestige, affluence, comfort, personal reputation, etc.). However, Chapter Four gives us a clue to another primary reason (see our paragraph below).

Verses thirteen through seventeen of our chapter (which we will examine in our next lesson) suggest that some attempted to evade the difficult trials and persecution they faced from the rich, to minimize the suffering that had befallen them. Why else would some of these believers be so hasty to get rich quickly? But if the Lord wants to grow our faith through testing (we can never advance spiritually without some pressure), then trying to take matters into our own hands without the Lord’s consent is a dangerous gamble. Again, we will discuss these matters further in our next lesson.

We now have a thorough understanding of the inner motivations behind the fights and quarrels within the Jewish assemblies and what they were all about. Now, James wants to delve further into the underlying causes of the internal motivations that drive the negative behavior he has thus far condemned. Firstly, quarrels tend to refer to arguments, whereas fights (which can be more aggressive verbal exchanges) involve physical force used by one person against another. All three were most likely involved, though it’s likely that verbal confrontations (ranging from mild to severe) were more common. “ Fights" isn’t a bad translation, but it conveys the idea of a war or conflict between individuals, involving heated arguments (quarrels).

The phrase “is it not this” expects a no answer (we could add that James used sarcasm here). Sinful passions produce mental, verbal, and overt sin. “Passions” would refer to the inner desires of the entire person (the body, as well as the human spirit), some sinful, while others not necessarily so. It all depends on the motivation, aim, and goal of the desire. For example, having an inner passion for eating is not inherently sinful (the reader can think of many more examples). The idea is obtaining something to satisfy one’s desires for the sake of pleasure, fulfillment, enjoyment, and (in cases where it is applicable) survival.

But, on the other hand, desiring leadership prestige, or power for all the wrong reasons (with evil motives to spend on one’s passions, James 4:3), is wrong. The idea is that it is wrong to sin to get what one wants, a point our following few verses will elaborate on. Sexual desire is an obvious example because desiring sex is a common and natural human desire that involves pleasure. The desire, by itself, is not sinful, nor is it wrong if it consists in engaging with one’s spouse to channel one’s natural sexual urges. But there is a difference between sexual desire and lust. Both are desires, with one linked to the sinful nature. The immoral behavior James calls out in our verse stems from the flesh and must be distinguished from non-sinful desires (passions or pleasures). It is not wrong to desire pleasure if it doesn’t involve sin. But wanting something one shouldn’t have for the wrong reasons and engaging in sinful behavior (overt sin) to get what one wants goes beyond this and comes from our fallen, evil flesh.

It is fine to want good things for all the right reasons, especially if what we want are things within the Lord’s will for us to have. But what James has in mind here specifically are passions attached to the sinful nature, not the Spirit. And nothing good ever comes from this negative part of our makeup (since even believers are still sinners by nature).

Therefore, those passions at war within us can only refer to those evil desires stemming from the sin nature that stand in opposition to the Holy Spirit’s will (as mentioned in the passage below). Desire, like zeal (Galatians 4:18), can be good, but only if it doesn’t involve sin (or anything to do with our fallen nature).

And although Paul contrasts believers with unbelievers in the passage in Romans below, it is true that (as was the case with the recipients of our letter) believers can and often do walk in the flesh by failing to live according to the Spirit’s power. All believers are in the Spirit in the sense that they have Him permanently residing within them. But that doesn’t mean we are always relying on His strength (walking in the flesh results in sin and being out of fellowship with Christ).

As a final note to finish off this verse (a point I emphasized in James 1:14 in lesson four), the sin nature cannot force us to do anything we don’t want to do. So, although we are all tempted by our evil desires stemming from the sin nature (the devil may or may not be involved, since he is not omnipresent), we have a choice to say no. The believers in our context (and this applies to all Christians throughout history) needed to start desiring God more than their sinful cravings. Ultimately, the issue boils down to free will. We choose what we truly want. The flesh may want certain things, but we don’t have to feed those desires because we can choose to react in a godly way.

Verses 2 and 3

Murder, covetousness, fighting, and quarreling

This section continues the subject of verse one by further highlighting some of the other sinful behaviors the Jewish believers in our context engaged in. Verse one addresses the “why,” while verse two delves more into the problems themselves. The word “desire,” translated as “lust” in some other versions, accurately reflects what these believers were doing because they continually caved into the cravings of the sinful nature. The Greek word for lust has the idea of passionately longing for something or deeply desiring it. And, as already mentioned in our previous verse, the motivation and object of desire/lust make all the difference. Naturally, there are plenty of things we can and should want. But that is clearly not what James has in mind.

Part of our sinful human heritage is this inner desire to have something we shouldn’t have for all the wrong reasons. One example is sexual lust (the reader can think of plenty more). More specifically, the believers in our book sought leadership, wealth, fame, approval, and power. Verse two describes the sinfully drastic measures some of these believers had taken to gratify their inner desires. None of this guarantees that they all got what they wanted. Some may have (despite obtaining what they wanted in all the wrong ways), while others didn’t and were left feeling bitter and resentful. Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition often led to “murder.” The common question readers of this verse have posed is, does the word “murder” refer to the taking of someone’s life or something else?

Firstly, and before we answer that question, we need to remember that even believers can kill (James is writing to believers!). King David murdered Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to cover up his adultery (2 Samuel 11). And 1 Peter 4:15 reads, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.” Christians can physically murder other people (although this would speak very poorly for their inner spiritual state and will result in severe consequences).

Time and space do not permit a lengthy, thorough, verse-by-verse explanation of the two passages above. Whenever we (speaking of believers here) hate others from the heart, we are, in effect, acting as murderers. Some in James’s audience hated their fellow brothers and sisters because they didn’t have what others had (we’ve already seen some of those things). Cain’s hatred and murder of his brother stemmed from a bitter jealousy because God was pleased with Abel’s offering but not with his (for reasons we should already be aware). Likewise, the inner hatred displayed by some of the Jewish believers in our book stemmed from the bitter jealousy they had developed toward one another. The inner hatred described thus far originated in the heart, from which all evil flows.

I should clarify that 1 John 3:4-12 does not teach that we lose our salvation because of sin. Instead, verse ten aptly describes the children of the devil as those who practice unrighteousness (rather than righteousness). James wrote to believers who had retained their faith, but many were struggling with sin to a terrible degree. We don’t need to say much about this (given that we have already examined the subject of apostasy), other than to clarify again that there is a big difference between struggling with sin and continuing to practice it for life (believers care, while unbelievers don’t, 1 John 5:18).

For even when sin is involved in the process of apostasy (it doesn’t have to be until the person in question starts turning away and often isn’t), it is never the direct cause (because Christ already paid for all our sins on the cross) but a highly contributing factor that weakens faith by hardening the heart and searing the conscience. This process will, in turn, force a person to either choose continued allegiance to Christ or total defection to Satan instead. One cannot continue practicing sin without worry or care and expect one’s faith to survive. That is why those who practice sin (“practicing” or “continuing” to sin is the idea presented in 1 John 3:9) cannot be born from above and will not inherit God’s kingdom (Galatians 5:19-21 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). People are condemned, not because of sin (if that were the case, none of us would or could be saved) but because they refuse to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ (John 3:17-21). It is all about faith, and if we snuff it out through our own choice, then we have chosen to throw away our salvation.

