James 4

KJV · Chapter 4/5

1From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2Ye 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.

3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4Ye 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.

5Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

11Speak 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.

12There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

13Go 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:

14Whereas 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.

15For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

16But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

17Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

James identifies selfish desires and friendship with the world as the roots of conflicts and wars among people, calling readers to repentance and humility before God. He warns against rashly judging others and against the arrogance of planning the future without considering God's will.

Explanation

James connects external conflicts (fights, wars) to unmet inner desires, a psychological and spiritual diagnosis that remains relevant today: the root of much discord is unresolved envy and covetousness. The expression 'friendship with the world' does not mean rejecting people or everyday life, but adopting values and priorities opposed to God's, a kind of spiritual unfaithfulness. The famous phrase 'if the Lord wills' (4:15), used to counter arrogant plans about the future, became common practice among Christians throughout history as a sign of humility before the uncertainty of life. Today's application is to examine the inner roots of our own conflicts and to cultivate humility when planning for the future.

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