Introduction
I want to announce something that may come as a shock to you: Penn State wrestling won the national championship. I know, crazy, right? There is a sense in which you might already pencil them in as victory before it begins. This is 12 out of the past 14 years, and this year, they set a record for points scored, surpassing last year. It’s almost as if victory is inevitable, and yet they have to show up; they have to compete well. It needs to be realized in real-time in order for that to come to fruition. In the Christian life, there is something even more secure than 12 out of 14. But just like wrestling it needs to be realized in real time. To show the reality of what is taking place. For Christians, this is the fight of faith. There is a day when we will be free entirely from sin and temptation, but until that day, there is a battle. In this battle, Christians, from age to age, showcase the beauty of their faith and the triumph of Christ.
Christians Fight God By Befriending the World
We Befriend the world because of indwelling sin
Why do we, as Christians, choose friendship with the world? Why do we fall into patterns and behaviors that are contrary to our new calling? Because of indwelling sin. The first few verses describe this.
War Within
James describes this as a war within us. Where desires lead us into a life of sin. It is unlikely that James means actual murder within the context of the congregation. The Greek, like English, can mean more of a war and fighting between people, often using words. This would connect it to the previous language in James, which talks about words being used for destruction. It may also be based on the sermon on the mount that Jesus gave, which discusses how the root of murder is harboring anger. This would relate to James’ use of desires.
Indwelling Sin Still Exists in Christians
Remember that James is addressing Christians. Over and over, he refers to them as brothers. Some of your translations may say, brothers and sisters. This was the common way to speak of those who were a part of the new family of God. We still speak like this; it’s Biblical language. 1 John talks about how God lavishes his love on us by calling us his children. We saw this language in the book of Galatians last year. Jesus modeled this in teaching his disciples to pray, referring to God as Father. Why bring all of this up? Because it is important to recognize that Christians still struggle with indwelling sin. Because of Adam’s sin, all people are fallen. In Christ, we are being made new, but our natures are not free from sin and corruption until Christ returns to make all things new. We live in what theologians call the already/not yet. We are already called saints – which means holy people. Holy is to be separate, set apart. Christians are set apart from sin in a certain sense. Meaning our sins are not counted against us, and we have power over sin in Christ. But we still have indwelling sin until all things are made new. That’s why James can call them sinners in verse 8. Failing to distinguish this can mean that we either downplay our victory in Christ or downplay our indwelling sin. Both lead to errors in Christian living.
Choosing to align with the world means choosing to fight against God’s plan and will
This concept is not new. Think of Adam and Eve back in the Garden of Eden. God’s will and plan for them was to flourish in the paradise that he made for their good. But they chose to rebel against him by trusting in what they thought was best. The temptation came from the outside, but it caused them to doubt God’s good design. They saw the fruit and it was pleasing to them. In other words they trusted their interpretation of reality over God’s decisive word.
In fact the same word here in James 4:4 as enmity in the ESV is used in the Greek translation of Genesis 3 to discuss the war between Eve’s offspring and the offspring of the snake. Jesus is the ultimate offspring of Eve and when we choose to love the world we are pitting ourself against him. We are behaving like offspring of Satan. To shift Biblical language, those who have been brought into light are acting like they are still in darkness.
The idea of world is has a specific meaning. It does not necessary relate to the things the world consists of as far as objects. We might say this as the noun aspects of the world. People, places, things. But it’s more to do with the direction of the world. Maybe we might say the verb. 1 John 2:15-17 says it this way,
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.[1]
David Wells puts it like this,
“Wordliness is…what any particular culture does to make sin look normal and righteousness look strange.”
See how it’s addressed verbs, actions, desires. John also touches on the temporary nature of the world and its twisted direction but how alignment with God is an enduring reality.
Today we hear talk of being on the right side of history. For Christians being on the right side of history is aligned with the author of history. One day all things will be made right, we are called to live today in light of that day. Trying to live contrary to that is to live contrary to the grain of God’s redemptive work. It’s to side with that which is passing away.
Aligning with the world and prayer
This is what James is getting at when he says that they ask and do not receive because they are split in their desires. Having one foot in the world and not truly desiring what God has to give in His grace. In fact it seems like in their selfish pursuits they either neglected prayer altogether or asked for things that would benefit themselves and increase their standing – ultimately serving their passions. They wanted to make God a co-actor in their selfish pursuits. He is a genie able to meet their every request. This is similar to the health and wealth gospel that is prevalent today. It teaches that if you only have enough faith, then God will make you healthy and wealthy.