Whenever we sin, we have an advocate with the Father through Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1). David never lost his salvation when he sinned but sought to regain the joy and assurance of it when he confessed his transgressions to the Lord (Psalm 51). However, when we err, we must repent and confess immediately (1 John 1:9, John 13:10). As Matthew 5:21-26 (quoted above) confirms, we would all stand condemned for even one sin were it not for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We have all had our inner moments of hatred, if we were to be honest with ourselves. As believers, we sin every day. But there is no excuse for disobedience, and the damage wrought by such conduct is real (as can be seen from our present context).

Inner hatred can lead to physical murder, and that was a possibility among these churches (as it is with any believer in any congregation). When I first began to study this verse, my gut feeling told me that James was being figurative, speaking about the kind of murder born out of a hateful heart, not the literal, physical act itself. After some wavering between the two views, I have come to stand by my original belief that James is being figurative or speaking metaphorically (see 1 John 3:15). This also makes sense for the reasons given below.

If physical murder had been occurring, James would have elaborated a bit more on the proper procedures for dealing with it because physical murder would have warranted more serious punishment (such as imprisonment or physical death, depending). The tone and tenor of James’s writing is solemn but not serious enough to indicate a sin that grievous in nature. All sin is sin, yes, but some are more serious than others in that they carry greater consequences. When the young man mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5 committed incest and adultery, Paul called for the assembly to expel him unless he chose to repent (2 Corinthians 2:5-11 indicates that he did). Immediate action was needed against the individual due to the corrupting influence that could have spread to others. One would imagine that if some of those within James’s congregation were literally “striking each other down,” he would have addressed the matter more thoroughly. I agree with Luginbill’s view that this is metaphorical or hyperbolic language. Below, he writes,

The next part of our verse reads, “You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.” Many of these believers envied/coveted, lusted after/longed for things which they either weren’t meant to have or needed to seek in the correct, biblical way. And even if something is within the Lord’s will for us to have, we may have to wait a long time to receive it (patience is key). Impatience appears to have been another significant issue for James’s readers.

It should be clear why our believers weren’t getting what they wanted; they had impure motives (verse three will weigh in more on that), they reacted sinfully to not getting what they wanted, and they refused to ask in the right way (“You do not have because you do not ask”). Wealth was one of these desires (there is nothing wrong with asking God for more if the motives are pure and it is within the Lord’s will, James 4:13-17). The Bible commands us to ask, provided we do so on God’s terms.

The passage below relates to what James told those under his care back in James 1:5-8 to do when praying for wisdom: to ask in faith without doubting. Asking with impure motives is one way to pray with a double mind!

However, we need to remember that just because we ask for something in the correct way doesn’t mean we will get what we want. We may fulfill the proper “protocol” of asking, but the Lord may never grant said requests for reasons unbeknownst to us at the time. We may come to find out later why the answer was no (or perhaps not). Either way, we can take comfort in the fact that the Lord knows what is best for us, so that if He withheld anything from us temporarily (long-term) or entirely (the answer is no), we can be sure that He had our best interests at heart. And suppose we do have to wait for an extended period. In that case, we mustn’t forget about many of the great heroes of the faith who endured long, trying periods before they ever saw what God had promised them so long ago (Abraham waited 25 years or so after God’s promise to provide him with an heir). Prayer requires faith, Hebrews 11:1-2 (with patience intertwined). It is necessary to understand that patience is key to a successful Christian journey. No wonder James mentions it in our next chapter! When besought with various trials, the answer is not to run from them by trying to take matters into our own hands in a sinful manner (as some of the believers in our book were doing by trying to evade persecution and financial poverty), but to face them in patient faithfulness, knowing deliverance in this life and the next will result.

Verse three ends with, “3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” We just mentioned that pure motives are imperative for effective prayer. Therefore, it should be no surprise that many of our Jewish believers didn’t get what they wanted (they were acting like spiritually immature, spoiled children). Money and wealth were likely sought not only to alleviate the persecution they faced from the unbelieving rich but also to gain approbation, fame, power, prestige, and so on. Basically, they wanted to pursue the world’s pleasures (“passions” in this verse again referring to sinful lusts). That is why our next verse calls out this ungodly relationship with the world on such strong terms. It is not for no reason why James wrote about putting and keeping these matters in their proper place.

Verse 4

Friendship with the world is enmity with God

The original Greek text contains the word “adulteresses,” not “adulterers” or “adulterous people.” However, both interpretations still capture the true meaning of the verse because James has all his readers (those guilty of sin, if the shoe fits) in mind, both men and women. The phrase “adulterous people” was just another way James described the friendship with the world that some of his readers were engaging in. The idea is that one cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24) or be “spiritually engaged” to Satan (and the world-system he propagates) and God simultaneously. The word “adulteresses” aptly describes this behavior because spiritual unfaithfulness is analogous to marital infidelity. Our Jewish believers were saved because they still possessed faith, but some were flirting with apostasy (unfaithfulness, potentially leading to spiritual divorce is the analogy). These guilty Jews were not apostates (most of them, at least as far as we can tell), but were acting like unbelievers in thought, speech, and conduct, which warranted this strong language from James. Like Paul in the passage below, James too possessed a righteous jealousy for his fellow brothers and sisters.

It is possible that most did not heed James’s letter and went off the deep end. Indeed, there is no guarantee that everyone took his words to heart and obeyed, much like how some (if not many or most) of the Jewish believers in Jerusalem to whom Paul wrote through the book of Hebrews failed to listen and eventually forsook the way. We need to remember that James encountered some of the same problems Paul had with his Jewish congregants, who were in danger of spiritual shipwreck due to compromise. Those believers were, in effect, on their way to totally rejecting the Lord and Savior who had bought them because many of them had fallen back into the old ways of the Law that proclaimed a Messiah not yet come (even though He had) through the continued practice of ritual animal sacrifice. The Jerusalem believers called out in Hebrews were bordering on complete apostasy. By continuing to offer up animal sacrifices, they had gradually slipped closer to rejecting their Messiah because they proclaimed by their actions (through animal sacrifice and the many other obsolete rituals of the Mosaic Law) that Christ had not come and died on the cross. This was tantamount to rejecting Him entirely, an action many had come close to doing, while others had already done so (we have no idea of the numbers).

As a quick reminder and review of our introduction to our present epistle under examination, I would like to say a few words regarding the relationship between the book of James and Hebrews. Firstly, as already pointed out in the introduction (see the link below), James wrote his letter after Hebrews and was motivated by Paul’s earlier work to help prevent all the Jewish believers outside of Jerusalem from falling prey to the spiritual dangers that some of Paul’s readers had (or almost had, depending on the individuals) succumbed to (see here for Luginbill’s comments on that).

However, I should add that there are many differences between the two books. True, both addressed Jewish believers steeped in the Mosaic Law and in danger of reverting to it as a means of salvation. But although James likely had this concern in mind, there is no mention anywhere in his epistle of any of his readers returning to animal sacrifice (let alone attempting to return to the Law in general) as if Christ had never come. James 1:25 mentions looking into the perfect Law of Liberty (the entire Word of God, mainly NT or new covenant teachings), and James 2:8-13 also references it. So, some of our Jewish believers were failing to embrace the freedom provided by the new covenant of grace, empowered by the Holy Spirit. However, there is no mention of any severe issues with these believers reverting to the Law for salvation, as was the case with those to whom Paul wrote in Hebrews. Instead, James was more concerned with preventing that from happening than with trying to get them out of said legalistic behavior after the fact.

