3 Wars We Have | War With God
Book of James • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsWe face three wars in life: War with others, war with ourselves, and a war with God. If we do not get our relationship with God right, the other wars will never cease.
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Introduction
We face three wars in life: War with others, war with ourselves, and a war with God. If we do not get our relationship with God right, the other wars will never cease.
Focus Passage: James 4:4-10
4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose, “He jealously desires the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
Outline
Up to this point, James has addressed two other wars that we are in. We are in a war with others and we are in a war with ourselves, the former caused by the latter. James writes within our last study that the second war, the war within ourselves is truly about spiritual issues within self. It has nothing to do with others, although we would like to blame others. it is an internal struggle that begins and ends with pride. It is is about selfishness and ego. This selfishness and ego, as we were reminded last week is nothing new. It has been around since the Fall. Truly, pride, ego, and self are what has called us to be put under this broken and cursed state that we are in.
Remember, Adam and Eve (Eve did eat first, but was deceived in doing so. Adam was not), gave into temptation of pride and did eat.
As quickly review Genesis 3:4-6, we are reminded of the steps of sin.
4 The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! 5 For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.
What were the steps of sin that we see within this text? These are important to understand.
Steps of Sin (cf. Gn. 3:4-6)
Step #1: Doubt - ‘…You certainly will not die...’
Step #2: Pride - ‘…your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God...’
Step #3: Desire - ‘…good for food…delight to the eyes…desirable to make one wise...’ (cf. Jm 1:13-15)
James had already given details about our personal desires within his letter. He states that we are drawn away by OUR OWN lust and desires. He also showed what would happen, if we gave into to those desires, death.
13 No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death.
Step #4: Disobedience - ‘…she took some of its fruit and ate...’
What was the result of the Fall? We all came under a curse. Remember what Paul wrote to the church at Rome.
By one man sin entered into the world — The 1st Adam
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned—13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not counted against anyone when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation committed by Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
Due to this fall, due to the curse that we all now under. We all find ourselves at war with God. We are called enemies of God.
At War with God (v.4)
4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
At war with God because of spiritual adultery
James, begins this text in reflection or response to what he wrote is verse 3, You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures. His response is rather harsh. He states that are truly committing spiritual adultery. He does not mince words when he writes, You adulteresses.
Why would James use such a harsh term in description of those whom he is writing to?
At war with God, because we are friends with the world
James clearly gives the answer when he follows up the statement with a question. He writes, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?
In some ways this question is rhetorical in nature and in some ways not. In one way he ask them to truly think think through things. On the other hand, you in modern terms, is stating, you have lost your mind. Do you really not get this.
‘hostility’ in the Gk is rendered as ‘enemy,’ ‘enemies,’ or ‘hostile.’ These all terms we use for combat when speaking of the forces we oppose. He is truly asking the question, Do you not know you are placing yourself in a position that is in combat with God?
How do we as individuals place ourselves in a place of hostility toward God?
How does the church place herself in the a place of hostility toward God?
At war with God voluntarily
The scariest part of all this is that we are willfully entering into combat with the Creator of the world because of our pride and ego. James writes, makes himself an enemy of God.
None of this should be. We were not created to be at war with God. We were created to have a relationship with God, to have fellowship with God. James points this out when he writes, Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose, “He jealously desires the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us” (v.5).
God does not desire to stay at war with His creation. He wants fellowship with His creation. He wants nothing more than to wrap His arms around His creation and share His love.
2 “I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,
Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts,
As much as God tries to bring reconciliation between Himself and His creation, it seems that we continue to fight and become more-and-more hostile toward Him. Why do you think this is so?
God has a Plan to End the War (vv.6-10)
6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
Just as there have steps to sin, there are steps to ending the war between ourselves and God. What do you think the steps of this plan might include?
Steps to Ending the War with God
Step # 1: Humility - ‘…God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble…Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord...’
Step #2: Surrendering to God and Resisting the Devil - ‘…submit to God…resist the devil...’
Step #3: Commitment - ‘…Come close to God…Cleanse your hands…purify your hearts, you double minded...’
What does being committed to God mean? What does it look like?
8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.
the KJV version reads, “Daniel purposed in his heart.” This decision made all the difference in Daniel’s life. It was a decision that pushed him through a 65+ years of captivity. It was that same purpose that God honored and used him in a mighty way to declare that He was the Ancient of Days, the Sovereign God of Creation. We must make up our minds. We must purpose in our hearts to be committed to God and faithful to Him alone.
Steps #4: Repentance - ‘…Be miserable…mourn…weep…laughter be turned to mourning…joy into gloom...’
As one looks over these first four steps, they cannot help but be reminded of the Beatitudes of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
All of these attitudes are truly meant from a spiritual perspective and not a physical perspective. They are attitude of one looking at their spiritual condition without Christ and who they are without Him and with Him. In that clear picture, we see the proper attitude(s) that we are each to have. As we look over our lives, we should have no issue with humbling ourselves, surrendering to the Lord, resisting the devil, committing ourselves to God and through that commitment, repenting of our sin. For we know that when we do, we will find...
Steps #5: Victory and Reconciliation - ‘…and He will exalt you...’
Conclusion
I simply close with how I began a verse that needs to be refreshed within our hearts and minds daily.
We face three wars in life: War with others, war with ourselves, and a war with God. If we do not get our relationship with God right, the other wars will never cease.
14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.