How To End Internal Conflicts

Review

The Epistle of James Series (so far)

Part 1 - The Call to Spiritual Maturity

Part 2 - Turning Trials Into Triumphs

Part 3 - When Temptation Calls

Part 4 - How to Mature in the Word

Part 5 - The Sin of Partiality

Part 6 - Three Types of Faith

Part 7 - The Power of the Tongue

Part 8 - The Wisdom of the Mature Christian

Part 9 - How to End Internal Warfare

In This Part -

James expounds further on the most common sign of immaturity: quarrels and conflicts.

Why are there quarrels and conflicts among Christians?

How can these internal fights be stopped?

Text - James 4.1-10

James 4:1–10 NASB95

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious 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 with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore 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; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

Title:

How To End Internal Warfare

Why Internal Warfare Exist

At War with Each Other

James 4:1 NASB95

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?

Quarrel - Grk. polemos, military conflict; general state of hostility and antagonism

Conflict - Grk. mache, fight, dispute, contention; denotes open clash between opposing groups

Conflicts among God’s people in history

Abraham and Lot

David and King Saul

David and Absalom

Conflicts among the disciples

James mentioned a number of conflicts among the saints:

James 2.1-9 - “Class Wars” between rich and poor

James 5.1-5 - “Employment Wars”, which was usually between rich and poor

James 1.19-20 - “Church Fights”, or “war over positions in the church” manifested in the desire of many to become teachers (James 3.1)

James 4.11-12 - “Personal Wars”

James 4:11–12 NASB95

Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?

But why is there conflict among believers?

At War with Ourselves

James 4:1 NASB95

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?

“wage war” - Grk. strateia, a military campaign designed to achieve a specific goal

pleasures - Grk. hedone, passion, pleasure, enjoyment; always used in the negative sense of desire

Luke 8:14 NASB95

“The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

Titus 3:3 NASB95

For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

When quarrels exist between Christians, the root cause is always “selfishness”

James 3:14 NASB95

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.

James 3:16 NASB95

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

Examples:

Aaron and Miriam complained about Moses’ wife - actually they envied his authority

Abraham lied about Sarah - he wanted to save his own skin

Achan caused defeat to Israel - he selfishly took some of the forbidden stuff

Covetousness can cause us to violate all the other 9 commandments!

James 4:2–3 NASB95

You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious 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 with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

At War with God

James 4:4 NASB95

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

hostility - Grk. a state of deep-seated ill-will

We are at war with God when we become friends with God’s enemies!

1.) the “world (James 4.4)

friendship with the world results in becoming “stained” by the world (James 1.27)

this friendship leads to “loving” the world (1 John 2.15-17)

2.) the flesh (James 4.1, 5)

James 4:5 NASB95

Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?

to friends with the flesh means to let the flesh have its way (desires)

Romans 8:7 NASB95

because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,

3.) the Devil (James 4.6-7)

James 4:6–7 NASB95

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

to be friends with the Devil means to allow Satan to get in the way between brothers and sisters,

to be friends with the Devil means to allow Satan to influence our decisions instead of GOd’s Word.

How Internal Warfare Ends

James 4:6–7 NASB95

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Recognize the “root cause”: becoming “friends” with God’s enemies!

Quarrels and conflicts among the saints exist we are struggling with the unfulfilled desires of the flesh

We are struggling with the desires of the flesh because we are entertaining and welcoming God’s enemies into our lives

the “root” cause is being friends with God’s enemies

Submit to God

James 4:7 NASB95

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

Submission to God’s authority enables us to resist the power of the devil.

Ephesians 4:27 NASB95

and do not give the devil an opportunity.

How? by surrendering to the authority of God

Remember: Satan is powerful and deceitful

Draw near to God

James 4:8 NASB95

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

When we “draw near” we submit to His holiness

we allow God’s holiness to influence our lives

When we draw near, we mourn and weep for our wrong actions that bought into conflict with God

James 4:9 NASB95

Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.

Humble yourself before God

James 4:10 NASB95

Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

To humble ourself is to recognize the sovereign power of God.

To humble ourself is to recognize our need for God.

To humble ourself is to let God exalt us in His own time.

Conclusion

If we will not mature in our spiritual life, we will soon find ourselves in direct conflict with God and His word.

the old nature will attempt to rise out of its grave, or to come down from the cross, and take control of our “members” like before.

The mature Christian lives a life surrendered to God’s authority and strives to draw closer to God everyday.