As mentioned in the introduction, James contains many moral and ethical teachings that mirror the wisdom of Proverbs and the teachings of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (which makes sense, since James was one of the half-brothers of our Lord). His letter is more concerned with instructing his “sheep” on how to live a godly life, particularly while enduring various trials and tribulations (some of which involved persecution by the wealthy in the societies they found themselves in). This includes applying the truth one has understood and believed (seeking and practicing the wisdom from above) in the face of distressing circumstances. In this way, James was preparing his readers to counter the many false claims of the Judaizers who may have wished to target them as well, just as they had done with the Jewish believers in Jerusalem. However, many of his recipients weren’t faring so well (even without the negative influence of the Judaizers), hence he needed to straighten them out. If they weren’t coping well without the threat of compromising with the Law now, how would they react when presented with the persuasion that they needed to return to it all over again? James needed to address their present spiritual “ailments” so that they could be prepared for any future threats that might enter their midst.

To resume verse four, the next part reads, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” The word for friendship is φιλία (filia) and refers to a loving relationship or association with someone or something. This love for the world is the exact attitude the Bible warns against (if discussing the principle in general). So, although the word φιλία (filia) expresses a more personal love with someone or something (hence the word, friendship), it points to the same principle described in our verse below, which uses the word “agape” (love). Being a friend of the world is loving it more than one should, instead of God, so that the differences are moot, in this case (friendship with the world is love for the world).

The word “enmity” refers to spiritual hostility (you’ll find hostility mentioned in some of the other English versions). Some interpret these words to mean that believers can be enemies of God (“Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God”). This is true only to the extent that Christians can “act” like enemies of God, just as their behavior can parallel that of unbelievers when their hearts are in the wrong place. However, behaving like an unbeliever doesn’t make one an unbeliever because one stands in the realm of life, while the other remains in the domain of darkness.

Therefore, only unbelievers can be said to be true enemies of God. James put things this way because some under his care were acting as if this were so and needed the warning that if they continued on their wrong course, they would eventually become true enemies by committing apostasy (some may already have abandoned the faith). The point is that Scripture never identifies the believer as a true enemy of God. We can certainly act like His adversaries when we are involved in any pattern of sinful behavior that requires repentance and confession. But the one who believes in Christ stands forgiven. Though that is true, sin is serious (detrimental and antithetical to faith), bringing with it its own dangers and consequences.

Verse 5

The Spirit sets its desire against the envy of the flesh

James 4:5 is one of the most misunderstood verses in the entire book. In addition to knowing the structure and grammar of the verse itself, the key to understanding it is knowing which passage of Scripture James quotes. I agree with Luginbill’s view that James quotes Galatians 5:17 (see here for the reference), which, by his translation, reads, “Thus the flesh (i.e., the sinful nature of Man) sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit sets its desire against the flesh. For these two are antithetical to each other, and so the result is that it is not your own will that you are carrying out.” His translation of James 4:5 reads likewise as “Or do you assume that the Scripture (i.e., Gal.5:17) says to no purpose “The Spirit” which dwells in you “sets its desire against” [such] envy [emanating from the sin nature, a situation rampant among you (as is evident from the examples given in verses 1-4)]?” He then goes on to say…

In other words, the Holy Spirit sets His desires for us against the envious desires of our flesh (the sinful nature that “desires” our obedience) because both are opposed to each other. Since that is the case, why would James’s Jewish recipients continue to fight against the Holy Spirit that dwelt within them? That is precisely what they were doing (fighting each other because of resisting the Spirit’s controlling influence), and James lets them know that in no uncertain terms. It was in this way (by resisting the Holy Spirit) that they were being hostile to God (James 4:4). Therefore, this should have led them to humble themselves and walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, which comes right before the verse quoted by James, Galatians 5:17).

Before moving on, it would be proper for me to point out what it means to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16) and keep in step with Him (Galatians 5:25). I have discussed these matters elsewhere throughout this ministry and the short and simple answer to what it means to walk by the Spirit is to give ourselves over to His controlling power by fully surrendering our hearts/minds over to Him so that He will direct all our thoughts, words, and actions (it’s that simple). There is no magical formula or incantation to do this, because our part only involves giving ourselves over to God, which puts us under the Holy Spirit’s control.

Keeping “in step,” on the other hand, involves continuing to follow the Spirit’s leading wherever He leads. Since we can only live the Christian life in the power of the Spirit (we do not possess Him inwardly for no reason), then it stands to reason that we should also follow Him for the rest of our lives, which includes heeding His promptings and continuing to live and fight (spiritually) through His power. A common metaphor used by many pastors and theologians is that of a dance (one is a leader and the other, a follower). We need to allow the Spirit to continue leading (guiding) and empowering us wherever we go and in everything we do. We will discuss these matters more in the following few verses.

Verse 6

God gives more grace to the humble

James 4:6 is a quotation from Proverbs 3:34 and a passage his Jewish recipients would have recognized because of their familiarity with the Old Testament. Based on the introduction to our present series (James, Jude, and Peter’s epistles most likely having been stimulated by Hebrews), it is unlikely James quoted from 1 Peter 5:5 because, according to the order quoted and mentioned in our intro, 1 Peter was most likely written after James. Therefore, we may conclude that James quoted Proverbs 3:34, which makes sense because he wrote to Jewish believers familiar with the Old Testament (all of it, not just the Pentateuch).

The words, “He gives more grace,” refers to the fact that despite all the fleshly and satanic opposition we face from within and without, the Lord (particularly, the Holy Spirit as Luginbill comments, see the link above for my reference on that), provides us with more than enough strength to resist the sinful urges of our flesh (He gives us more grace to resist the Devil verse seven). As we submit to Him and obey (complete submission is the prerequisite for benefiting from the Spirit’s controlling influence, James 4:7), He grants us even more strength and grace to overcome any temptations we face. And this extends not only to His providing for our spiritual victories but also to His providing for our recovery from spiritual failures (1 John 2:1).

However, the Lord cannot aid us in spiritual battles we aren’t willing to fight due to pride, jealousy, and selfish motives (as was the case with our Jewish believers who fought against each other). Since many of James’s readers were resisting the Spirit by putting their own interests before that of the others (something Philippians 2:3-4 warns against), they couldn’t benefit from God’s gracious deliverance, not because His “arm was too short” (Numbers 18:11-23) but because many of them had habitually sided with the sinful nature the Holy Spirit within them so vehemently set Himself against (He always has, does, and will). God’s grace is always with the believer, whether in obedience or in disobedience, and what I mean is that we still retain our salvation when we sin (we are saved by grace through faith alone, Ephesians 2:8-9). But the believer can only experience more of this grace (God’s further provision and blessing) as he advances in progressive justification/sanctification, because God’s unmerited favor can be tapped into further only by obeying His will.

The word “grace,” as many readers of Scripture already know, refers to God’s unmerited favor (toward believers, in this case, because James is speaking to believers who needed to embrace the Lord’s compassionate help to overcome their struggles). Yes, God extended His grace to all people through the sacrifice of His Son, but only believers can genuinely benefit from it because they believe. But we can benefit even more by advancing spiritually (we note how in 1 Timothy 6:12 Paul tells Timothy, “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”). It is not for no reason that so many of Paul’s letters open with the words “grace and peace” because few things are more important for the believer to desire than those. But when believers behave as enemies of the cross, they begin to lose out on the spiritual benefits accessed through spiritual growth. Positionally, all believers have God’s grace. But those who reject and spurn it more in their lives by failing to apply the truth will miss out on all the spiritual benefits given to those who consistently live according to the truth.

