Worldliness vs Spiritual Wholeness

James 4 : 1 - 10

James 4:1-3 is closely related to the previous chapters, particularly the need to be a peacemaker. We live in a world full of conflicts and quarrels, but one of the beauties of Christian spirituality is the call to be a peacemaker. Every quarrel has a cause, and one reason is the passions or lusts that are at war within us (verse 1). The word “passion” in modern English has a positive connotation, but in theological and older English, it carries a negative connotation. Passion is often contrasted with someone who lacks self-control. In this verse, passion is not referring to the positive passion for life that we all need; rather, it refers to wild desires that create negativity.

We have talked about the sin of covetousness—the sinful desire to want something that is not rightfully ours—which leads to much negativity in our lives, including fights and quarrels. In verse 2, James writes, “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel…”. One commentary explains this well by using the term “frustrated desire.” Unfulfilled desires can breed intense strife, meaning that when desires are unfulfilled, they lead to frustration, which often results in quarrels.

People don’t usually fight because they want to, but because they have unmet desires that lead to envy, fighting, and even violence. And what do they gain from all this conflict? James says they receive nothing (verse 3). It’s tragic that people believe they can gain everything through fighting, but in the end, they receive nothing. Not only do they gain nothing, but they also lose peace, as they attempt to obtain everything through conflict and quarrels. Isn’t this what we call war and colonialism on a global scale? War is a fight at the macro level, driven by a desire to gain more—whether land, power, or control. But once they have all of it, what’s left? Interestingly, Jesus teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:5) that those who will inherit the earth are the meek. According to this verse, those who love to quarrel will not inherit the earth. However, the world’s logic says that to conquer the earth, you must fight for it. So if we, as Christians, don’t understand the beauty of Christianity, we fail to understand God.

Last week, we discussed that people who are easily persuaded are mature people, as they are willing to listen to others and not impose their own opinions. A childish person, on the other hand, cannot be open to reason, believing their own opinion is the only correct one. People who are open to reason are more likely to accept others and the Bible. In verse 2, James says that people who quarrel do not receive anything because they do not pray (ask). Usually, people who fight and quarrel rely on themselves and don’t pray because those who pray tend to live peaceful and content lives, which is incompatible with fighting. We can see how dangerous it is for people who don’t pray and ask. They fail to recognize that life is a gift from God and instead think they must seize it. In contrast, the way of God is to ask and pray for life as a gift. This doesn’t mean we don’t take action or fulfill our responsibilities, but it means that our actions come from the understanding and appreciation that life is a gift from God. If we don’t see life this way, then everything else will turn miserable.

Furthermore in verse 3, James says that you have asked but still receive nothing. Why does this happen? Because you ask wrongly and want to spend it on your passions. Christianity isn’t just about praying—it’s also about the content of our prayers and where our hearts are directed. In verse 4, James rebukes, “You adulterous people!” What does this mean? It refers to people who are unfaithful, whose hearts do not truly desire God. They use God as a tool to achieve their own goals and desires. Deep down, they only want personal happiness and success, not a relationship with God. The question for us is: What does our heart long for? Is it God, or other things? If God enters our lives, He will be our everything—not a guest or a tool. An illustration of this is someone who buys expensive, luxurious boots. The purpose of boots is to protect the feet, but this person takes them off when it snows, refusing to let them get dirty. In this case, they live for the boots, not the other way around. When James addresses “You adulterous people!!”, this is to rebuke people who do not see God as everything in life. Maybe there is God in his life, but not as a goal rather as a means.

James says that adulterous people are friends with the world. We do live in this world and interact with it, but in terms of heart attitudes, we must ask where our hearts are directed. Even though we live in the world, our fellowship and friendship should remain with God. When we try to be friends with the world, we lose intimacy with God. Those who lay down their lives to become friends with the world will lead miserable lives—not because God is evil, but because He wants the best for us, and the best is Himself. John Piper, a theologian, said the problem with humans is not that they seek satisfaction, but that they are too easily satisfied. For example, Indonesians who live in Europe are already satisfied with the Indonesian food available there, but when they return to Indonesia, they realize the Indonesian food in Europe doesn’t compare to the authentic taste. In the same way, sinful people are easily satisfied with miserable things in life, even though God offers a deeper satisfaction. God is the only one who can truly satisfy us, yet many choose the world over Him.