God is for His People
Verses 5 and 6 continue to tell us God’s attitude toward the whole thing. Translations vary about how to interpret verse 5. Is it people who are jealous or God? Some versions, like the NET say that the spirit that God has put within us has a envious longing. The Greek can be translated either way, but I believe the majority translations are right by saying that God is the one who yearns. This jealous longing for his people is a Biblical theme throughout the Scriptures and that is likely what James is getting at when he says the Scriptures say. It is not so much a direct quote as a reference to the Biblical theme. Similar to what Jesus does in John 7:38 or Paul does in Galatians 3:22.
v. 5 depicts God’s jealousy for his people, then James here is reminding us that God’s grace is completely adequate to meet the requirements imposed on us by that jealousy. Our God is “a consuming fire,” and his demand for our exclusive allegiance may seem terrifying. But our God is also merciful, gracious, all loving, and willingly supplies all that we need to meet his all-encompassing demands. As Augustine has said, “God gives what he demands.”[2]
Christians Fight Satan by Submitting to God
There is hope and victory in Christ
A reminder of our indwelling sin should not cause us anxiety. We have power over our sin through our union with Christ. All who have turned from their sin and trusted in Jesus Christ as their savior are a part of new creation that is breaking in. Satan has no power in new creation. It is the Kingdom of God breaking in, and one day, all remnants of sin will be done away with.
What James teaches here is the relational connection with God is inversely related to the coercive power of Satan. The closer we draw to God, the weaker Satan becomes. Like light shining on a vampire, the closer we are to God the closer we are to the light and the more we reflect Him, the weaker the enemy grows. But how does this happen? It happens by spending time with God. God has given us ordinary ways to grow in our relationship with him. The Word of God, which James has referenced already, prayer, corporate worship, the Lord’s Supper. James says that we draw near to God and he will draw near to us. Motyer writes,
We shall, of course, find a tendency in ourselves to want to reverse this order. How easy it would be to keep a daily time with God if only we had, to begin with, a more vivid sense of his presence—in other words, we want the promise to come before the command![3]
There is an increasing focus on spiritual disciplines today. I think some of that is healthy and some of it is misguided. I have seen in some of the spiritual formation literature a tendency to treat getting the right plan as a way to gaining the perfect approach. There is a kind of boutique spirituality, a hyper-individualized approach devoid of or even in opposition to the local church. But
But that same truth should give us caution, because it can lead to a spiritual pride that distances us from God. The posture that Satan hates is one of humility before the face of God. Don’t let your progress become an occasion for sin. Instead, let it remind you of God’s grace in your life. Too often we take credit for the good and blame God for the bad. But the reality is that all good gifts are from above.
Purify your actions and desires
How do we draw near to God? By taking away everything, it is hindering our approach. When James talks about cleaning our hands, he does not have in mind carrying hand sanitizer with you everywhere you go. This might be good practical advice, some of you might have some on you right now – maybe even feeling the urge to quickly sanitize. This is an image that James is giving us; we should have this kind of approach to our actions. Evaluating them, sifting them. While our actions follow our head and heart, and that is why it is important to know the truth and believe the truth, we also need to acknowledge that our actions can have a formative affect as well. When we sin, it makes it easier to justify sin. James is saying that we should be aware of our actions and take them into account. But it’s important to notice where this command comes. It comes following the call to draw close to God. We are not called to merely work on ourselves and try harder. We are called into deeper relationship with God which fuels transformation.
But our actions are not isolated acts. They flow from our hearts. We don’t just need better actions, but we need pure desires. This is not something that we produce but something that is given to us in Christ. As we have already seen in the book of James there is a plea for God to plant the word deep into their hearts. We might think of Ephesians 4:26-27 which says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.[4]” Paul says that anger, left unattended, will be an opportunity for Satan.
This is important to recognize that, as believers, we can fall into this trap as well. Blomberg` and Kamell write,
Submitting to God proves diametrically opposite to the world’s call to self-assertion, autonomy, and power. Even Christians crusading for a good cause or zealous in their altruism can become so fanatic in promoting their own personal agendas that they unwittingly wind up resisting God rather than the devil. Believers must always be ready to set aside their own crusades in submission to God, not elevating their surety of what God wants so high that they cannot be corrected.[5]
What should be done to purify? James tells us that our affections should be rightly aligned. We should mourn and be humbled over our sins. The goal is not to rob Christians. of joy, but to rid them of things that promise joy in the moment but lead to disaster. Christianity is often taking on difficulty, dying to ourself in order to live for God. This will bring ultimate flourishing and is rightly aligned with how God’s will for us but it doesn’t mean it will be easy.
