Chapter 4 of James contains some shocking statements about “war in your members”—the internal battle we fight against the temptation to seek our own pleasure through sins like lust, murder, covetousness, and adultery (v. 1). This list of struggles could be metaphorical, but consider King David—the man after God’s own heart—and his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband, Uriah the Hittite. It’s like he acted these verses out in real life.
Whatever the case, James’ point is well taken. The struggle inside of us is real, and it ruins our relationships—and our testimony for the gospel. It’s all about, “I want what I want.”
Now, when he says, “you do not have, because you do not ask God” (v. 2, NIV), James was saying, you’re not talking to God about it. You’re not asking God: “Should I have this, or should I not have this?”
“You ask and you do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (v. 3). Selfishness leads not only to wrongdoing. It leads to wrong praying. Because when you’re self-focused as an individual, you become self-sufficient. And self-sufficient people don’t usually pray.
Whatever it is you want in your life, you need to understand that what God wants for you is far greater than anything you could want for yourself. And even if following Christ is hard sometimes, the very worst that God has for you is better than the best that the world has for you. He has a better plan.
But sometimes people fight God. Look at verse 4. “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
When you move from God toward His enemy, you are, in effect, declaring war on God. And the enemy James spoke of is not only the devil, but also the world. It’s the world of ideas, the system of values that is opposed to the values of God and His kingdom. So, if you’re a friend of the world, you are making yourself an enemy of God.
You know you’re a friend of the world when your personal pleasure is more important to you than being spiritual. You know you’re a friend of this world when you care more about what unbelievers think about you than what believers think about you—or what God thinks about you.
And you know you’re a friend of this world when you disregard Scripture. If you’re the enemy of God, or hostile toward Him, you don’t care what He has to say in His Word. You disregard it, or you only listen to it every now and then.
James offered the solution in verse 7. It’s not easy, but it’s pretty straightforward: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” He was telling us, “Submit to God because God is fighting for you.”
Verse 5 reminds us that “the Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously.” The idea is that God passionately pursues you because He jealously desires an intimate relationship with you. He was willing to go to any extent to rescue you, because He loves you. He proved that on the cross.
Today, if you’re struggling inwardly, the real struggle may be that you are fighting God. If so, stop. Stay in the Word. Submit the situation to Him, ask Him to work in it, and pray as you go through it.
I hope that your relationship with God is not about getting what you want, but getting what He wants for you, and what He wants to accomplish through you in this world.
