Bible Study August 5, 2026
James 4 (New International Version)
"I'm Going Somewhere"
Submit Yourselves to God
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Quarrels and fights among believers are always harmful. James explains that these conflicts result from evil desires battling within us: We want more possessions, more money, higher status, more recognition. When we don't get what we want, we conspire to have it. This shows why coveting is forbidden in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:17). It can lead people to kill in pursuit of their desires or in frustration over unfulfilled ones. While coveting can lead to murder, the killing James is referring to can also manifest as bitter hatred and backbiting (see Jesus' words in Matthew 5:21-22). Instead of aggressively pursuing what we want, we should submit ourselves to God, asking him to help us get rid of our selfish desires. Trust him to give you what you really need.
James mentions the most common problems in prayer: not asking, asking for the wrong things, and asking for the wrong reasons. Do you talk to God at all? When you do, what do you talk about? Do you ask only to satisfy your desires? Do you seek God's approval for what you already plan to do? Your prayers will become powerful when you allow God to change your desires so that they perfectly correspond to his will for you (1 John 3:21-22).
4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
There is nothing wrong with wanting a pleasurable life. God gives us good gifts that he wants us to enjoy (1:17; also see Ephesians 4:7; 1 Timothy 4:4-5). But having friendship with the world often involves seeking pleasure at others' expense or at the expense of obeying God. Pleasure that keeps us from pleasing God is sinful; pleasure from God's rich bounty is good.
Why does James say that it is impossible to be a friend of the world and a friend of God at the same time? These two paths lead in opposite directions and to very different destinations. Friendship with the world leads to quarrels and fights (4:1-3), materialism (1 John 2:15-17), self-centered living (James 4:3), and death (Proverbs 14:12). The other path leads to faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13), the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and eternal life (John 3:16).
5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?
This verse may mean that because of our fallen nature we have a tendency toward envy and must keep it in check, or it may mean that God, who puts his Spirit in believers, wants intimate friendship with us. James is not quoting a specific verse or passage—he is summing up a general teaching of Scripture. (For more on the human tendency toward envy and discontent, see Romans 6:6-8 and Galatians 5:17-21.)
6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
"God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Although God and the devil are at war, we don't have to wait until the end to see who will win. God has already defeated Satan (Revelation 12:10-12), and when Christ returns, the devil and all he stands for will be eliminated forever (Revelation 20:10-15). Satan freely influences our wills now, however, and he strives to win us over to his evil cause or, when he can't, destroy us. But he cannot defeat the Holy Spirit. We have a choice to either follow our natural tendencies or ask the Holy Spirit to fill us. With the Holy Spirit's power, we can resist the devil, and he will flee from us.
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
What can help us combat our selfish tendencies? Learning humility (also see Proverbs 16:18-19; 1 Peter 5:5-6). Pride makes us self-centered and leads us to conclude that we deserve all we can see, touch, or imagine. It creates greedy appetites for far more than we need. We can be released from our self-centered desires by humbling ourselves before God, realizing that all we really need is his approval. God not only gives us good gifts but also gives us good desires (see Philippians 2:13). When the Holy Spirit fills us, we see this world's seductive attractions for what they are—only cheap substitutes for what God has to offer.
How can you come close to God? James gives five ways: (1) "Humble yourselves before God" (4:7). Yield to his authority and will, commit your life to him and his control, and be willing to follow him. (2) "Resist the devil" (4:7). Don't allow Satan to entice and tempt you. (3) "Wash your hands [and] purify your hearts" (that is, lead a pure life) (4:8). Be cleansed from sin, replacing the desire to sin with the desire to experience God's purity. (4) "Let there be tears for what you have done" (4:9). Don't be afraid to express deep, heartfelt sorrow for what you have done. (5) "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor" (4:10; also see 1 Peter 5:6). Recognize that your worth comes from God alone. To be humble involves leaning on his power and guidance and not going your own independent way. Although we do not deserve God's favor, he wants to lift us up and give us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings. (For more on drawing near to God, see Hebrews 10:19-22.)
11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
Jesus summarized the law as loving God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40), and Paul said that love demonstrated toward a neighbor would fully satisfy God's law (Romans 13:6-10). When we fail to love others and instead constantly judge them, we are actually breaking God's law. Examine your attitudes and actions toward others. Do you build people up or tear them down? When you're ready to criticize someone, remember God's law of love and say something positive or encouraging instead; even if you have to speak a difficult truth, you can do so in a constructive, respectful manner. Saying something beneficial to others will cure you of finding fault and increase your ability to obey God's law of love.
Boasting About Tomorrow
13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Life is short no matter how long we live, and no one knows the length of his or her life. So don't be deceived into thinking that you have lots of remaining time to live for Christ, to enjoy your loved ones, or to do what you know you should. Live for God today! Then, no matter when your life ends, you will have fulfilled God's plan for you.
15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.
It is good to have goals, but goals can disappoint us if we leave God out of them. Why make plans as though God does not exist when he holds the future in his hands? Seizing opportunities or being assertive without considering what God wants will lead to frustration. Good planning starts by asking these questions: What would I like to be doing ten years from now? One year from now? Tomorrow? How will I react if God steps in and rearranges my plans? We should plan ahead, but we must hold on to our plans loosely. If we put God's desires at the center of our planning, he will not disappoint us.
17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.
We tend to think of sin as doing what is wrong. But James tells us that sin is also failing to do what is right. (These two kinds of sin are sometimes called sins of commission and sins of omission.) It is a sin to lie; it can also be a sin to know the truth and not tell it. It is a sin to speak evil of someone; it is also a sin to avoid that person when you know he or she needs your friendship. You should be willing to help as the Holy Spirit guides you. If God has prompted you to do a kind act, to render a service, or to restore a relationship, do it. You will experience a renewed and refreshed vitality in your Christian faith.