For the believer, they must continue to hold to their faith till the very end, which requires faithful and continuous spiritual growth (progressive sanctification/justification). All this to say, the believers to whom James wrote were not experiencing (walking in) God’s grace as they should have, because many of them were resisting it through their own proud and selfish motives (as we recall the words “selfish ambition”). The Greek word for “proud” in our verse is Huperephanos (ὑπερήφανος) and means to be arrogant or haughty in showing oneself above others. Not only does God oppose the unbeliever, but He opposes (sets Himself against) the haughty, arrogant behavior of the believer walking in the flesh. No believer is a true enemy of Christ (although we can certainly live that way, as many of James’s did). But this doesn’t mean the Lord will tolerate consistent sinful behavior (He tolerates absolutely none).

The more we plunge headlong into sin, the more withdrawn we become from God. By continuing down such a path, we open ourselves up to greater spiritual peril unless we heed the Lord’s discipline and return. We can be assured that open and flagrant behavior will not go unnoticed and will warrant the Lord’s disciplinary action when we fail to get right. The more we sin, the less of God’s favor we will have (somewhat like how the Lord often no longer helped Israel to fight against her enemies but gave her up to them when they continued to disobey). The point is that the more obedient we are, the more God’s favor will shine upon us in carrying us to spiritual victory. But the less cooperative we are, the less we will benefit from Him (resulting in fewer spiritual blessings). Embracing grace does not mean using it as a license to sin (Romans 6:1-2). Instead, God’s love toward us should lead us to repentance (we will see some metaphors James uses in the following verses to describe this repentance that many of his believing readers needed). Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Verse 7

Submitting to God by resisting the devil

James presents a straightforward solution to overcoming sin in verse seven by emphasizing repentance and personal sanctification. The word for submit (both it and the word resist are aorist imperative commands) is ὑποτάσσω hupotassó and refers to subordinating and subjecting one’s will to God’s. So, if sin is involved (as was the case for many of the recipients of this epistle), then a change of mind, heart, or attitude is necessary to produce a change in lifestyle or behavior. This was the situation for many in James’s reading audience, scattered throughout the Eastern Roman Empire in various congregations.

When a person first believes in Jesus Christ, they have fully committed themselves to following Him faithfully until death (true faith and the life lived thereafter is a commitment, 2 Corinthians 11:2). The Jewish believers in our context were already saved and, thus, committed. However, a believer’s level of faithfulness (commitment) may fluctuate throughout life and can even decline significantly if they have wandered too far into the wilderness. Our believers did not need to “recommit” in the sense of getting saved all over again because a person can only be saved once (they were already saved and didn’t lose their salvation). If apostasy occurs, and said individual chooses to leave and never return, their commitment is entirely over. But that is not the situation James is dealing with here.

On the contrary, many of these believers (the Jewish brothers and sisters in our context) were out of fellowship with Christ because of their sinful choices and, in that sense, needed to get back on course by getting back into fellowship with God. Believers are already committed to God through faith, while unbelievers are not (John 3:16-18). But if a believer has been living in disobedience to God, they need to submit to the Lord through repentance (which restores fellowship previously affected by prior sin). This is analogous to the prodigal son returning to his father after his time away. It is not as if the commitment ever broke in this case. Instead, it dipped to a lower level that threatened to eradicate it (though whether it comes close depends on how much effect any believer allows habitual sin to have on their faith). Even believers don’t always cooperate as they should (granted, no one will ever be perfect). If we have been backsliding and living in unrepentant sin, then we need to stop doing it by choosing to do things God’s way instead of our own by subordinating our entire selves to Him (even though we already belong to Christ). As the Lord’s soldiers, we need to take care not to allow sin to harden our hearts (Hebrews 3:12), leading us to fall away from Him. We can be sure that divine discipline will come first, and if we don’t allow that to have its intended effect, we are in danger of going AWOL altogether.

Instead of resisting God’s will and influence in our lives, we need to resist the flesh and the Devil instead. God has a plan for all of us. But how can He fulfill it if we don’t cooperate? Sin only hinders our forward progress and makes us less useful to the Master who made and bought us. And included in submitting ourselves to the Lord is availing ourselves of the power of the Holy Spirit. For if we aren’t in fellowship with Christ, then we aren’t walking by the Spirit, and if that be the case, we cannot resist temptation (Galatians 5:16-18). As already mentioned, there is no special formula or magical incantation to recite when choosing to walk by the Spirit. We do it simply by surrendering our hearts or minds to Him who will direct our thoughts, words, and actions from there. That is what it means to choose to do things God’s way by allowing Him to be in the driver’s seat, for we cannot accomplish any of this in the flesh because, as our Galatians passage already confirms, the flesh sets itself against the desires of the Holy Spirit (the Holy Spirit sets itself against the envy the flesh has for our obedience to it).

The word for resist in verse seven of our passage is ἀνθίστημι anthistēmi and means to oppose, resist, or set oneself against. We believers need to set ourselves against the flesh and its temptations, just as the Holy Spirit does, which requires us to conform to His will and desires for our lives (our will must agree with His, so that both are on the same page). If we do this (choosing to say no to the temptation and yes to God), then the Devil will depart from us until a more opportune time to launch another attack. Yes, temptations will continue to come, but they can all be overcome by the continued resistance described in this verse. Verse seven presents a present-and-continuous command to act. As in, do this and keep doing it (Curtis Omo), a behavior that never stops (should never cease) this side of eternity, as long as we live in the Devil’s world. And this requires a firm and steadfast faith in the truth, the most remarkable example set by our Lord, who used Scripture to refute Satan’s attacks (words that our Lord had hidden in His heart so that they were foremost on His mind).

For more information on overcoming sin (the solution to it), please see here for the link to the study I have written on that very subject.

As with any discussion about sin, it is always important to highlight the fact that it should not be our focus because the Bible tells us to set our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2) and to forget and move on from our past failures (Philippians 3:13). Nor should we live in fear wondering when the next temptation will strike or when we will fail again. Again, our focus should not be on the problem but on the solution to it through the One who enables us to overcome it. The more preoccupied we are with sin, the more likely we are to spend our lives living in fear and anxiety about it, possibly even leading to more failure. Yes, we will continue to sin, and the temptations will keep coming. And, yes, the Lord wants us to give our very best and nothing less. But the more time we spend engaging in spiritual offense by focusing on the truth (seeking it out, understanding, believing, and applying it), the better our spiritual defense in personal sanctification (separating ourselves from all that is unholy and profane) will become as we resist it.

So, although the solution to sin is simple, I felt it necessary to explain things a bit more in the study referenced above. It has not been uncommon to hear many people ask, “How do I overcome sin?” and receive an answer of “Stop doing it” (often in the way James prescribes in verse seven). That is true, and it really is that simple. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t things that need to be spelled out to help others achieve victory over their personal struggles.

As a few examples, we need to understand the difference between testing and discipline. We need to know how to confess, forget, and move on from our sins. We need a biblical understanding of the great helper and advocate, the Holy Spirit living inside us, to better follow His lead. And it is critical to know what each part of the armor of God represents and how to use all of them to withstand all the Devil’s attacks (Ephesians 6:10-18).