In verse 5, James talks about jealousy, which in this context has a positive connotation. When we are talking about this kind of jealousy, we can look from the perspective of marriage, that is jealousy in a positive way, not envy. James says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that He has made to dwell in us.” Our God is a jealous God, and this jealousy is healthy because, just as a spouse is unwilling to share their partner with anyone else, God is unwilling to share us (His bride) with the world. If there is no jealousy in a marriage, something is wrong. God’s jealousy is rooted in His love for us; He knows that friendship with the world leads to a miserable life and the loss of peace, as unfulfilled passions lead to frustration and quarrels. Therefore, don’t be surprised when people are angry and fighting because they are frustrated and don’t have peace. They lack peace because the world can never fully satisfy them. We, too, can make God jealous when we fail to find satisfaction in His love. We know that God’s jealousy is close to His wrath, meaning it is a serious matter that can lead to judgment and condemnation. We see this in the Old Testament, where Israel’s unfaithfulness led to their destruction. They abandoned God and reaped the consequences. However, James also says that God gives more grace (verse 6). His grace will draw us back to Him. How should we respond to God’s grace? We find the answer in verse 7: by submitting ourselves. There is an inseparable connection between receiving God’s grace and being humble. God gives grace to the humble. If we cannot be humble—perhaps because of our status, achievements, or pride—it will be difficult to understand God’s grace. If we can’t understand God’s grace, we will fall back into the mindset that life is not a gift but something to be seized, and that it is a competition for survival. Life is a gift, and God is gracious. Why is this so difficult to accept? Because we have a tendency toward arrogance and pride.

Sometimes, we misinterpret pride and dignity. Humbling ourselves before God does not mean we lose our dignity. In some European countries, people who attend church are seen as having no dignity—they are viewed as people with mental, emotional, or financial struggles. Those who are seen as having dignity are independent and do not need help, which makes it difficult for them to come to God. This stems from their failure to differentiate between pride and dignity. Those who humble themselves before God understand that life involves a spiritual battle. Our real enemies are not God or fellow human beings. When we are caught up in conflicts with those who are not our true enemies, we become paralyzed and insensitive to the spiritual warfare the devil is waging in our lives. The devil divides people by sowing suspicion and negative thoughts, preventing love and reconciliation. A healthy church is one where relationships are marked by reconciliation. James himself dealt with an imperfect church, and we can learn from his words.

In the beginning of James 4, we discussed wrongful fights. However, at the end of verse 7, James shows us that there is a real fight—resisting the devil. If you like to fight, that’s fine, but you must fight the devil. Often, we fight the wrong enemies and use up all our energy, leaving us too exhausted for the real battle against our passions, the devil, and sin (verses 7 and 8). In verse 9 there is an invitation to mourn and weep, even contrasting that laughter replaced by mourning and joy replaced by gloom. Why does James talk about mourning and lamenting here? This is actually not a new thing; we have heard it in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:4), where Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Does this mean God doesn’t want us to be happy? No. The mourning James refers to is about recognizing our sinfulness and repenting. Laughter, in this context, has a negative connotation and is associated with people who are foolish and have shallow lives.

In our lives, unfortunate moments are inevitable. How should we respond before God? We should respond with mourning. The world, however, suggests we should suppress suffering by drinking, traveling, or seeking pleasures. This is not the way God wants us to respond to pain. If you were grieving and someone tried to cheer you up with laughter, you would likely feel that person was insensitive and unhelpful. Mourning and lamenting are virtuous because they are honest and realistic, whereas laughter can be a form of self-deception, hiding true feelings and pain.

James isn’t forbidding laughter, but he warns that laughter can be a way of avoiding the reality of life’s struggles. James wants to invite us to live an authentic and realistic life rather than superficial. Of course in Christianity there is also joy, but true joy in Christianity comes after mourning and consolation. The world offers a false joy through entertainment, which bypasses the process of lamentation and consolation. An advertisement for alcohol once said, “Drinking is not the answer, but at least it helps you forget the answer.” While alcohol may make people forget their problems temporarily, they return when the effects wear off. The false joy the world offers is miserable, and only God’s comfort brings true peace and healing. May God help us grow and see that true comfort comes from Him alone. God bless us. (G.N.S)