James 4:1-6
Where Your Fights Begin
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1What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?
2You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.
3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
4You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
5Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?
6But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
James traces the quarrels among his readers to passions at war within them. They want what they do not have and fight to obtain it. His language includes coveting and killing, exposing how destructive unchecked desire can become.
Their prayer life shows the same problem. Sometimes they do not ask God at all. When they do ask, their aim is to spend the answer on their own pleasures. Prayer has become another way of seeking what selfish desire wants.
James calls this unfaithfulness to God. Choosing friendship with the world's rebellious values makes a person God's enemy. He speaks of the Spirit God caused to dwell in us and insists that divided allegiance cannot be treated lightly. God lays claim to His people's loyalty.
Yet James also announces more grace. God stands against pride and gives grace to the humble. The answer to sinful craving is to turn from self-justification and receive His help. This warning asks us to examine our own motives; it does not make us responsible for every wrong someone else commits. We can face our part honestly because God welcomes humble dependence on His grace.
Questions
1 What cause of quarrels does James expose?
AnswerThe passions at war within his readers. Their unfulfilled cravings lead them to covet, fight and seek what they want destructively.
2 What is wrong with their requests to God?
AnswerThey ask with selfish motives, wanting to spend the answers on their pleasures rather than submit their desires to Him.
3 Why is friendship with the world so serious?
AnswerChoosing the world's rebellious values is unfaithfulness to God. James says that allegiance makes a person God's enemy.
4 What hope does James give the humble?
AnswerGod gives more grace. He opposes pride but gives grace to those who humbly acknowledge their need and turn to Him.
What This Means for Us
In a disagreement, identify what you want and whether you have made it more important than obedience to God. Admit your own sin without excusing anyone else's wrongdoing.
Bring that desire to Him in prayer. Ask for grace to seek what is right, make a truthful apology where needed and treat the other person with humility.
Prayer
God, forgive our selfish requests and divided loyalty. Show us the desires behind our quarrels and give us grace to turn from them. Make us humble before You and faithful in our dealings with others. Amen.