James 3:13 – 4:6 (2)

James 3:13 – 4:6

(Utmost devotional for 5/20/25 compliments our previous study in James 3:1-12, taming the tongue.)

Taking Possession of Our Own Soul

By Oswald Chambers

By your patience possess your souls. —Luke 21:19

“When a person is born again, there is a period of time when he does not have the same vitality in his thinking or reasoning that he previously had. We must learn to express this new life within us, which comes by forming the mind of Christ (see Philippians 2:5). Luke 21:19 means that we take possession of our souls through patience. But many of us prefer to stay at the entrance to the Christian life, instead of going on to create and build our soul in accordance with the new life God has placed within us. We fail because we are ignorant of the way God has made us, and we blame things on the devil that are actually the result of our own undisciplined natures. Just think what we could be when we are awakened to the truth!

There are certain things in life that we need not pray about— moods, for instance. (*) We’ll never get rid of moodiness by praying, but we will by kicking it out of our lives. Moods nearly always are rooted in some physical circumstance, not in our true inner self. It is a continual struggle not to listen to the moods which arise as a result of our physical condition, but we must never submit to them for a second. We have to pick ourselves up by the back of the neck and shake ourselves; then we will find that we can do what we believed we were unable to do. The problem that most of us are cursed with is simply that we won’t. The Christian life is one of spiritual courage and determination lived out in our flesh.”

(*) Quote from James 3:1-12 (Ultimately, are we willing to deny ourselves of our sinful nature and take up a new nature that is willing to let go of its sinful desires, its rights, and finally its life? We must kill the flesh, by taking up our cross daily.)

James uses wisdom 4 times in verses 13 – 17.

Secular definition of wisdom:

Wisdom is the ability to use your experience and knowledge in order to make sensible decisions or judgments.

Biblical definition from the thecrosstalk.com:

“Wisdom is a profound and multifaceted concept that transcends mere intellectual knowledge or practical skills. It encompasses a reverent relationship with God, ethical and moral living, practical benefits, relational development, divine origin (true wisdom is from God refer to Proverbs 8: 22-31), and ultimate expression in Jesus Christ. It is a holistic concept that integrates knowledge, character, and action, leading to a life that reflects God's glory and purposes. Wisdom is not just about making good decisions but about living a life that is deeply aligned with the heart and will of God.”

“Another essential aspect of biblical wisdom is its relational dimension. Wisdom is not an abstract concept but is deeply relational. Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Wisdom is often developed and refined in the context of relationships. It involves listening to others, learning from their experiences, and being open to correction and guidance. This communal aspect of wisdom underscores the importance of humility and teachability.”

Signs of a biblically Wise person:

· Demonstrates meekness, is peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and without hypocrisy. (James 13-17)

· High reverence of God. (Proverbs 1:7)

· Mournful over sin. (Do you grieve over your sin?) (Matthew 5:4; James 4:8, 9;

2 Corinthians 7:9)

· Humble and teachable (Philippians 2:3; Ephesians 4:2)

· Hungers for righteousness and displays it in his/her life. (Matthew 5:6)

Meekness - A calm and gentle spirit, characterized by humility and a willingness to accept God's will without complaint. It is often associated with strength under control. It’s about having power but choosing to wield it with care and restraint.

James 4:1-6:

In this passage, we see another type of person who is not living out his faith, one who claims to love God but actually loves the world. They are the apostate within the church, the goats that think they’re sheep.

· Wars/conflicts - fights/quarrels

· Personal conflicts and quarrels are an external sign of an internal problem.

· He tells the church that they’re internal problem is a desire for worldliness.

· Amiss/wrongly

· They’re prayers are not answered because they asked with wrong motives which are desires for fleshly things possible things to make them more comfortable physically instead desiring to grow more spiritually.

· Adulterers and adulteresses could simply mean sinners.

· Friendship with the world makes us enemies of God. Jesus came to deliver us from the world that we should not continue in it. Galatians 1:4, “who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age.”

· Humility cures worldliness

· “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Ref. 1 Peter 5:5-6)

From studyandobey.com:

Solomon tests this philosophy in Ecclesiastes 2:1-2:

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?”

The love of pleasure is taking over many countries in the world. It is a large reason why the Roman Empire fell. In the beginning, the people were hard-working but once the nation became rich, they became lazy and wasted away their days. A similar phenomenon is happening in many Western countries now.

You have movie theaters, amusement parks, leisure spas, a TV in every home, personal computers with more TV on them, and handheld smartphones with even more entertainment options a click away. And these are just a few of the more ordinary forms of entertainment, and there are much worse.

The United States used to be very hard-working and goal driven. Now people are getting lazier and lazier the more they love entertainment. For unbelievers, this love of pleasure wages war in their bodies. They know they should work, but they cannot control their desires. These desires sometimes start off innocent but, left uncontrolled, they grow and can lead to fighting, quarreling, and even murder.

1 John 2:15-17

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

What is the proper outlet for our desires? The proper thing to do instead of trying to fill them ourselves is to go to God. Desire what He wants, and you will be fulfilled and joyful.

Psalms 37:3-5

“Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. 5 Commit everything you do to the Lord.

Trust him, and he will help you.”

Next week, James 4:7-17: Resist the devil and he will flee from you – Satan wants a weak target. He is not interested in going head-to-head with an emboldened saint who depends on God.

Here are 10 marks of a prideful person (from studyandobey.com):

• A lack of gratitude – Prideful people think they deserve what they get. • Talking a lot – Prideful people have a lofty view of their own opinion so they often like to share it. • Talking about themselves – Prideful people focus on themselves in conversation because they view themselves as more important than others. Therefore, they don’t often ask questions of others. • Anger – Pride and anger go hand in hand. The angry person is upset that his so-called rights are violated. • Having a high view of gifts and skills – Prideful people have a very elevated opinion of themselves. • Boasting – Prideful people find ways to exalt themselves in their speech. • Belittling and criticizing others – One way to exalt themselves is to belittle others. By making others look small, they can feel big. • Unteachable – Prideful people do not listen to instruction or reproof because they aren’t wrong. • Lack of asking for forgiveness – Prideful people seldom admit their mistakes.

Lack of Biblical prayer – Prideful people rely on themselves, so they seldom pray.

Some of these marks come from the wonderful pamphlet “From Pride to Humility” by Stuart Scott.

Misc. verses:

The Futility of Pleasure, Ecclesiastes 2

Philippians 2:5-8

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Luke21:16-19

“You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head shall be lost. 19 By your patience possess your soul.”

Proverbs 2:6, 7

For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly.

Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge

of the Holy One is

understanding.

1 Corinthians 1:24

but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

2 Timothy 2:22

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1 Peter 5:5-6

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.