All the examples listed above are discussed (to varying degrees) in the Bible and need to be understood by all believers (not to mention explained by pastor-teachers responsible for teaching them). And we need to keep in mind that all believers have different backgrounds (recent converts may have come out of the Catholic church, a cult or some other group whose teaching on sin and how to overcome it was twisted and backward), with many struggling with their application (their attempts to overcome sin) because of a misunderstanding of one or some of these topics (or any point related to overcoming sin for that matter). This, along with many of the common misunderstandings many believers have about sin and the solution to it, is one of the reasons why I dedicated a lengthy, in-depth examination of the subject to get the reader’s focus on the solution to the problem and to implement it in their lives through a correct understanding of all the points and subjects contained therein. The Devil is the father of lies (John 8:44) and will not turn away from any opportunity to mislead any well-meaning believer attempting to lead a righteous life. If he can warp our understanding of any of the abovementioned points, he can sow seeds of doubt, causing us to despair and wane in our efforts.

Finally, as I have mentioned in other lessons, not all temptations come from the Devil. Yes, Scripture describes him as the tempter, Matthew 4:3, but also leaves us in no doubt that he is not omnipresent (he isn’t everywhere at once). Are we to assume that we can never sin or feel tempted whenever he isn’t around? We also have our flesh to contend with (something the evil one takes great advantage of when he is involved), which can cause us to feel like giving in at any time (not that we ever must). We need to remember that we have free will and the power of the Holy Spirit to resist such inclinations (we never have to give in, and it’s never worth it).

But the source of any temptation (whether from both Satan and our flesh or just our sin nature alone) is, in all truth, irrelevant because a temptation is a temptation and must be resisted just like any other (the solution always remains the same, regardless of the level of difficulty of each temptation). Trying to disentangle the particulars (was Satan involved or not?) is a dangerous waste of time and puts our focus on the wrong thing by encouraging us to preoccupy our minds with the problem instead of the solution.

Verse 8

Drawing near, cleansing the hands, and purifying the heart

An important thing to note about James chapter four is the number of metaphors, hyperbole, and figures of speech contained therein, ones our writer could have used given how steeped his Jewish recipients were in the Mosaic Law. Some of the words and phrases we will see in this verse (cleanse your hands) and on (there were also some in our previous verses) are ones that the Jewish believers in our book would have understood well because of their familiarity with the Law (which they were no longer under at this point and hadn’t been for a long time ever since Christ’s first advent).

We mentioned repentance as a prerequisite to effectively resisting sin because no one would choose to do so unless they have had a prior change of mind about it (with the intent to stop doing it and the follow-through to prove it). James continues to focus on how to implement change in one’s life to resist sin effectively (the process and results of repentance), listing three commands for his readers to carry out immediately (all of which are intertwined with repentance). For those who weren’t struggling in the manner described at the beginning of this chapter and earlier in the epistle, then no further action on their part was required but to keep advancing in the same way they had been doing up to that point (even though no one is without sin). The three commands are to draw near to God, cleanse the hands, and purify the heart. How does a believer draw closer to God to have a better walk and relationship with Him? Well, if constant, habitual sin is involved, the first step is to repent, a subject we should already thoroughly understand at this point. Again, for those who were already well off spiritually and weren’t engaging in the behavior called out in this chapter (not that anyone is perfect), all they needed to do was keep progressing as they had been up to that point (and I should add, more aggressively with each passing day).

That is not to say mature believers don’t lapse into sin from time to time or have their own struggles to deal with (they may have even been addicted to sin themselves at some point, even as believers). We all sin every day and need to confess (an act stemming from repentance) whenever we err. But from what we have gathered from studying through this book so far, the issue for the believers to whom these words applied most was that they had unconfessed sin they failed to address (they were living in habitual sin and not dealing with it immediately, as the mature believer knows how to do).

Yes, these are words all believers should take to heart, because any one of us could fall into the egregious behavior being called out (this verse applies to all believers at all times). And even if we have been getting our sin under better control, these commands should still serve as a warning and motivate such individuals to strengthen their resolve to keep up the good work, while learning to be deadly serious about sin of any kind and quantity. For those who don’t have a pattern of sin they have failed to repent of, the command would be more along the lines of “keep drawing near to God” (with the purpose of continued sanctification to stay out of a pattern of sin). Our spiritual growth never ends this side of Heaven, and we will (or should) continue to grow closer to the Lord for the rest of our lives. There is no “arriving” in this life because that doesn’t come until eternity when we shall be perfect forevermore.

But for those engaged in the pattern of sinfulness James has thus criticized, they needed to draw near to God through repentance, because they were standing away from Him (their sin had put them out of fellowship with the Lord). They needed to return to God in their hearts (confession is a result of that), as the final part of our verse confirms. The promise of doing so was that God would also come near to them, restoring them to fellowship and bestowing upon them further spiritual wisdom, insight, knowledge, and blessings (James 1:5). When we draw near to God, He empowers us to live righteously by giving us the strength needed to obey (resist the Devil). After having done this, we may then spiritually grow, progress, and produce for Him. But because a righteous, holy God can have nothing to do with sin, engaging in a habit that we refuse to deal with separates us from His loving fellowship. This separation of fellowship and the principle that a righteous God cannot have any contact with sin was symbolized in the Mosaic Law by the laws on what was clean and unclean (or that caused someone to be “impure” and merited the individual’s temporary isolation or separation from society).

No, sin does not result in loss of salvation (although it can contribute, assuming it is involved in the process of apostasy). Christ atoned for the sins of the world so that all who end up in Hell went there, not because of sin (since it was nailed to the cross), but because they rejected Jesus Christ (John 3:16-18). And for the believer, we have been redeemed by Christ through our faith in Him, so that if we remain believers, there is no chance we will ever experience eternal death. But sin does cause a rift in our relationship with the Lord, necessitating our need to confess to get back under His protective control and care. The following passages give us a clear picture of what drawing near to God looks like.

The words “Cleanse your hands” are a figure of speech familiar to the Jewish recipients of our book, given the ceremonial washings so prevalent under the Old Covenant economy of the Law (Exodus 30:17-21). We can see how the Pharisees often twisted these rituals to their own advantage in Matthew 15. But again, James used this as a figure of speech or metaphor to make the point that his Jewish readers needed to rid themselves of their impure behavior because genuine repentance results in a change of action (fruits in keeping with repentance, as John the Baptist described in Matthew 3:7-10). A shift in behavior is what genuine repentance produces, just as true, active faith produces works (James 2:14-26). In other words, this is James’s way of saying they needed to stop sinning, verbally, mentally, and physically. They needed to become doers of the Word, not merely hearers (James 1:22-25).

James’s use of the word “sinners” was proper in the sense that even believers still sin because we all possess sinful natures (1 John 1:8). Plus, some of his recipients had been heavily engaged in sinful conduct, so that he could rightfully call them “sinners” (the title held for both reasons).

But outward change (the fruits of repentance) is only possible if there has been a change of heart because change always begins inwardly before expressing itself outwardly. I don’t believe the order James gives for these three commands necessarily reflects the order in which they take place, for that reason, nor are we meant to see that in this verse. I also say this because it is out of the heart that such evil deeds or sins (in thought, word, and deed) originate (Matthew 15:17-20). One cannot draw near to God unless they have had a change of heart; if that hasn’t taken place, we cannot “cleanse the hands,” so to speak. The inward change starts first and then manifests itself outwardly.

