We’re continuing our series of life lessons from James:

• 1: Wisdom – ask God! (A second blog on wisdom)
• 2: Works – what we do matters!
• 3: Words – what we say matters!
• 4: Wars – “Where do wars and fights come from among you?”
• 5: Waiting – things aren’t all that good now? Wait.

We now go into James 4: Wars

Where do wars and fights come from among you? … (James 4.1, NKJV)

We interrupt this verse for one answer to the question. Wars and fights come from not heeding the counsel in the previous verse:

But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form and it always bears the beautiful harvest of righteousness! Good seeds of wisdom’s fruit will be planted with peaceful acts by those who cherish making peace. (James 3.17, 18, TPT)

Much of the time too many of us are not planting good seeds of wisdom’s fruit with peaceful acts. Rather, we’re practicing outrage at every turn and using social media platforms to yell at each other.

I believe that’s a true analysis; however, it’s not what the verse says! Let’s continue:

What is the cause of your conflicts and quarrels with each other? Doesn’t the battle begin inside of you as you fight to have your own way and fulfill your own desires? You jealously want what others have so you begin to see yourself as better than others. You scheme with envy and harm others to selfishly obtain what you crave—that’s why you quarrel and fight. And all the time you don’t obtain what you want because you won’t ask God for it! And if you ask, you won’t receive it for you’re asking with corrupt motives, seeking only to fulfill your own selfish desires. You have become spiritual adulterers who are having an affair, an unholy relationship with the world. Don’t you know that flirting with the world’s values places you at odds with God? Whoever chooses to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy! (James 4.1 – 4, TPT)

Wow. That’s war! War inside each of us, war among ourselves, war between us and God.

When it comes to war, Satan is the expert. A former pastor used to say, “The devil’s Spanish name, Diablo, means ‘the splitter.'” If there’s splitting going on, there’s a good chance the devil is involved. He wants to divide:

• within ourselves (“doesn’t the battle begin inside you?“)
• among ourselves (” You scheme with envy and harm others to selfishly obtain what you crave“), and
• between us and God (“Whoever chooses to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy!“).

The cure is spelled out in chapter 4 as well, bulleted for easier reading:

• Submit to God.
• Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
• Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
• Cleanse your hands, you sinners.
  • Purify your hearts, you double-minded.
• Lament and mourn and weep!
  • Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
• Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4.7 – 10, NKJV)

Submit and draw near to God, resist the devil, repent. That’s all! But the promise is that if we resist the devil, he will flee. If we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Good news. And at least part of the process is simple: draw near to God through our daily time in the Word. Resist the devil through prayer.

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow evil men’s advice, who do not hang around with sinners, scoffing at the things of God. But they delight in doing everything God wants them to, and day and night are always meditating on his laws and thinking about ways to follow him more closely. (Psalm 1.1, 2, Living Bible)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might… praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6.10, 18, ESV)