James 5:12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.
           
Though it seems odd that James would bring up swearing in v. 12, profane language is not what he has in mind. What is in his mind is man’s feeble attempt to assert authority and control over the future by swearing a flippant oath of some kind. Perhaps given the situation James’ audience was in, he cautions them not to presumptuously swear that if they were ever to get out of their trial, they will never allow themselves to be such victims again. After all, presumptuous living is not Christian (cf. 4:13-17). So if it is wrong for a Christian to live arrogantly, ignoring God, then certainly taking oaths in the name of God regarding the future, as if anyone could guarantee the future with an oath, is also not Christian. Both are tests of genuine faith.
           
Addressing flippant oaths in Matthew 5:33-37, Jesus rebuked those who swore by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, or their own head. What both Jesus and James are saying therefore is that since humans cannot control anything, swearing an oath about the future is absurd! It is no wonder then that James prefaces v. 12 with “above all,” for although complaining against fellow believers is wrong (5:9), what is actually worse is a feeble human being in the midst of his sufferings attempting to assume God’s rightful authority and swear an oath about the future.
           
To ignore James’ counsel is to “fall under judgment.” He says, “your ‘yes’ is to be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’, ‘no.’ ” Likewise Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, said, “Let your statement be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of the evil one” (Matt. 5:37). Since swearing oaths about the future is for God alone, it is a devilish action to attempt to assume what only God can do. Therefore, when a Christian slanders (4:11) or takes an oath (5:12), falsely assuming he can control the future, he is like the devil (Gr. diabolos)—he whose name means “slanderer.”

Not all oaths, however, are sins. God actually gave provisions for His people to take oaths, yet He cautioned them, saying, “You shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God…” (Lev. 19:12). God also ordained oaths between neighbors (Ex. 22:10-11). In order to guarantee his word, Abraham took an oath (Gen. 21:25-31; cf. 24:2-4), as did Isaac (26:26-31). Rahab made the two spies swear by an oath (Josh. 2:12-20). In Numbers 5:19-22 an oath was required of a woman suspected of marital infidelity. Also, in Numbers 6 the Nazirite vow is introduced. Further, the Israelites who followed Joshua swore an oath to God (Josh. 6:26; cf. 2 Chron. 15:14; Ezra 10:5; Neh. 10:28-30). David himself swore oaths with Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:12-17; 2 Sam. 21:7), Saul (1 Sam. 24:21-22), Shimei (2 Sam. 19:23), and God (2 Sam. 3:35).

In the NT, Paul fulfilled a vow to God (Acts 18:18), later taking an oath of accuracy when he told the Corinthians, “The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying” (2 Cor. 11:31; cf. 1:23; Rom. 9:1). Even one of the angels of the Revelation swore an oath to God (Rev. 10:5-6). These kinds of oaths are only sinful when they are used to deceive or when they were taken frivolously—the kind that Jesus accused the Pharisees of taking, swearing by less sacred things like the gold of the temple rather than the temple itself or by the altar instead of the offering upon the altar (Matt. 23:16-21). When Jesus said, “Make no oath at all” (Matt. 5:34), this is what He was referring to. For when one takes God’s name in a flippant oath, he takes the Lord’s name in vain and breaks the commandment (Ex. 20:7).

So, since oaths invoke God’s holy name (Deut. 6:13), they are not to be taken lightly: “If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth” (Num. 30:2; cf. Ps. 15:1-4; Eccl. 5:4-5). Examples of rash vows in the Bible include Joshua (Josh. 9:3-15), Jephthah (Jdgs. 11:30-36), Saul (1 Sam. 14:24), and Herod Antipas (Matt. 14:7-9).

Food For Thought
Since James has in mind the kinds of oaths that guarantee the uncontrollable future, he is not forbidding Christians to takes oaths in a court of law or to swear allegiance to their spouse during their wedding nuptials. After all, oaths can be taken to bolster the truth of our words (cf. Rom. 1:9; 2 Cor. 1:23; 11:11; Gal. 1:20; Phil. 1:8; 1 Thess. 2:5, 10). So when we do take a legitimate oath, we must follow through on our oath. The forbidden oaths James and Jesus speak of reveal another test of true saving faith, for those who swear falsely are not true believers.
            