The believers in our context needed to return to the Lord in their hearts by reentering into fellowship with Him (drawing near to Him). We accomplish this through repentance, which is how we purify our hearts by resolving to rid them of all moral defilements. This, in turn, produces the outward results of obedience (cleansing the hands). We must first get rid of sin in our hearts before we can get rid of it in our lives. That means acknowledging we have a problem (you can’t fix a problem unless you know you have one) and actively choosing to do something about it.

In conclusion, all three of the actions commanded by James in this verse involve repentance (are intertwined with it). Repentance for the believer consists in turning away from sin back to God (Draw near to God), which requires a change of heart/mind/attitude (purify your hearts) that results in a change of lifestyle/action/behavior in thoughts, words, and deeds (cleanse your hands). The phrase, “You double-minded,” adequately describes some of these believers who wanted to live for God and themselves simultaneously. The truth is, no one can have it both ways.

Verse 9

Mourning, weeping, and gloom

The Greek word for wretched (grieve, as other English translations put it) is ταλαιπωρέω talaipōréō. It means to feel afflicted (grieve), to endure labors and hardships, to be sorrowful over circumstances, and to be miserable. Godly sorrow leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10), not only for the unbeliever in the context of 2 Corinthians, but also for the believer whose conscience has been stricken over habitual sin. In this sense, our word doesn’t necessarily express an overt display of tears and wailing (even if that can naturally accompany true repentance).

Basically, the idea is that sin (especially when it has developed into a pattern as our context describes) should disturb and upset us. If it doesn’t, something is clearly wrong. Our mental and spiritual “alarm bells” should go off. We should be upset and sorrowful (regretful) over flagrant, unconfessed sin in our lives. This requires us to recognize it and see it as it really is: the things we think, say, or do that displease God. For a believer to care less about disobedient conduct is to backslide, a process that, if taken too far, can lead to apostasy (the complete death of faith, James 1:14-15) or to premature physical death as the ultimate act of divine discipline (1 Corinthians 11:27-32). The more one sins, the duller the conscience becomes, and the less sensitive it is towards things that should disturb it. For it can be (and has often been the case) that a believer may even begin to justify sin to themselves the longer they follow its leading (“There is nothing wrong with this!”). Such is the deceitfulness of sin.

But it is never too late to turn around (as long as it is still called today, Hebrews 3:13). And many believers have lived in such an unrepentant state before returning. But the dangers of continuous backsliding always remain. This verse is James’s way of reminding us that repentance requires a genuine desire. And that is only possible by recognizing the problem for what it is, which requires us to regret what we’ve done (not be happy about it, but upset) by heeding the Lord’s convictions to return. We need to recognize the consequences sin brings and the divine discipline from the Lord meant to correct it.

The word for mourn is πενθέω penthéō and, in this context, has the idea of being saddened over sin. Clearly, if we aren’t disturbed (upset or regretful) by sin, something is wrong. But even if we are, we may still struggle greatly with a particular sin (whatever it may be) after having repented. Repentance doesn’t eliminate the struggle (we will continue to sin and struggle against it for the rest of our lives), produce perfection, or even guarantee we won’t commit the same type of sins many times later. Instead, it is all about our attitude (which, with time and dedication, should lead to fewer failures down the road).

The difference between a believer and an unbeliever is that one cares while the other doesn’t. Or it may be that a believer experiences a period of “being a prodigal son,” during which they don’t care for a long time, but then repent and return later. Or said believer may indeed be headed down a perilous path that leads to the two results mentioned above. Whatever the case may be, the Jewish believers in our book were living in unrepentant (unconfessed) sin because they failed to recognize the problems they had (nor does the text appear to suggest any prior remorse before James brought these matters to their attention). But now that they had been warned (sometime after receiving this letter), many or some of them (we have no idea whether most of those guilty individuals ever heeded James’s warnings, commands, and exhortations) no doubt took our writer’s words to heart and acted accordingly.

The word “weep” is self-explanatory and means to cry. Weeping wasn’t uncommon in ancient Jewish society. James chose his words appropriately to accommodate his fellow Jews in their own culture (although these words are for all believers, including us today). So, our Jewish readers would have been well acquainted with this language. There even existed “professional mourners” in ancient Israel for deaths and burials (Jeremiah 9:17-18, Amos 5:16, 2 Chronicles 25:35, John 11:33-38, and Matthew 9:23-26, among others). 1 Thessalonians 4:13 tells us not to grieve as those without hope (as the unbelievers do). But grief, tears, and sorrow are often a natural and genuine way to express legitimate sorrow (over sin in this context, resulting in repentance), love, and care for the deceased. Even Jesus wept over the loss of Lazarus in John 11:35. And there was also the legitimate practice of wearing sackcloth and ashes, common in Old Testament times (Jeremiah 6:26 and Jeremiah 49:3, as only two examples). This practice did not always involve crying or a believer (or a group of believers collectively) caught in sin (but, often, one praying on behalf of others for their deliverance or repentance), Esther 4:1.

To continue our interpretation of verse nine, we then have the sentence, “Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.” The Greek word for gloom refers to expressing grief, sorrow, and shame. This again confirms what we’ve already examined above, and that is that no believer can ever afford to be happy about sin! Our attitudes will determine whether we will embrace or reject its pull and influence in our lives. There is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:4), and joy is not appropriate before repentance! Joy and happiness amid continuous, unrepentant, and unconfessed sin are signs that it has begun to harden us. How can anyone turn back to God (draw near to Him) when they are happy with the sinful life they are leading? How can a believer obey the Lord if they remain content to remain in disobedience? Developing the correct perspective of sin and the attitude needed to correct it is the prerequisite to repentance.

It is critical to notice the bolded word “before” in the paragraph above. Our verse, James 4:9, is not saying this should be our experience after we’ve repented because the peace and joy of our salvation should return to us immediately after we’ve confessed our sins. If we are in true fellowship with the Lord because of having made the correct decision to get right with Him, how is that not a cause of rejoicing! Did not David (when he confessed his sins to the Lord) pray for the very same thing (for the joy of his salvation to be restored)?

True, the consequences of sin may linger for some time (even an extended period) after repentance. And the sting of the Lord’s discipline may hurt for a while until it subsides (as it did in David’s case). But that doesn’t mean we need to torture ourselves by either trying to punish ourselves (something only the Lord can do effectively through divine discipline) or being miserable all the time. Again, the joy and peace of our salvation should return to us immediately after we confess our sins. Feelings of inordinate guilt over the past only slow our forward progress by encouraging us to look back (something Scripture commands us NOT to do for that very reason, Philippians 3:14-15).

Finally, it is crucial to understand that repentance does not have to involve an open, emotional display to be genuine. Repentance does not have to accompany tears or any outward, dramatic, or exaggerated manifestation, because all that matters is that the person in question has genuinely had a change of heart (stemming from inner shame, remorse, and regret over what they have done), resulting in them turning from their prior way of life. So, although such open and dramatic displays can be a natural result of repentance (tears aren’t all that uncommon), they can also just as easily be a front done to falsely impress or deceive others (such as the type of behavior the Pharisees engaged in to be seen by men, Matthew 6:1-18). Such an outward display does not necessarily mean said individual has had a genuine change of heart, while someone else who quietly confessed to the Lord over in the corner (while experiencing inner grief and regret) hasn’t.

