Friends, Foes, and Fights

Conflict and problems are natural but they don’t always look the same. Some problems are public, some are private. Some conflict bruises people deeply and some conflict is here one minute and gone the next. We all experience conflict and that doesn’t stop whenever we come to church or whenever we come to know Christ as Lord. In fact, it is just as easy for 2 Christians to have conflict with one another because we are people too and this leads to problems and problems can cause pain that lasts for long periods of time. Think of an example of of a conflict that you’ve experienced or witnessed within the church. We have conflict and problems, but the way in which we deal with them should be vastly different as Christians and this is what James highlights in this next passage of Scripture in chapter 4.

Let’s dive in with the first few verses

James 4:1–5 CSB

1 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions that wage war within you? 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God. 5 Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely?

Bad News!

James begins by talking about cause of our problems and wars and battles that we face. He gives us the root problem - what is the root issue that James identifies in verse 1?

Our sinful desires/passions

This passage mirrors Matthew 5 in many respects as the Sermon on the Mount addresses many of the same issues regarding our motive and heart and friendship with the world. While we likely don’t go straight from a conflict or problem with someone in our church to murder, we do at times drift into hatred or jealousy and Jesus shares that that is serious and dangerous! The reason that we desire and covet and fight is because of our fallen sinful nature and our temptation to seek friendship with the world instead of first friendship with Christ. Whenever we have something that we do want, we often don’t go first to God to ask for His help and leading as verse 3 emphasizes. Think of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6, what should be our primary concern whenever we pray?

God’s will and concern first and then ours second

The purpose behind prayer is not to inform God or get God to do what we want Him to do… Prayer helps align our wandering heart with God’s priorities and to remind ourselves of what God wants because whatever God wants is what is best - as hard as that is to reckon with at times. So many ask with the wrong motives and this leads to more problems and conflict.

One former pastor said that a majority of our problem is this: We turn God into a divine waiter. He is there to deliver our dream to us. We touch base with him on a Sunday; we put our order in via prayer; we might give a decent tip in the collection plate. But God is essentially there to give us what we feel we need … and we get furious with him if he doesn’t deliver.”

Not only this, but James says that we are an adulterous people with adulterous hearts - this is a strong statement! But think about it: can we be in a marriage with 2 other people equally? No! We would say that this is adultery. We cannot claim to love God and with our actions the other days of the week act like the world. Yet, this is what naturally happens with our flesh. We are fallen. We desire friendship with the world - but the result of this desire is to be an enemy of God. You’re either with God or against Him, there is no 3rd party or other option. God demands our exclusive worship. He is a jealous God

Exodus 34:14 CSB

14 Because the Lord is jealous for his reputation, you are never to bow down to another god. He is a jealous God.

He sets the standard!

To this point it’s all bad news - James is imploring his audience to see that they are sinners with wicked hearts that desire the things of this world and his argument is that if you give in, you are an enemy of God. Something needs to change! We have to see our need before we see the solution which follows in the next 5 verses. Could someone read 6-10?

James 4:6–10 CSB

6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. 7 Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

The solution to a heart that is prideful and hardened toward the things of this world is to melting and humbling grace of Jesus Christ. His grace is greater and we must submit to God as verse 7 instructs!

Let’s think about this together: What is so hard about submitting to God?

Selfishness - we put it off or think that we know best

This might seem like an impossible command but we’re reminded that it’s not the strength of our submission that saves, it’s the faithfulness of our God!

1 Thessalonians 5:24 CSB

24 He who calls you is faithful; he will do it.

God’s grace is sufficient - He produces this in us because He is faithful, not because we always are. Let’s look at some of the practical commands found here

Resist the Devil

Seek God

Pursue Purity

Weep over Sin

Trust God completely

Which of these do you struggle with the most?

Why do we need to do these things?

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shared this about this passage of Scripture and it’s convicting: Go and read the history of revivals again. Watch the individuals at the beginning. This is invariably the first thing that happens to them. They begin to see what a terrible, appalling thing sin is in the sight of God. They temporarily even forget the state of the Church, and forget their own anguish. It is the thought of sin in the sight of God. How terrible it must be. Never has there been a revival but that some of the people, especially at the beginning, have had such visions of the holiness of God, and the sinfulness of sin, that they have scarcely known what to do with themselves

Let’s wrap up with 11-12

James 4:11–12 CSB

11 Don’t criticize one another, brothers and sisters. Anyone who defames or judges a fellow believer defames and judges the law. If you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

What is the key result of humbling yourself before God? The way we interact around others - specifically the way that we speak to others

In these 2 verses, what are the results of a worldly tongue?

Discourages others

Dishonors God

See question 2 on page 62

Gossip and slander kills Christian community. Christ calls us to Love God and Love Others - this doesn’t mean that we fail to call out sin, but slander and gossip and playing the role of God leads to serious problems in Christian community and we must seek to avoid it.