Christians Fight Unity By Their Speech
Our speech can break unity and wholeness within the community of faith
Christians speech breaks unity. The speak against may be a specific reference to condemning others, but “It may also refer to broader oral mistreatment, including “destructive verbal attacks, gossip behind another person’s back and false accusations.”[6]
Most likely, the implication is that by choosing to ignore various commands in the law, especially the law of neighbor love for which James has a deep concern, we put ourselves into the position of deciding which of them we really think ought to be obeyed, rather than allowing the law to shape our lives[7]
James is not prohibiting the proper, and necessary, discrimination that every Christian should exercise. Nor is he forbidding the right of the community to exclude from its fellowship those it deems to be in flagrant disobedience to the standards of the faith, or to determine right and wrong among its members (1 Corinthians 5 and 6). James rebukes jealous, censorious speech by which we condemn others as being wrong in the sight of God.[8]
It is entirely possible that some situation like this was responsible for the problems James addresses. A bitter, selfish spirit (3:13–18) had given rise to quarrels and disputes about certain matters in the church (4:1–2). These disputes were apparently conducted, as they usually are, with a notable absence of restraint in the use of the tongue (3:1–12), including perhaps cursing (3:10) and denunciations (4:11–12) of one another. Such behavior is nothing more than a manifestation of a worldly spirit (3:15; 4:1, 4).[9]
…slander is a sin that fits the discussion of ambition. For slander is a way to promote oneself, a way to defeat a rival (3:14, 16; 4:1–2).[10]
One person reflecting on this passage and how it relates to the church said there are three ways in which Christians are often too quick to criticize. “judging the motives behind others’ words or actions in church business, judging how others spend money and judging how others are rearing their children.”[11]
Diminished unity is diminished impact
Not only does the breakdown of unity affect the community of faith, but it also affects their influence in the world around them. Jesus prayed for the church to be unified in John 17. He instructed that the world would know his disciples by their love for one another. Destructive speech takes the stand in a trial against us. It covers the light of God’s grace with the dirty bushel of our behavior. A spirit of humility, love, and encouragement among the people of God is a breath of fresh air amid the fumes of dissension and division. But how often do people walk into church and get to know Christians as we are dispersed throughout the week, and they don’t notice a distinction?
Listen, we can be unstained from so many things in the world and be self-righteous jerks who sow division with our attitudes. “I can’t believe Suzy would do that.” Is perhaps more destructive than joining Suzy in the behavior. It was the self-righteousness that Jesus was harshest toward in his earthly ministry. A person might respond, have you talked to Suzy in love? Have you prayed for her? And the response might be, “No, she’s just the way she is; there is no changing her.” That is both a statement of judgment over her and a statement of judgment over what God is able to do.
Everyone in this room has likely had a moment where you think to yourself, “I am so right in this area; they are so dumb.” No? Think about how sometimes, before bed, you think, “I should have said this; that would show them. If it were me, I would do this.” That’s very similar to Judas’ mentality with the woman who brought costly oil to Jesus’ feet. His response – she should have given it to the poor. His heart was saying, “She is so foolish and irresponsible; if I had that money, I would spend it the right way.” We all do similar things. Maybe it’s someone’s influence, their position or opportunities, or maybe it’s their finances. We think – it should be me, I would be so much better at that. Our attitude shows us that we are in no position to humbly receive more because we fail to use what we have well for God’s glory, namely our attitude and posture toward others.
Conclusion
How are we called to fight in the Christian life? We are called to fight for God’s glory and our neighbor’s good, but often, we are self-focused, and things go wrong. Even as we read this passage and reflect on it, we may realize that God has made us aware of where we fall short. The beauty of the Christian gospel is that there is forgiveness for sinners who repent and believe in the finished work of Jesus. Jesus is the only one who perfectly resisted the patterns and systems of the world. He lived by saying “not my will but yours be done” to the Father. Submitting his human will to the divine will. Resisting the temptations of Satan and defeating him on the cross. He is the one who establishes unity in the Christian community. It is not ours to manufacture; it is ours in Christ. Our responsibility is to maintain it, and even in that, God is with us in our task. Because of the work of Christ, we fight for victory from victory. It is secured for all who have repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus Christ as their savior and lord. Have you done that? Or are you still trying to fight on your own? Still trying to find security in your efforts? Come to Jesus today, in Him there is victory.
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Jn 2:15–17.
[2] Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000), 191.
[3] J. A. Motyer, The Message of James: The Tests of Faith, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1985), 152.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 4:26–27.
[5] Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell, James, vol. 16, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 200–201.
[6] Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell, James, vol. 16, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 196.
[7] Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell, James, vol. 16, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 196.
[8] Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000), 199.
[9] Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000), 199.
[10] Daniel M. Doriani, James, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007), 156.
[11] Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell, James, vol. 16, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 202.
Boonstra Babble 