Verse 10

Humility before the Lord

Humility is, of course, a prerequisite to repentance because drawing near to God requires us to submit our will to His. We must want to stop doing things our way and do them the Lord’s way (repentance results in a change of lifestyle and behavior), because He knows what is best. Some of the Jewish believers in our context had unconfessed sin and thought what they were doing was okay (hence, they hadn’t made any efforts to address the problems among themselves). It is very easy for even believers to fall into the same trap the Devil did when he committed the very first and original sin of pride (Isaiah 14:12-18). Life is not about us because it is all about Jesus Christ. It is not about what we think is right or best. As James mentions in verse sixteen of our chapter, all such boasting about our own plans and desires (ones conceived without regard for the Lord) are evil when God’s will isn’t taken into consideration. Not that the desires or plans themselves are sinful in and of themselves (“Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”), but the attitude and overconfident boasting behind them that leaves God out of the picture. It all depends on the specific desire(s) and the reasons or motives behind them. Clearly, James 4:1-4 indicates that many of these desires that his recipients had, fought and quarreled over were sinful (“Is it not this, that your passions/desires are at war within you?”).

And what were many of our Jewish believers exalting themselves to attain? We know from our context that a lot of the conflict involved vying for positions of leadership (from those not humble enough to see they weren’t gifted or ready to be pastors, James 3:1), wealth, and self-aggrandizement, power (affluence), and self-gratification. Basically, many of these believers were putting themselves forward at the expense of others (including slander, James 4:11-12). But Philippians 2:3 tells us to “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility, count others as more significant than yourselves” (not that the verse is saying some people are better than others, of course). Indeed, the lust of the flesh (or inner desires, James 4:1) and the pride of life (if continuously pursued) will keep any believer out of fellowship with God (and any unbeliever from getting saved).

It is interesting to note that our verse has many parallels throughout Scripture (see passages below). Some of these are found in Jesus’s teachings throughout the gospels, teachings which James, one of our Lord’s half-brothers, was likely familiar with because of his relationship with our Lord (although it is likely he wasn’t a believer during Christ’s three-and-a-half-year ministry because his conversion most likely took place after Jesus’s resurrection). The book of James is, like all of Scripture, inspired by God, so that this epistle did not originate from James himself (he wrote what the Holy Spirit moved him to write, even though he physically penned these words). But his style (and all the writers of Scripture had their own styles) reflects what he was familiar with as a Jewish believer and half-brother of our Lord (the Law and teachings of Jesus).

The background and context of some of the above passages are pretty telling, and all of them proclaim the same principle taught in our verse. Luke 18:10-14 (the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector) describes one of Israel’s hypocritical leaders looking down on someone he considered inferior (he was proud of himself and his own works). This is perhaps similar (though not entirely the same since the Pharisee wasn’t a true believer) to how some of the rich (prominent, well-thought-of) believers among the scattered Jewish assemblies looked down on some of their poorer brothers and sisters (although the poor had their issues as well), and helps to explain why James had to address the matter earlier in chapter one.

1 Peter 5:1-6 gives the injunction to pastor-teachers not to lord (or domineer) their authority over those under their charge, but humbly set an example to them. Some of the teachers in the scattered churches were likely doing just that, which helps explain why others not gifted or prepared wanted the position for themselves. Those prospective teachers who only wanted to be pastors for power and self-aggrandizement (with their pride and ego involved) would not be exalted to the position by God for those reasons.

The bolded words, “Humble yourselves before the Lord,” remind us that our confession of sin is to God and Him alone (a principle that stands in stark contrast to the Catholic belief that we are to confess our sins to a human priest as well). Humility in this context is a right attitude or disposition of heart that leads to repentance and confession of sin. Our allegiance as believers is to Christ and Him alone, so that our acknowledgement of sins belongs only to God (for only He has the power to forgive in the ultimate sense by restoring the believer to fellowship). True, we are to forgive others when they sin against us (Matthew 18:21-35). However, our forgiveness of others (a sign we are in right standing with God) lacks the extraordinary divine power of God’s forgiveness of us when we err (Luke 5:21-27), because all sin is ultimately against God. Only God can forgive sins for salvation (His sacrifice on the cross atoned for all sins of all time) and for restoration of fellowship with Himself (in the believer’s case).

The Greek word for exalt is ὑψόω (hupsoó), which means to lift up, elevate (exalt), and enhance with fame, honor, and position. The fame, honor, and position, of course, refer to spiritual benefits (blessings) accrued in this life and eternal rewards, glory, and honor in eternity. Does this mean wealth, power, fame, and prestige have not been the lot for some believers throughout history? The answer is no because there is nothing sinful about any of those things in and of themselves (we have biblical examples of such individuals), if they don’t detract from one’s relationship with the Lord and are acquired in non-sinful ways (or don’t involve sin period). Some of our brothers and sisters may (by the Lord’s allowance and/or will) find themselves in said circumstances. But none of those things should be our focus or sought after without the Lord’s consent (if the Lord wills, James 4:13-17). Yes, humility can indeed produce worldly benefits that God gives to believers as blessings. But God will provide us with everything we need in this life to serve Him as best as we can (to fulfill His plan for our lives to reap a bountiful crop in eternity).

In summary, true humility leads to repentance (choosing to do things God’s way), which results in restoration of fellowship with the Lord and the attainment of the Lord’s blessings (only possible when the believer is in fellowship with God, 1 John 1:9). The blessings are primarily spiritual (resulting in maximum spiritual growth, progress, and production in this life and maximum eternal reward in the next) but can also include physical blessings. If greater wealth is something God wants to grant the believer, then He will do so if it is His will (hence, our following verses teach us not to boast but to keep God in the picture when desiring something we aren’t sure is His desire for us to have; James 4:13-17).

Humility is the only way to see and address any problems we may have (such as sin) because you can’t fix a problem unless you know and acknowledge that you have one. Pride blinds the eyes so that the person refuses to see their own spiritual condition (whether believer or unbeliever, John 9:41), and hardens the heart so that it cannot receive and retain truth. The only way to grow spiritually is to humble oneself to “receive with meekness the implanted Word.” And, in addition to receiving it, one must also apply it.

Verses 11 and 12

There is only One lawgiver and judge

The Greek word for “speak evil against” (καταλαλέω, katalaleó) in our verse above conveys the idea of slandering or accusing others of things that are either entirely false or only partially true. In other words, this would mean saying things that would damage a person’s reputation and refers to much of what was happening in the fights and quarrels occurring among the assemblies mentioned at the beginning of chapter four. What better way to get what someone else has than to discredit them (“You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel” James 4:2)? We have already seen James discuss the power of the tongue (how it can be used for evil and good) earlier in our book, and this section swings back to that topic by giving us more of a glimpse of how it had become such a problem in these scattered Jewish assemblies. There was a reason James had to emphasize this subject as much as he did.