Lots of people quote Matthew 7:1 in our world and use it to mean that we aren’t allowed to call sin what it really is. Is this what James is getting at in James 4:11?

No! We can’t play the role of God and judge the salvation of another believer… this doesn’t mean that we water down sin and refuse to say that some things are right and others are wrong

Matthew 7:16 CSB

16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

John 7:24 CSB

24 Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.”

There’s an aspect of “judgment” that believers are supposed to do - we inspect fruit and we evaluate according to God’s Word. We can’t have a judgmental spirit and we can’t play the role of God and say, “If you do x or y then you’re not a Christian.” We don’t have that type of authority! This means that we have to use our words wisely - which has been James’ point in this passage. We think before we speak. We live out James 1:5

James 1:5 CSB

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.

and James 1:19

James 1:19 CSB

19 My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

As James concludes this chapter, he encourages his audience with 1 command unlike the previous section that was loaded with commands. The only imperative is the first word, “Come.” This indicates action. James wants the truth of God’s Word and action to change the way that his audience lives and thinks instead of thinking like the rest of the world or thinking that they individually know what is best. James shares that they must discern what God’s will is and walk in obedience.

James 4:13–17 CSB

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. 15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.

Again, James is writing to a poor congregation that would have been struggling to make a living in the first place. Money was tight and business was important to make ends meet… In this world, merchants would have traveled often trying to make money and always have a plan on where to go and what to do. We have to make plans in our life - especially with how busy it seems like we all are. But what is a danger with making plans?

We make our plans and forget to account for God in the planning

We write our plans in pen not pencil

Whether we understand it or not, we adopt an arrogant attitude where we place ourselves in ultimate control whenever only God can occupy that position

James shares that we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We know what eternity looks like as we’ll be with Jesus! But we don’t know what tomorrow looks like. But we do know that it’s in God’s hands! Here’s our problem - we plan for tomorrow but we don’t know what God is sending our way tomorrow. Again, planning isn’t bad, but James is reminding us here in this passage that we don’t know if our plans will happen.

I planned on going to Guatemala in July/August but then Lindsey had a positive pregnancy test - God throws a wrench in our plans at times and that’s wonderful at times and confusing at others, we simply have to remember that He has the right to do this! We must have a right view of our future

Proverbs 16:9 CSB

9 A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.

Proverbs 19:21 CSB

21 Many plans are in a person’s heart, but the Lord’s decree will prevail.

The reason that we have to trust our future to God is because of what James shares in verse 14. What does James say that we are like?

Vapor!

Why is this significant for us to realize?

Many humans think that they are guaranteed tomorrow or a long, healthy, prosperous life… but in reality that isn’t guaranteed. We’re here one moment and then we’re gone.

Sam Alberry shares this, “James isn’t against planning - he is against planning that does not acknowledge the Lord’s sovereign rule in our lives.”

There are a lot of things that we are not in control of - and that’s ok! We aren’t in control of the weather, the wind, our birth, many things in our life, and one minute we’re simply gone. This means that we must use each minute God gives us for His purpose - not simply ours. Instead of our plans simply being about dollar signs and profit margins, James shares that our plans must be driven about what matters most to God - not most to us.

Instead of assuming we’re guaranteed tomorrow, what does James say we should do in verse 15?

How does this mindset change the way we think and live?

We understand that God is sovereign. He is in control of today and tomorrow. We make our plans, but we remember that He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

He guides us and leads us. If our plans are in alignment with His then they will happen… but if they are not then His plans will prevail.

This is why the model prayer is all about God’s will and God’s plan and God’s Kingdom, not ours

It can be hard to discern what God’s will is for our lives.

What are some ways that you have heard other people try to determine God’s will for their life? What have you tried to do?

Spending time with God’s people (church service, Bible study)

Reading God’s Word

Studying God’s Word

Prayer

Worship

Talking with a Christian friend

God has good plans for us! He desires for us to grow in our understanding of Who He is and what He has in store for us.

Ephesians 2:10 CSB

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Instead of thinking that we have it all planned out, which James calls sin, he shares that we must discern God’s will and seek to fulfill the work that God has prepared for us.

John MacArthur shared that 90% of God’s will for our lives is revealed in God’s Word - that’s kind of crazy to think about, but think about all the things that we find in God’s Word about what God wants from His children… Some call the Bible a manual to our lives, that’s a bit of an exaggeration because the Bible won’t tell you who to marry or which job to take or what to do after high school. But the Bible does provide us with the principles to always trust in God and ask God for wisdom and whenever we do that, God makes His plans known to us as we walk in obedience after Him. By looking to God’s Word we can better discover what God wants us to do in this thing called life. While we don’t know everything about the future, we can know who holds the future and what God wants from us in the days to come.

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