The Tension of Two Worlds: Choosing God Over the World

Bible Passage: James 4:1-6

James 4:1–6 “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””

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Big Idea: Choosing to forsake worldly desires opens the door to God's grace, leading to unity and peace.

In the early 1800s, William Borden, heir to a dairy fortune, famously gave away his wealth to serve God as a missionary. On his journey to Egypt, where he planned to reach out to Muslims, he contracted spinal meningitis and died at 25. His epitaph reads 'No reserves, no retreats, no regrets'. Borden chose God over the world's temptations, inspiring us to consider what we might be holding back from Him.

1. Conflict's Root in Desires

James 4:1–2a “What causes(source of) quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. ”

quarrels - contention understood as if in a battle or war. relates to general, prolonged, and serious disputing or combat

fights - refers to a specific fight or battle.

When quarrel is combined with fighting the terms indicate an all out war, in the extreme which James says can result in even murder. Among you indicates the combative relationships between the members of the church to whom James wrote. Some of whom we will see in vs 4 are not saved and there by are enemies of God.

The Letter of James (B. True Wisdom Brings Peace (3:13–4:3))

The fact that James does not comment directly on the issues involved suggests that his concern was more with the selfish spirit and bitterness of the quarrels than with the rights and wrongs of the various viewpoints

Passions - which simply means “pleasure” carries the idea of sinful, self-indulgent pleasure.

Desires - are things you crave or lust after. Context makes it clear that what is mentioned here is excessive, misdirected and sinful though James doesn’t specifically mention the object of desire.

James 1:14–15 “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

Covet - to be jealous of because you do not have. Like a small child who cannot reach an item on the top shelf. Its not easily forgotten.

Summary: Our selfish sinful desires are what cause conflict. In other words, Fights and quarrels come from wrong desires. Frustrated desire leads to quarrels and fights.

2. Desires Misaligned in Prayer

James 4:2b–3 “ You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

Ask - to request or to pray

Matthew 7:7 ““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

James 1:5–6 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”

John 14:13 “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

John 16:23b “whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.”

Matthew 21:22 “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.””

1 John 5:14–15 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

Scripture is clear that what we ask we will receive . James gives us two reasons why we don’t have.

1. We either don’t ask

2. We ask to spend it on our own passions - prayer with the wrong motive or against the will of God.

Parable of the Prodigal Son

Luke 15:13 “Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.”

Luke 15:11–32 11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

3. Friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God

James 4:4 “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Adulterous people - one of the strongest admonitions to repent.

James: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Hostility toward God

Adultery is the sin of violating a marriage covenant by having sexual intimacy with someone other than a spouse. In referring to adulteresses, James uses the term metaphorically in a way that his Jewish readers would clearly understand (cf. Matt. 12:39; 16:4; Mark 8:38), referring to men as well as women. He is not talking about sexual but spiritual infidelity, as the term is often used in the Old Testament of God’s unfaithful people, Israel. Through Jeremiah, the Lord said, “I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also” (Jer. 3:8; cf. 2 Chron. 21:11, 13; Ps. 73:27).

Friendship - philia (love) the state of being inclined to help or support someone or something; especially not being antagonistic or hostile.

World -man-centered, Satan-directed system of this present age, which is hostile to God and God’s people. The goal of the world is self-glory, self-fulfillment, self-indulgence, self-satisfaction, and every other form of self-serving, all of which amounts to hostility toward God - John F. MacArthur Jr., James, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1998), 193.

Enmity with God - hostile to God or a deep seated opposition to Gods will. It refers to the state of deep-seated hatred or hostility that exists between two parties, essentially describing the feeling or relationship of being enemies

Ephesians 2:1–3 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

Romans 8:7 “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”

Galatians 5:17 “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”

Enemy of God - refers to a specific person or entity that is actively opposed to you,

The Parable of the Weeds

Matthew 13:24–30 “He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ””

Summary: Misaligned prayer is representative of our hearts inward desire. When we desire the world it makes us an enemy of God.

4. Grace's Power in Humility

James 4:5–6 “Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””

Scripture - passage (scripture) n. — a section of text from the sacred Scriptures; especially the Old Testament.

Whatever reference James is making to Scripture, he is speaking of its general teaching, not a specific passage. And if he were speaking to unbelievers—as he seems to be here—he is saying that the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us would not apply to them, because they would not be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. -John F. MacArthur Jr., James, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1998), 198.

Jealously - (righteous) n. — an appropriate desire for what a God has a right to.

Exodus 20:5 “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,”

Exodus 34:14 “(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),”

Zechariah 8:2 ““Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.”

In whatever way the verse is interpreted, however, James seems to be saying that unbelievers, who are in a permanent state of spiritual conflict with God, not only are His enemies but also reflect that hostility by not trusting or obeying His Word. They refuse to acknowledge their natural enmity with and separation from the sovereign God. - John F. MacArthur Jr., James, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1998), 198–199.

Grace — the resulting activity that is a necessary consequence of genuine, beneficent goodwill; especially used of the outworking of God’s goodwill.

Proverbs 3:34 “Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.”

1 Peter 5:5 “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””

Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Proud - The idea is that of disdainfully and arrogantly supposing oneself to be above others.

Romans 1:30 “slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,”

2 Timothy 3:2 “For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,”

Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

Proverbs 21:4 “Haughty(Prideful) eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.”

Proverbs 29:23 “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.”

Humble - gentle, meek, mild, implying low social standing

Proverbs 15:33 “The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”

Proverbs 22:4 “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.”

James 1:9 “Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,”

When faced with challenges, we often see two responses: pride or humility. A proud person sees vulnerability as a weakness, while a humble individual embraces it as a chance for growth. Think of Moses, who despite his insecurities, led the Israelites by relying on God’s strength, not his own. This teaches us that humility is not about belittling ourselves, but understanding our place in God’s grand narrative, allowing Him to lead us forward.

Summary: In James 4:1-6, the text exposes how the struggles and wars within believers stem from their friendship with the world, which creates a rift in their relationship with God. This passage highlights the contrast between the desires that lead to conflict and the grace that God offers to those who turn back to Him, shedding light on the necessity of forsaking worldly allegiances to obtain true peace and harmony through divine wisdom.

Application:

Are you choosing God over the World? Knowing Jesus is key to Grace’s power in Humility. Do you know him personally and are you trusting him? Is he the Lord of your life? If not receive the free gift of grace that is offered at the cross of Jesus and ask him to reveal himself to you and help you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and to believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. If you have questions about this please come see me after we pray.

If you know him, then think about your life. Are you letting your desires rule over you? What about when thing go awry? Do you preach to yourself and asking questions like what is causing this fight and quarrel in me when there is a war around you. What about when jealousy for the world rears its ugly head? Do you fight and quarrel for things that are temporal or do you trust the Lord and His good gifts.

What about How is your prayer life? Are you praying to the Lord for all your needs? Are you praying in the Lords will andreceiving what you have asked for? Or are you asking to spend it on your own passions?