Living Out Our Faith Submissively - James 4:1
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Introduction
Introduction
This evening we begin our study of James chapter 4. So, let’s get right into it by doing a brief overlook of the entire chapter.
James 4 has three paragraphs
The first is James 4:1-6.
The second is James 4:7-10.
The third is James 4:11-17.
Let read the entire chapter and then come back to verse 1.
1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? 13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Our verse for consideration is, as you already know, verse 1.
So let’s read it and note it’s grammatical construction.
GRAMMAR STUDY
GRAMMAR STUDY
1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
The Holy Spirit begins with a couple of questions in this first verse. If you recall, we talked about the Holy Spirit uses questions to help us reflect on things that are important. The first question asked is this.
From whence come wars and fightings among you?
The word “whence” is an Old English word for “where.” In the Greek, it means “from what place or from where.” So essentially, the Holy Spirit is asking us to consider from where do wars and fightings come among us. We have two nouns listed here. They are “wars” and “fightings.” Obviously, since the King James translators gave us two different words these are two different words in the Greek. The word “wars” means to fight, to make ware. The connotation is that there is such contention between two parties which cause them to battle each others in a war. The second words is “fightings.” “Fighting” means to fight or strive against another. Again, the connotation is similar in that is an open clash between two opposing groups. Thus, the Holy Spirit is prodding us to consider the source of man’s strife and conflicts. What exactly is it that causes people to war and fight with each other?
The answer comes again in the form of a question. The Holy Spirit answers the question with a question.
“come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your member?”
The words “come they” were supplied by the translators here. Thus, they are not in the original manuscripts. In providing them, they help us to understand the full meaning of the Greek text. However, we do have the word “hence.” Again, “hence,” in the Greek, means “from this place.” The Holy Spirit gives us the answer. He is saying from this place which He gives immediately as the answer. From this place refers us to the “your lusts.” Consequently, all the wars and fightings result from our “lusts.”
The word “lusts” is an interesting word. It is a Greek word or term found only five times in the New Testament. Two of the five are in our text. We find it in verse 1 here and again in verse 3.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
It is not the same Greek word of James 1:14-15
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
In these verses, the word “lust” is the Greek word “epithymia.” The connotation being an intense desire for something either good or bad. An example would be Luke 22:15
15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Now see it used a different context.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
These are example of “epithymia” (lusts) as being an intense desire.
However, in out text this evening (James 4:1), the Greek word is “hedone.” This word carries the connotation of seeking pleasure. It is the idea of having the feeling of being unsatisfied. For this reason, the Holy Spirit says wars and fightings erupt. Such battles are a direct result of people not getting what they want. They are not receiving the gratification or pleasure they crave.
If you recall, I said that it is used five times in the New Testament. In our text (James 4:1, 3), it was translated “lusts.” However, in the other three instances, it was translated “pleasures.” Note these verses and their context.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
In the first instance, the Word of God was choked out by those who CRAVED the pleasures of this life. In Titus, the Holy Spirit reminds that we ourselves before our salvation were also filled with a CRAVING for the pleasures of this life. And, then, in 2 Peter, it speaks of those who CRAVE the pleasure of rioting and care not if they are exposed.
Now, go back to our verse.
1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
The Holy Spirit qualifies these lusts or pleasure. Note that they “war.” Here we have a military term. It literally means to make war provoking images of an army encamped ready to wage war against the enemy. In my mind, I envision the days when armies would pitch their tents outside the walls of a city or castle. They would systematically prepare for an assault against it by building seige towers as they aimed their ballistics and catapults at the walls. Then, when the preparations were done, they marched their army against the city or castle making war against its inhabitants. Here the Holy Spirit gives us this vivid image of how our lusts are lurking within us preparing to launch a spiritual assault against us.
Now, note one last thing, where are these “lusts that war” located? They are located “in your members.” The literal sense of the Greek here is the limbs of our body. Thus, they are located within our fleshly body.
SPIRITUAL APPLICATION
SPIRITUAL APPLICATION
What is the Holy Spirit talking about?
What is the Holy Spirit talking about?
He is talking about the source of wars and fightings. It is our own lust or desire for pleasures.
What is the Holy Spirit saying about our own lusts?
What is the Holy Spirit saying about our own lusts?