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James 5:10-11 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
           
Returning to the topic of patience in the midst of persecution, turmoil, or other difficulties (vv. 7-8), James uses the OT prophets as examples of godly men who endured under trial. Though James does not use any specific examples, we might recall that the prophet Amos was sent by God from Judah in the south to preach to the rich in Israel in the north who were oppressing their fellow Israelites. How did Amos fare? Israel’s leaders slandered and expunged him! Likewise, Jeremiah suffered for simply speaking the words of God. Not only did the Jews despise his prophecies, at least three of the Judean kings (Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah) also rejected him and treated him harshly. Also Isaiah, who was believed to have been sawn in two for his faithfulness (cf. Heb. 11:37). Why were they persecuted so harshly? Simply because they “spoke in the name of the Lord.” So by obeying God and doing His will, these prophets serve as an “example” (Gr. hupodeigma) of how righteous behavior often results in suffering.
           
Though James uses “patience” in v. 10 to describe the prophets and “endurance” in v. 11 to describe Job, the two words are synonymous. Job’s endurance is akin to the prophets’ patience because Job’s faith was unmoved during his nightmarish ordeal. Yes, Job spoke self-righteously, complained about his physical state, and demanded an audience with God so he could argue his case, namely that he was suffering unjustly. But in spite of this, he never abandoned his faith. Even though he was confused as to why God would allow him to suffer so greatly, he relied upon God to sustain him and never lost confidence in Him (1:21; 2:10; 16:19-21; 19:25-27).
           
James speaks of “the outcome (Gr. telos) of the Lord’s dealings” with Job—the “purpose” of those sufferings in v. 11. That purpose was for both the refinement of Job’s character and for an example for all who read his account that God is faithful in the midst of our trials. Since Job learned this and saw God for who He truly is (Job 42:5-6), it is clear that God’s purpose was accomplished through Job’s sufferings. So now Job’s account is an ideal example for Christians. God gives His people trials for His own ends—His glory and our gain. In fact, the overall message of the book of Job is that God’s mercies are abundant for those who endure to the end. It is no wonder then that James ends this by saying, “the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.” In no way is James teaching that all trials end like Job’s. Yet faithful behavior in the midst of our trials is the avenue through which God blesses His people.

Food For Thought
            Those OT prophets and Job who endured until death are considered heroes to us Christians. James says they are counted as “blessed” (Gr. makarizō). This word is not necessarily parallel to “happy,” although they are close in meaning. Being happy is normally connected to one’s emotional state; being “blessed” concerns the objective state of one’s relationship to God. This is why Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:11-12). Those who are persecuted, therefore, are blessed because their relationship with God is unchanged whether their circumstances cause them to be happy or sad. This fits with James’ previous statement, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (1:12).
            

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James 5:9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.
           
In vv. 7-8 James exhorts his audience to be patient in light of the certainty of Christ’s imminent return. Their patience was needed in light of the fact that many things were upsetting them. Keeping in mind that these Christians had been scattered in the persecution of Christianity in first century Jerusalem (1:1-4), James knew they were suffering outside of their homes. They were also dealing with unruly and unbelieving people in their midst, from the prejudiced (2:1-13) to those unable to tame their tongues (3:1-12) to the stingy rich (5:1-6). Being in such ongoing stressful situations, people have been known to turn against one another—from spouses to parents to children to fellow believers to pastors. This may be the context for which James writes, “Do not complain, brethren, against one another…” (5:9). Literally, James says “Stop speaking against one another brethren,” for their sin was already present and spreading.

