Easy to understand commentary on James four

By John Chopores

 

Jas 4:1 ¶ Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

This war could be a “war” in your own soul. Cf. Col 3:5 ¶ Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

1Pe 2:11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

 

Or, a “war” that is going on in the local church: between members that do not get along with each other. Cf. Jude 1:16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.

Either way: we are to fight it with “spiritual” weapons! Cf. 2Co 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

 

 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

Greed can do a lot of harm, to a person’s faith in God. Cf. Pr 1:19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.

Ec 4:8 There is one alone, without companion: He has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his labors, Nor is his eye satisfied with riches. But he never asks, "For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?" This also is vanity and a grave misfortune.

1Ti 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

 

There is great power in asking in the Name of Jesus! Asking and receiving in His Name brings joy with itself. Cf. Mt 7:7 ¶ "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Joh 16:24 "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

 

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Pride and greed seem to go hand in hand. Cf. Job 35:12 There they cry out, but He does not answer, Because of the pride of evil men.

1Ti 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

 

We must “ask” for things: God’s way. That is in holiness, faith, and obedience. Cf. Mic 3:4 Then they will cry to the LORD, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds.

1Jo 3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

1Jo 5:14 ¶ Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

 

4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

God can see the spiritual adulterer as well as the material one. Cf. Job 24:15 The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, Saying, 'No eye will see me'; And he disguises his face.

And He will judge both kinds. Cf. Heb 13:4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Col 3:5 ¶ Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,

 

Friendship with the world: is disloyal and a lack of faith. Cf. Ps 73:27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Jas 2:23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.

 

 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"?

 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

God always gives grace to His people in large quantity. Cf. 2Co 8:7 ¶ But as you abound in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us--see that you abound in this grace also.

2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

 2Co 9:14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.

 

 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Cf. 1Pe 5:9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

 

 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

How do we draw near to God?

By:

1. A better hope: which is Jesus Christ Himself! Cf. Heb 7:19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
2. In faith.  Cf. Heb 10:22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
3. Calling on Him. Cf. Ps 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.
4. By serving Him: with a loyal heart and willing mind. Cf. 1Ch 28:9 "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

It is good for us to draw near to God! Cf. Ps 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.

Ga 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

 

 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Which means: to be humble in all of your life. Cf. De 13:18 "because you have listened to the voice of the LORD your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God.

And if you do: all things will work out for you in the End. Cf. 1Pe 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

Ro 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

 

 

Jas 4:11 ¶ Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

We are not to judge another man: but the words of God can. Cf. Ro 2:1 ¶ Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

1Ki 13:32 "For the saying which he cried out by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the shrines on the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, will surely come to pass."

Isa 5:24 Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Am 2:4 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have despised the law of the LORD, And have not kept His commandments. Their lies lead them astray, Lies which their fathers followed.

 

 

 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

This “Lawgiver” is God Himself! Cf Ps 50:6 Let the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is Judge. Selah

Isa 33:22 (For the LORD is our Judge, The LORD is our Lawgiver, The LORD is our King; He will save us);

 

 13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";

Jesus Himself warned us of this kind of boasting: it does not make us rich toward God. 

Cf. Lu 12:17 "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'

 18 "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.

 19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'

 20 "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'

 21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

 

14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Great boasts are many times filled nothing. Cf. Pr 27:1 ¶ Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

 

Even someone as great as St. Paul: did not boast in himself! Cf. Ga 6:14 But, for my part, may I never boast of anything except the cross of Jesus Christ, our Master, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. [TCNT].

 

 15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."

 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

The person who does such boasting is a “worker of iniquity”. Cf. Ps 5:5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity.

The evil praise and boast in themselves. Cf. Ps 94:4 They utter speech, and speak insolent things; All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.

 

This kind of sin; can lead to the greater sin of renouncing the Lord God! 

Cf. Ps 10:3 For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire; He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD.

 

We are to “boast”; but only in the Lord God. Cf. Ps 34:2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

 Ps 44:8 In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever. Selah

 

 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

In fact: we should prepare ourselves to do good deeds. Cf. Lu 12:47 "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.