IT IS THE SOURCE OF ALL HUMAN CONFLICT
IT IS THE SOURCE OF ALL HUMAN CONFLICT
1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Every war in which man engages can be traced back to men and their desire to gain only what they desire. However, the greater context here is the war that happens within each person. All of us are constantly warring and fighting ourselves within. Our flesh constantly craves, pulls, urges, desires, and grasps for the things that gratify us. There is not a person here tonight that does not know and understand this truth. Fleshly lusts are strong and very difficult to control.
Even though the Greek word is different in James 1:14-15, the principle taught is the same.
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
It our intense desire to please ourselves (our flesh) that often results in sin. We see something we want and we do all that we can to get it. More often than not, the thing we desire is opposite of what God desires for us. Thus, we end up in sin. And, if we continue in sin, sin will lead to death.
This first verse is connected to the verses we just studied in chapter 3. Remember the warning in verses 14-18.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Where is the “bitter envying and strife” located? It is located in our hearts. Why there? That is where our “lusts” are encamped. We must be careful. That is the warning from the Holy Spirit. And who knows better than He? He is not only God, but He lives within us. Now, there seems to be a constant struggle within each us as believers between our own lusts (our craving for pleasing ourselves) versus the desire that comes from the Spirit to please God.
The conflict created by our sinful flesh is real. Before salvation, our sinful flesh warred against God. Now, after salvation, our sinful flesh continues to war against the Spirit. Before salvation, we had no choice and were ignorant of its power. Now, after salvation, we have the power of God’s Spirit at our disposal helping us in overcome the flesh and its selfish desires. In war, situational awareness is crucial to winning. The more you know and understand the enemy, its tactics, and its resources, the better you can prepare to overcome them. It is the same for us in our daily spiritual battle with the flesh. And, here, in our text, the Holy Spirit is giving us situational awareness. He is saying to us, “Understand the source of your conflict! It is your own lusts!”
IT IS LURKING AND PREPARING FOR AN ALL OUT ASSAULT
IT IS LURKING AND PREPARING FOR AN ALL OUT ASSAULT
Look again at our verse.
1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
The phrase “your lust THAT WAR” is critical for our situational awareness. As we noted before, the words “that war” means to make war and conjures up the imagery of an army encamped ready for battle. They are ready to rise up at a moment’s notice. Is it not the same with our own fleshly lusts? The flesh is sitting there within us ready to rise at a moment’s notice. And, boy, does it seemingly wait for its opportunities.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Christ taught us
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
If you go back to our text, we note that it is “war” in our “members.” A greater description of this war is given to us in Romans 7.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
How many of you can relate to the Scriptures here? I think we all can relate. We, for all intended purposes, are a walking civil war. One craving after another wages war within us seeking gratification and pleasure.
People of this world are constantly sensing deep desires as they give in lifting any and all restraints in their efforts to please themselves. Thus, the lust for:
more food
more drink
more drugs
more sex
more possessions
more money
more property
more recognition
more authority
more vengeance
What is the result? It is fightings and war. Men long for peace. However, they will never truly know peace until they know God. Peace only comes by harmonious relationships. The peace of this world will never be realized because of man’s constant desire to please themselves. However, for us as believers, we are at peace with God and have within us the ability to overcome the flesh along with its desires.
There is coming a day though when peace will reign over all the earth. It will be day when men live in peace with each other and with God. There will be no restlessness and uneasiness with men. Lust and sin will no longer rule and reign in the hearts of men. For that reason, there will be no more wars and fighting. What a day that truly will be! However, for now, we live in a world that sees anything but peace.
Where do these fights and wars come from? What causes them? That is the point of this first verse. The Holy Spirit wants to know so that we can deal with them His way. In doing so, we can overcome them through His power. It is the reason why we need His Word. We have it so we can read it and heed it as we humbly obey. Wars and fighting comes from the lusts within our members. They come from the overwhelming passion for pleasure and gratification that rages within each person’s flesh.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Now, next week, the Holy Spirit will build on this with verse 2. In fact, next week, we will find the word “lust” again. However, in verse 2, the Holy Spirit uses the “epithymia” instead of “hedone.” So, come back next week and let’s find out more about what He wants us to know concerning our lusts.