James used similar language in 4:11-12, telling his audience to “stop speaking against one another,” but that context concerned judging fellow believers. In 5:9, then, James addresses those who “complain” (Gr. stenazō). This idea fits a persistent topic in James’ letter about sinful speech (cf. 1:27; 3:1-12; 4:11-12). Paul dealt with this problem as well in other churches, telling the Ephesians, “I…implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (4:1-3). This is never easy for people whether they are suffering oppression or simply dealing with difficult people. In spite of this, James is clear that complaining against fellow believers was unacceptable.

Lest anyone take James’ words with a grain of salt, it is clear that harsh judgment awaits those who persist in wrongful judging or complaining against fellow believers (cf. 4:11-12). Jesus said as much, admonishing His hearers, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” (Matt. 7:1). So, both Jesus and James warn of judgment for those who wrongfully judge. In fact, James says, “the Judge is standing right at the door.” Who is that Judge? Having just written that there is only one Lawgiver and Judge (4:12), clearly he is speaking of God. Noting also the references to the parousia (i.e., Christ’s coming) in vv. 7-8 where Jesus, “the Lord,” is the Judge, it is clear in James’ mind that Jesus is God, “the Lord.” This too is consistent with Jesus’ own teachings, for He warned that “when you see all these things [i.e., the signs of His coming], recognize that He is near [i.e., the parousia], right at the door” (Matt. 24:33; cf. Rev. 3:20).

In vv. 7-8 James speaks of Christ’s return as the ultimate day for Christians to look ahead to in order to be relieved of their sufferings on earth. Unbelievers will be judged, and Christians will be with the Lord continually. But in v. 9, there is a shift of thought. Christians themselves must consider their own ways and get right with the Judge before He returns, for the parousia will be a time where Christians are summoned to account for their own lives (cf. 2 Cor. 5:10). Peter Davids, says, “The nearness of the eschatological day is not just an impetus to look forward to the judgment of ‘sinners’… it is also a warning to examine one’s behavior so that when the one whose footsteps are nearing finally knocks on the door, one may be prepared to open… either for blessing or for judgment. The coming Lord is also the judge of the Christian.”

Food For Thought
            It is far too easy to complain against our fellow Christians. But we must cease from it! Though we are saved by Christ’s blood, He will still judge us for how we act toward one another. Let us thus see each other as God’s children, and let us love one another and stop complaining.
            

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James 5:8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
           
Like the farmer who is longsuffering to wait for nature and God to bring His crops up from the ground in due time in v. 7, in v. 8 James exhorts Christians to be patient in their sufferings in light of Christ’s imminent return. In v. 7, James speaks of the fact of Christ’s coming; in v. 8 he speaks of the nearness of it. Of note here is the term for “near” (Gr. engizō), a term used throughout the NT in eschatological contexts. Jesus said that the kingdom of God is near (Mark 1:15; cf. Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 10:7; Luke 10:9, 11). Likewise, Peter said, “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer” (1 Pet. 4:7; cf. Rom. 13:12). And, in light of Christ’s imminent return, the writer of Hebrews admonished, “…not forsaking our own assembling together… but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:25, italics mine).

Also, quoting Jesus, John used the term “soon” to refer to Christ’s return: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place…” (Rev. 1:1, italics mine). Of course the immediate events in Revelation concerning the seven churches in chapters 2-3 did occur very “soon” after John’s writing. Yet later, Jesus is quoted by John as using the same word “soon” for His future return which has yet to be fulfilled. In other words, Jesus used the word “soon” to speak of immediate, now-fulfilled events as well as future, yet-to-be-fulfilled events like His second coming: “These words are faithful and true; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place” (Rev. 22:6, italics mine).

Since Peter claimed that many would scoff at Christ’s seemingly loose use of the word “near” for His return (2 Pet. 3:1-10), the subjective nature of both “near” and “soon” is key. For how could Christ’s return be “near” in the first century yet still be unfulfilled in the twenty-first century? The answer is found in Peter’s words who wrote: “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” (2 Pet. 3:8). Then in v. 9, Peter says, “God is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). The “you” in Peter’s context is clearly Christians, God’s elect (cf. 1 Pet. 1:1-2; 2 Pet. 2:1)—those whom He chose from before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4-11). This is evident in Peter’s address of his audience in both of his epistles, for he spoke specifically to Christians. So, Christ’s supposed slowness in His return is so that all whom God elected to salvation will be born then be born again (John 3:3). Thus, “near” and “soon” must be interpreted within the greater context of Scripture and history.
           
