The book of James is doctrinally both a highly technical and a highly methodological (practical) epistle. Technically it addresses man’s inability to please God through self-effort just as he is unable through self-effort to secure the approbation (favor) of God in the salvation process. In this regard James emphasizes the “perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25) whereby a believer may freely produce works of divine good by means of the filling of (being controlled by) the Holy Spirit. This process, just as in the process of one’s eternal salvation, is based solely upon faith—not a justification faith but a living faith (or sanctification faith). The efficacy of faith apart from works is hammered home to the reader of God’s Word from beginning to end, so much so that it becomes a marvel to the Bible student and scholar how so many religions can use God’s Word to promulgate works and self-effort as a means of satisfying and achieving the approbation of God. It is therefore the conclusion that this technical aspect of James is the overriding thesis within its pages, even though many practical issues are addressed within it.

But the practical issues are immensely important. As a believer reads and understands them he is able to more clearly evaluate his adherence, or lack of it, to the “perfect law of liberty,” i.e., his walk in the Lord or submission to the control of the Holy Spirit. In the previous chapter a major practical issue, the use of the tongue (communication), was addressed. In this chapter more practical issues are surfaced; but even more, the underlying technical reasons for them are discussed. Here in chapter 4 James considers the topic of “worldliness.” Too often Christians believe that worldliness is the type of amusements one attends, the kind of crowd one hangs with, the quality of conversation one engages in, the way one may dress, the intricacies of one’s business arrangements and one’s inability to prioritize God and the local church in his life. But these are only symptoms of the disease of worldliness. A person doesn’t die from symptoms; he dies from the disease.

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Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 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. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

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Within these three verses is revealed the nature of worldliness. It first identifies two of the symptoms of worldliness by means of a question, which symptoms are “wars and fights.” It is important that even though these verses have universal application and may be projected upon a “world scale,” it is primarily addressed to individual believers who are within local assemblies scattered throughout the land. These verses have immediate and practical application to any Christian in any age.

Are there individual wars (groups vs. groups) and fights (individuals vs. individual) in the local church today? Absolutely! It matters little where one may go throughout the land or what denominational church one may attend. It isn’t long until he will find members who busy themselves in Satan’s work of castigating or dragging down through gossip, unwarranted opinions, speculation and outright lies the reputations and motives of other members. The age old and very wise axiom, “If you can’t saying anything nice about a person then don’t say anything at all,” never seems to be adopted by many within the local church. No, they are too busy drawing attention to themselves as they set themselves up as “judge and jury” over the motives and conduct of others. As stated previously in this book’s commentary this is an outgrowth of pride, a root-sin. And from this foundational sin comes worldliness.

Worldliness is in fact the acquiescence (submission) to “desires for pleasure that war within” each believer. These lusts that emanate from the sin nature, which the believer will possess until the time he passes through the door of physical death or is transformed at the Rapture, will always compete for the attention of the believer. The believer always has a choice to reject such base allurements or to submit to them.

Instead of giving in to one’s base nature (to worldliness) an effective defense, the one approved by God for seeking the necessities in life, is to resort to prayer. Instead of the believer addressing God with his requests he often wants to get what he wants by his own efforts. This is contrary to God’s way. He should ask God for what he needs. But the point James conveys here is that whatever one asks of God must not be for one’s own personal and selfish pleasure or satisfaction. If done in this manner, it is asking “amiss,” and the prayer request will not be granted. Jesus Christ gave the ultimate example of a proper attitude in prayer when He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane immediately prior to His death on the cross. Above and beyond His personal request to the Father He ended His prayer with the words, “nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39) In all matters it is especially important for the Christian to remember the words of Christ when He said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

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In some early manuscripts the masculine noun adulterers is omitted, leaving only the feminine noun adulteresses, as if Christ is saying to His bride (the Church) that she is committing adultery by giving in to her worldly passions and lusts, which is indeed “friendship with the world.” But the use of both the masculine and feminine nouns, which are found in most manuscripts, conveys the same meaning.

I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (John 17:14)

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In the first five verses James reveals how wicked the old nature (sin nature) of the believer can be. Starting in verse 6 the believer learns that he is not left to deal with the lusts of the flesh in his own strength. The first word, “But,” is a translation of the Greek word de, which is a particle that may serve to introduce something else or may serve simply to introduce a continuing or explanatory clause. Generally it has the meaning of but, and or also. In this verse the word “and” may be a better translation, as it is apparent that it refers back to the Holy Spirit and His work within a believer.