As we’ve already examined above, all sin is, ultimately, against God (slandering and judging others, in this context, is the same as judging God’s law and, therefore, God Himself), so that confession to mere human beings for forgiveness (resulting in restoration of fellowship with the Lord) is a totally false and unbiblical teaching. Forgiveness of others is a sign that our hearts are right with the Lord and that we have confessed to Him already (faith produces works). So when our verse teaches us not to speak evil against others, the wrongdoing is against other people only in the sense that they were directly affected by said conduct (whatever harm is inflicted), which warrants our apologies to them and their forgiveness of us (“our” and “them” being used in the general sense, of course, whoever is the offender or victim and vice versa). That is why the Lord’s prayer tells us to confess our sins to God and to acknowledge that only He had the power to atone for them at the cross (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4; we owed a debt we could never have hoped to repay). We can and must forgive others (as Scripture so clearly commands, Matthew 18:21-35). But we do not have the power to forgive sins in the sense of granting unbelievers salvation or restoring believers to fellowship (our point). And as we shall see later, that is not the meaning of James 5:16a, which reads, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

Verse eleven continues, “The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law.” The word for judge is κρίνω krinō, and, in this context, basically means to give an opinion based on little or no evidence. Perhaps this opinion is a fact in the eyes of the one holding it and, therefore, sharing it. But it amounts to no more than a false opinion because it is untrue. Judging also involves speaking evil against someone else (in that sense, the words “speaks against a brother” and “judges his brother” both mean the same thing). However, a few words need to be said on the meaning and implication of the word “judge.” Our verse can’t help but remind us of our Lord’s words in Matthew 7:1-5. And while both passages are slightly different, they both teach the same underlying principle: we are not to judge unrighteously in any way, shape, or form.

I have already covered this topic elsewhere (see here), so I will reiterate much of what I said there. Unfortunately, many have taken Matthew 7:1-5 to mean that we are never to judge others. Firstly, our passage does not mean we aren’t supposed to judge at all. On the contrary, it is all about how we judge (righteously versus unrighteously). John 7:24 reads, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” So how do we differentiate between the two? Believers must make judgment calls all the time and, yes, we are to judge (discern or evaluate) other people, not only for our own spiritual safety (both believers and unbelievers, although our James context has believers more so in mind), but also for the safety and spiritual well-being of others. One could go on with a non-comprehensive list of examples so that it isn’t necessary to wade into the details because we only need to know the foundational principles. As intimated above, a godly, righteous judgment must rest on the truth (it is entirely factual) with pure motives and intentions (speaking the truth in love, Ephesians 4:15). The sinful type called out by James in our context under examination entailed false claims stemming from impure motives meant to inflict harm in various ways (for personal advantage and gain).

Secondly, the judging Jesus called out in Matthew involved hypocrisy (it was not forbidding judging others by itself). In other words, the judgment itself is correct (contrary to the false claims found in our James context) because the other person did have a “speck” in their eye. The issue was that the one pointing it out should have dealt with the “log” in their own eye first (you can’t help others when you badly need it yourself).

A righteous judgement not only entails the truth (it is based on nothing but fact) but must be done without hypocrisy (as the context of Matthew 7:1-5 so clearly shows). It is understandable (though still regrettable) that those on the extreme side that take these words to mean we aren’t supposed to judge at all would run to the conclusion they do because of all the false, hypocritical, and legalistic condemning that takes place in many churches today (and has over the course of church history). Naturally, this rightfully repulses a lot of people (as it should). But just because that extreme is unbiblical doesn’t mean that the other is. The truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Unrighteous judgment also entails looking down on others as if one were better (basically putting oneself in the place of God (“there is only one lawgiver and judge,” James 4:12). Verse eleven continues with the words, “speaks evil against the law and judges the law.” The law, as we have already seen, is God’s law as found in His complete and written Word. Once again, James wrote to a Jewish audience steeped in the Mosaic Law, so that his readers would resonate with his choice of words because of their background and culture. This “law” is none other than the law of liberty mentioned in James 1:25 and James 2:12 and constitutes all the New Covenant teachings available to James’s readers during this time (since the entire Canon of Scripture wasn’t yet complete at this point), and all of the old covenant teachings (rightly understood and applied) that carried over into the New Covenant (ones that didn’t become obsolete, Matthew 13:52). For us today, we have the entire completed Bible so that we can say this includes the whole New Testament. Therefore, James did not have the entire Mosaic Law specifically in mind (except for all the commands and teachings it contains that still apply today, such as loving one’s neighbor as oneself and loving the Lord with all one’s heart, soul, and mind, Matthew 22:36-40, as only two examples).

What does it mean to slander and judge the law? James 4:11-12 inveighs against slandering others and judging them unrighteously. If that is what we are doing, we are disobeying God’s Word. Disobedience, in this case, is the same as slandering and judging God’s Word because it is in direct opposition (hostility) to what God has commanded, just as many of the believers in our context were hostile to one another. By taking matters into our own hands and pronouncing judgments on others (ones we believe and wish others to consider are correct), we are saying that our ways are better than the Lord’s. By engaging in this type of behavior, many of the Jewish believers in our context (and this goes for all people of all time periods guilty of the same) were saying God (and, therefore, His Word, since both are one and the same John 1:1) isn’t good enough to do what only He and He alone can do (usurping Gods role, as if He needed our help). What a false judgment that is!

The final part of our verse confirms what we have said above: But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. No one gets to pick and choose what is right to do, agreeing with and applying specific commands while disregarding others. Choosing to act based on what we think is right when our behavior flies in the face of God’s commandments puts us in the position of “judge.”

And, as verse twelve tells us, we cannot be in this position of authority because there is only one lawgiver and judge. Our verse reads, “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” Believers may speak the truth in love (we are permitted to do that much, Ephesians 4:15, and see John 7:24). But we do not have the power to condemn others (only He who is able to save and destroy). Nor can we twist and redefine any of God’s Word (as many of the Scribes and Pharisees did with the Mosaic Law, as a similar parallel). If God’s Word tells us something is sinful, then we should not speak and act as if it is not. Instead, we ought to behave as if God’s Law will judge us! And since all these things are true, James could rightfully ask, “Who are you to judge your neighbor?” Who are we to put ourselves in God’s place?

References

All Greek words and definitions were sourced from Bible Academy, utilizing Curtis Omo’s lessons in the book of James. Prior permission for this was given to me by Curtis, who clarified that there was no need to cite him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwOmIhtFXF8&list=PLMu_1csD4LY9yVXlD84z6WaB50t6eu8aZ&index=13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4oUVoWinvQ&list=PLMu_1csD4LY9yVXlD84z6WaB50t6eu8aZ&index=14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW5JM_vzzzE&list=PLMu_1csD4LY9yVXlD84z6WaB50t6eu8aZ&index=15

Robert D. Luginbill’s comment on James 4:2…

“There is a lot of hyperbole and metaphor in this passage. I’m certain that “war” in verses one and two is not literal war. Also in verse four, the actual text is “adulteresses,” which has to be taken not exactly literally since obviously James is addressing men as well as women.”

See the link below for Luginbill’s interpretation and translation of James 4:5 and his comments on James 4:6 on the words “But He gives us more grace.”

Please note the identical italicized phrase in both passages: “sets its desire against”. This reflects very similar Greek phrasing in Galatians and James (epithumei kata and epipothei pros respectively). The two Greek verbs are close synonyms so that James’ paraphrase of Paul’s statement in Galatians is very close indeed. The thing which has probably caused most commentators and translators to miss the source of the quote (and thus the entire sense of this passage) is James’ use of “envy” to characterize the sinful behavior of verses 1-4. Clearly, however, “sets its desire against [such] envy” is the most straightforward way to render the Greek.

https://ichthys.com/mail-Spirit-that-dwelleth.htm