James exhorted believers while waiting for Christ’s return to “strengthen your hearts.” The Greek for “strengthen” (stērizō) means to “prop up; fix firmly in place.” Paul also uses this term in 1 Thessalonians 3:13 in an eschatological context where it is God who does the strengthening: “…that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” What James wants is for Christians everywhere to prop themselves up, as it were—to get right spiritually by ridding our lives of laziness and selfish ambition and to rejoice in our trials while waiting patiently for Christ’s glorious return.

Food For Thought
What if we lived as if Christ’s return were next week? Would you strengthen yourself with the comfort of knowing you’re going Home by repenting of sins, reading Scripture, and spending time in prayer and worship? Would you admit wrong and ask forgiveness of those you have offended? Would you enjoy the simple things in life and not stress? What are you waiting for?
            

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James 5:7-8 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

The “therefore” in v. 7 draws a conclusion from the previous context in 5:1-6, for James’ context moves from the stingy “rich” back to the “brethren.” Though living presumptuously (4:13-16) and luxuriously (5:5) in this life, some within the church face a not-so-luxurious future on “the day of slaughter” (5:5). James was thus exhorting poorer Christians who were suffering at the hands of the rich to “be patient…until the coming of the Lord” (5:7). In the larger context, James addresses how believers can do right in a world that does them wrong.

The Lord’s “coming” (Gr. parousia), or advent (Matt. 24:27; 1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 3:13; 2 Thess. 2:1; 2 Pet. 3:12; 1 John 2:28), concerns His “presence” (1 Cor. 16:17; 2 Cor. 10:10; Phil. 2:12)—the hope of the Church for 2,000 years. Though Christ’s parousia is certain, its time is unknown (Mark 13:32). What is known is that Christ is not slow about His promise as some count slowness but is patient toward those God chose for salvation. This means that Jesus awaits all those whom God the Father wrote in the Lamb’s Book of Life before the foundation of the world to be born physically then to be born again (2 Pet. 3:9; Rev. 13:8; 17:8; cf. Eph. 1:3-14).

Since the day of Christ’s parousia is both certain and imminent, and since the days leading up to it will be difficult (cf. Phil. 1:29), it is important for God’s people in the midst of persecution to be “patient”—a Greek compound word from macros and thumos (makrothumeō). It literally means “long-anger,” variously translated as “patience,” “perseverance,” and “longsuffering.” In v. 10 James uses the examples of the OT prophets who were patient in the midst of their sufferings along with Job’s successful “endurance” of his trials in v. 11. Therefore, what James is teaching Christians that we must have the same faithful, patient endurance “until” Christ’s coming—when all Christian suffering ends and the difficulties of life are removed forever.

In the latter half of v. 7, James gives an illustration of what patience looks like by using the example of a farmer. In that agrarian society, farmers painstakingly prepared their fields, sowed seeds in the dirt, and then waited patiently for the October-November rains. This allowed their seeds to germinate until the March-April rains that allowed the seeds to take root and grow. During those times, however, farmers were absolutely dependent on God to provide, patiently waiting for Him to act as their Law also taught: “…that [God] will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil” (Deut. 11:14). In fact, as Douglas Moo notes, “Every reference to ‘early and later rains’ in the OT occurs in a context affirming the faithfulness of the Lord (Deut. 11:14; Jer. 5:24; Hos. 6:3; Joel 2:23; Zech. 10:1).”