The connective relationship between verse 5 and verse 6 is better seen in the expanded translation of these two verses by Kenneth S. Wuest, Teacher Emeritus of New Testament Greek, The Moody Bible Institute, which follows.

To illustrate that God gives grace as it is needed, James quotes Proverbs 3:34, but he adds the thought that God grants this grace to the “humble,” not the proud. God resists a haughty and arrogant attitude, but never a broken spirit.

In verses 7-10, James lists various steps of the will that are necessary to achieve a proper humility, one which God may honor with His abundant grace. These steps may be viewed in order or in conjunction with each other. They follow.

This six-step program leading to humility can best be expressed by the word repentance, which is nothing more than a believer changing his mind and direction when it comes to his way of life. When a believer arrives at the realization that he is on the worldly path, he may either continue on it or he may repent. Normally the realization of ones waywardness is accompanied by godly sorrow that may or may not lead to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9, 10). Ideally, it will lead one to the truth of 1 John 1:9, that if a believer confesses, that is, takes responsibility for (known) sin in his life, God is faithful and just to forgive the confessed (known) sin and to cleanse the believer from all (unknown or forgotten) unrighteousness. Once this is done and the “slate has been wiped clean,” the believer then only needs to claim the filling of the Holy Spirit by faith (Colossians 2:16) and proceed on to the accomplishment of divine good (works). By so doing he is submitting to God, he is resisting Satan, he is drawing near to God, he is cleansing his hands (his actions) and he is purifying his heart (his thoughts and mixed motives)—all of which contributes to his humbling before God so that God may lift him up.

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James continues his practical discourse. In these two verses he addresses probably the one sinful practice indulged in by local church members that has contributed to more confusion, division, fragmentation and destruction in churches since the days of Pentecost.

This sin is the natural result of not taking the advice as given in the five previous verses and for certain not taking the advice of chapter 3 regarding the use of the tongue, thereby allowing pride to rule one’s life. This sinful practice is the malevolent spreading of gossip about other brethren in or out of the local church.

The words “speak evil” are a translation of the Greek words kata (against) and laleo (to speak). It literally means to “speak against,” which is essentially the practice of criticizing another. That in itself is a result of following Satan’s lead, thereby making the practice “evil.” James tells the reader that when he engages in such malicious behavior, he is actually setting himself up above the law—essentially being a judge of the law itself, which is the equivalent of speaking against it. Unfortunately when a believer does this, he is in opposition to the law, because the law dictates that there is only one Lawgiver and in essence only one Judge who has all power to save and destroy. That One is God Almighty; therefore, James derisively asks, “Who are you to judge another?”

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In the remaining verses of the chapter James addresses another grievous and common practice of Christians that stems from pride, which is self-only-confidence, also known as independence from God. He pictures a business person who exercises only self-will in his business planning, leaving God completely out of the picture.

Here this business person has planned it all. He has planned the time of departure (today or tomorrow), he has planned the destination (such and such a city), he has planned the duration (a year), he has planned the activity (buy and sell) and he has planned the outcome (make a profit). But there is only one problem; He doesn’t know if he will even be around (alive) tomorrow. James says no one knows what will happen tomorrow.

Christians go astray when they plan their lives—short range or long range—without considering God and His will in all their formulations. When they arrange their life without consulting and waiting on God, they dishonor Him and His message of love and concern for them.

James drives home the fact that all life is tenuous. No one knows how long he will live. No one can know if he even has tomorrow—or the rest of today. Because of this the believer should be very careful to orchestrate his activities within the plan of God for his life. Better yet, and certainly more in accordance with sound doctrine, he should submit himself to God so that God may orchestrate divine good (activities) through him.

Because all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away. (1 Peter 1:24)

The above comments regarding the last verse in this chapter is a correct interpretation; although, a broader application of it is warranted. Sin is not only doing wrong; it is also not doing what is right. There are sins of commission and sins of omission. When a believer knows within the will of God that he should be doing something and fails to do it, he sins just as much as if he breaks any of God’s commandments. If God says do it, then do it!