Imagine a young man who wants to win the love of a young woman. He may have to work hard to make her interested in him and to get her to love him. But imagine how much harder he will have to work to win her love if she is already in love with someone else! He will need to both win her away from the other man and win her for himself.

How often the Lord had to do exactly this with Israel! How easily she was charmed by the empty and earthly promises of strange lovers. The Lord constantly had to wean His people from their idols and bring them back to Himself. And this is the story of every man and woman by nature. The world around us courts our affection — and wins it — unless and until the Lord effectually woos us to Himself.

This was also the story of the people to whom James was writing in his letter. The world had a stranglehold on their affections.

This is the opposite to which the church is called. The church is to be a place where there is love for Christ, love for the brethren, self-denial, service to one another, sobriety, and sincerity in word and deed. These things are the fruit of the Spirit in all who possess grace. This is also what will make the church different from the world and a testimony to those who are outside. Yet, so often, the church looks very much like the world, and the reason is simple: the world has a stranglehold on the church.

What has happened? James explains what has happened when he says, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses” (v. 4). He is accusing his readers of spiritual unfaithfulness. They began to love the world and the things that are in the world. Meanwhile, James tells them, while they were befriending the world, they became “enemies of God.”

The Stranglehold of the World⤒🔗

What is worldliness? Worldliness is the attitude of our hearts that gives priority to worldly approval, worldly possessions, and worldly opinions. The problem is not with the world that God created, but rather with the misplaced affection we have for it. God placed us in the world to live for and glorify Him, and to prepare for the next. By nature, however, all of us want to live for and glorify ourselves, and live as if this world were the final one.

Yet, many of us do not think of ourselves as worldly. We justify our preoccupation with the world by claiming we have no choice, since we must live and work in it. We are blind to worldliness by nature; we need help even recognizing it. To that end, James opens this chapter with some characteristics of worldliness. He begins by speaking about wars and fightings, and lusts and disappointments. We could summarize the major characteristics of worldliness as follows:

• Pettiness and power-struggles (v. 1).
• Pleasure-seeking and dissatisfaction (v. 2).
• Insincerity and unanswered prayers (v. 3).

The Blessing of Frustrated Desires←⤒🔗

“Ye ask, and ye receive not” (v. 3). We should be thank­ful that God has not answered all our self-serving prayers (v. 3). The reason God has not done so is because of His holy jealousy or “envy” (v. 5). We often use the word “jealousy” in a negative sense because it usually is a sinful jealousy, which comes from our depraved nature and self-centered focus. But when a Christian wife desires the exclusive affection of her husband, such jealousy is proper and even necessary. It reflects God’s holy jealousy for His people’s hearts.

We can call it a blessing when God prevents us from feeding our desires by not answering our insincere or self­ish prayers. Likewise, it is a blessing when He leaves us dissatisfied with the things we would even fight and kill for in order to obtain. One commentator notes that this is the same sort of blessing that the prodigal son experienced when he could not find satisfaction among the swine husks. This blessing does not bring the prodigal back to his father, but it does keep him from finding complete fulfillment away from his father. It leaves a gaping void in his heart, which only something greater can satisfy.

The natural man does not see this as a blessing. Instead, he accuses God as being harsh and unkind. He imagines that God is there to serve him. His prayers are instruc­tions to God to help him fulfill his desires and quench his thirst. But when something stands in the way and he feels unfulfilled, he blames God. What a blessing it is when lack of fulfillment in the things of the world is sanctified to our souls! We need God to show us our true problem. We are thirsty because we have forsaken the fountain of living waters and hewn out broken cisterns that can hold no water (Jer. 2:13).

The Attraction of Divine Grace←⤒🔗

It is not sufficient, however, if the Lord only leaves us unsatisfied with the world. Many unsaved people in the world also end up bored and unsatisfied, but this is not necessarily because of saving grace. We need more. What we need is “more grace.” And so, James says, “He giveth more grace” (4:6). What does James mean? He goes on to explain in verses 7-12. It is grace that leads us to submit to God with humility of heart (v. 7). It is the grace of repentance that cleanses the hands and purifies the heart (v. 8). It is the grace that Paul calls godly sorrow that works repentance not to be repented of (2 Cor. 7:10). This is the “more grace -” that God gives.

How does this grace work in the heart of someone whom God is bringing back to Himself?

First, this grace exposes our self-willed, sinful condition. God comes with His commands, as James gives them: “Submit yourselves to God” (v. 7). This exposes our lack of sub­mission to God. “Resist the devil” (v. 7). This reveals our allegiance to the devil. “Draw nigh to God.” This shows that we are far from Him. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord”. This tells us we are exalting ourselves against Him in pride.

Secondly, this grace shows us the way back to God. God does not leave us in the dark about what we must do. We must return and humble ourselves before Him. We must exchange unholy desires for God-centered desires. We must live lives of repentance. We must desire Him (Hosea 14:1, 2).

Thirdly, this grace encourages us with promises. God opens the treasure house of His blessings to win the affection of His people. He assures us that when we resist the devil, he will flee from us (v. 7). He promises us that when we draw near to God, He will be near to us (v. 8). He pledges that He will lift up those who humble themselves in His sight (v. 10).

Fourthly, this grace enables obedience to God’s commands. Ultimately, the Lord gives the grace we need to comply with His demands. He gives what John calls “grace for grace” (John 1:16). As Paul says, He “worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). This is what James means when he says, “He giveth more grace” (v. 6).

Fifthly, this grace evokes in us a gracious spirit. Earlier, James explained that dissension and infighting were a sign of worldliness. Now he directs us not to speak “evil one of another” (v. 11). He who has received the grace of God begins to show a gracious spirit to his Christian brothers and sisters. We fail at this again and again! But that is why James puts it to us as a command: “Speak not evil one to another” (v. 11).

We need to fall out of love with the world and fall in love with Him who made the world and us for Himself. The trouble the church of our day is in is due to her affair with this world. If God is leaving us dissatisfied with our current condition, this is already a blessing. So many are content and feel no lack whatsoever. But we are even more blessed when God gives more grace. Then He is wooing us back into His embrace.

Study Questions:←⤒🔗

1. What prophet of the Old Testament does James remind you of in this chapter? What do they have in common?
2. Why don’t we often see worldliness for what it is?
3. What is the difference between the wars and fighting James is talking about and necessary battles for the truth?
4. How can we avoid “asking amiss” in our prayers (v. 3)? What should we pray for in light of verses 7-10? Does this mean we can never pray for earthly things that we desire?
5. How does this work of grace wean and woo God’s children initially, but also repeatedly?
6. Would anything change if verses 11-12 were taken seriously in our congregations? How can this happen?