I. The Anatomy of (Verses 1-3)
1 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from the passions that wage war within you? 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit, and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. – Galatians 5:16-17 CSB
33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 “Therefore, don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:33-34 CSB
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II. The of Divided Loyalty (Verses 4-6)
4 You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God. 5 Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely? 6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore, he says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions — is not from the Father, but is from the world. – 1 John 2:15-16 CSB
34 He mocks those who mock but gives grace to the humble. – Proverbs 3:34 CSB
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III. A Road Map to Restoration and Freedom(Verses 7-10)
7 Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
- Submit to God: It means “to under.”
- Resist the Devil: When we submit to God, the enemy loses his foothold and must .
- Draw Near to God: He promises to meet us .
- Cleanse and Purify: This involves both outward and inward
- Mourning and Humility: A “change of mind” is by considering the weight of our sin (godly sorrow) rather than making excuses for it.
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. 8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9 Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. – 1 Peter 5:6-9 CSB
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IV. The Practical Test: Pay Attention to what comes out of your mouth (Verse 11)
1 “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 “For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. – Matthew 7:1-2 CSB
18 “Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. – Leviticus 19:18 CSB
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Community Life Group Questions
James 4:1-11
- James suggests that external fights are symptoms of internal “passions”. Can you share a time when a conflict with someone else was actually rooted in your own unmet desire or frustration?
- Why is “friendship with the world” considered such a serious betrayal of God? What does that “friendship” look like in our modern culture?
- In what areas of your life is it most difficult to admit you need help—where might you be inadvertently “resisting” God by relying on your own pride?
- Why is it nearly impossible to effectively resist temptation or negative patterns if we haven’t first “ranked ourselves under” God’s authority?
- What is the difference between healthy “godly grief” that leads to change and unproductive “worldly grief” that just leads to shame? (check out 2 Cor 7:10)
How can we pray for you?