A Humble Battle - Faith In Action Series

This week’s devotional was written by Abson Predestin Joseph in his book entitled, “The Letter of James (OneBook, Daily-Weekly).” We hope you will be encouraged.

James 4:1–3 ESV What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Key Observation. Believers should guard against self-dependency and prayers that are self-serving.

Understanding the Word. James turns his focus to teaching on humility. The first aspect he tackles is humility in prayer. In speaking about selfishness, James is underscoring how the wrong posture and the wrong motivations affect our ability to receive what we need from God. A contrasting picture emerges between the peace-loving people imbued with heavenly wisdom James described earlier (3:17–18), and those who wage war with others because of the war that is raging inside them because of the inability to control their passions and desires.

James begins with two rhetorical questions that identify the heart, the inner person, as the source of challenges a person faces on the journey to spiritual maturity. The first question uses language of war and conflict as metaphors for the verbal disputes that are taking place. This is further indication that a person’s actions are the outworking of what is going on internally. There is war and conflict among you because there is a war raging inside you.

The first indictment is laid against those who commit murder because they are unable to possess something they deeply long for. Given the fact that James is writing to an audience who is in diaspora and faces challenges of all sorts, it is not outside the realm of possibility that he is addressing a real-life situation. The New Testament is full of warnings against murder (Matt. 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Rom. 13:9; 1 Tim. 1:9). James himself addressed this earlier in the letter (2:11). Something about the cultural milieu has made this prevalent. However, it is also clear that those who commit such acts are not living the life God requires. It jeopardizes their relationship with God and their place in the family (Rev. 21:8; 22:15).

The story of Cain and Abel comes to mind. After presenting their offerings to God, Abel received God’s approval and Cain did not. Cain became angry and killed his brother (Gen. 4:1–8). The Bible includes God’s conversation with Cain before he committed the murder. God’s warning to Cain, “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it” (Gen. 4:7), might resonate with James’s audience. James may be alluding to this story as a way to warn the audience that though passions and desires are at war within a person, one has to rule over them.

The second indictment, “You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel” (James 4:2 ESV), might recall the story of Jacob and Esau. Jacob coveted Esau’s birthright and cunningly convinced Esau to sell it to him. Later, with the help of their mother, Rebekah, Jacob deceived Isaac, their father, to receive a blessing that was Esau’s by right. Upon discovering that Jacob stole his blessing, Esau pleaded unsuccessfully to get a blessing from his father. He then swore to kill Jacob, who had to run for his life. The fear and tension in the relationship lasted well into their old age (Gen. 25:19–34; 27:1–46; 33:1–19). While Jacob might have gained the upper hand on Esau, the story of his life shows a constant struggle to find satisfaction.

James’s audience lives in a world where much is based on appearance. The cravings that drove these dysfunctions are not only for material things, but also for honor, recognition, approval, and status in the community. The coveting, disputes, quarrels, murders, and communal and internal strife seem to arise because of a lack of resources. However, James makes it plain that there are two reasons for the lack the audience experiences: one is self-dependency, the other is self-serving prayers. “You do not have, because you do not ask” (James 4:2 ESV). In the larger context of the book, this paints the picture of a broken relationship with God. It portrays someone who believes they are self-dependent. They do not find it necessary to request what they need from God. It is selfish in the sense that they think more highly of themselves than they should. Self-sufficiency is the antithesis of humility. It is dangerous because it minimizes our need for God and for others.

The other predicament is self-serving and self-destructive attitudes. Though these persons recognize their need for God, they lack because they ask with the wrong intentions. They want to raise their profile and elevate their status in the community. They want to fuel the passions that drive them, which is a destructive proposition. They are asking for resources that will potentially harm them and the community. In this case, not receiving is an act of grace and preservation from God. James uses strong language to underscore the seriousness of the internal struggles these believers face. He is writing to provide them with the ammunition they need to overcome the internal conflicts they face so that peace can reign in the community.

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