Food For Thought
As a farmer patiently waits for nature and for God to work through their diligence and obedience, so too does James encourage all Christians to patiently endure that which is put before us, whether sickness, persecution, loss of job, the threat of death, or the rains for our much-needed crops. With the coming of Christ in view and its certainty, we as Christians can look past our worries and struggles, knowing that our trials are temporary. In light of eternity, they are like a drop in a bucket. The nearness of Christ’s coming—the very prospect of His future presence, is enough to calm all our fears, quiet all of our doubts, and heal all of our wounds. If only we would turn our attention to Jesus Christ and His imminent return. Since that could happen at any time, let us pray, “Oh Lord, may your Kingdom come!
            

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James 5:6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.

Having accused the stingy rich of hoarding wealth in 5:2-3, cheating workers in v. 4, and living self-indulgently in v. 5, James now condemns them for their own condemnation and murder of the righteous in v. 6—those who do “not resist you” but are unjustly scorned.
Though some have surmised that the “righteous man” murdered in v. 6 is Jesus Himself, this is unlikely, for nothing in James’ context leads or points to Jesus. Others, namely those who believe that James is a pseudonymous letter, believe that the anonymous writer is writing for James since James himself was the “righteous one” who was condemned. Though these are possibilities, “the righteous man” is more likely a general reference for any poor Christian oppressed by the wealthy, perhaps even persecuted by the rich unto death.

In using the word “condemned” (Gr. katadikazō), James has a courtroom in mind, complete with a final verdict. Throughout time, even within the two millennia of church history, the powerful rich have exploited, judged, and condemned the righteous poor. It started with Jesus, the lowly carpenter from the lowly town of Nazareth, condemning the most righteous man the world has ever, or will ever, know. The same attitude obviously existed in the early Church, for James condemned it. But it continues in the present day with wealthy, high church clergy, keeping the humble poor man out of leadership and out of the pulpit, having no say in church politics, and being relegated to a meaningless member with nothing to add.

The final phrase in v. 6, “he does not resist you,” points to a righteous poor man, unable to resist their power and influence, who simply allowed the rich to have their way. By reflecting on the commands of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, not resisting his oppressors, the righteous poor man is able to endure temporary oppression in order to obtain eternal rewards. For Jesus said, “I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you” (Matt. 5:39-42). Likewise, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Rom. 12:14).

Money-hungry people have been quoted as saying, “Money isn’t everything; it is the only thing.” Certainly having an excess abundance of wealth is something for which many aspire, yet unless those who possess it are rich in faith (2:5) and willing to be generous with their wealth to the glory of God (Luke 12:21), being poor is clearly the safer option. Just as teachers will be judged more strictly for what they teach (Jas. 3:1), so too will those who have more wealth than they need be judged more severely for how they spend their overages. If they use their wealth to God’s glory, then their riches will be a blessing; if not, those riches will prove to be their curse.

Food For Thought
The Apostle Paul charged his protégé Timothy with many things, one of which was to instruct the wealthy how they might utilize their wealth. Contrasting James’ condemnation of the wicked rich, Paul said, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed” (1 Tim. 6:17-19). From Paul’s teaching it is absolutely possible to enjoy one’s wealth to the glory of God, even while enjoying the fruits of it for oneself. So let us use our abundance and excess to God’s glory, not our own.
            

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James 5:5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.
           
The rich in James’ crosshairs had “lived luxuriously” while engaging in “wanton pleasure.” The former phrase is one word in Greek (estruphasate), used in the Septuagint (LXX) for an ease of life afforded to Israel (Neh. 9:25; cf. Isa 66:11). It thus has no inherent negativity attached to it. James, however, uses it negatively in reference to self-indulgency (cf. Luke 7:25; 2 Pet. 2:13). Likewise, “wanton pleasure” is also one word in Greek (espatalasate), referring to any selfish pleasure, whether sensual or otherwise. In the context of the rich who deny themselves nothing because of their ability to purchase whatever they like for their own pleasure, James accuses them in v. 5 of using their money for one purpose: to please themselves (cf. Ezek. 16:49). So, in addition to hoarding riches (5:2-3) and withholding wages (5:4), living luxuriously and engaging in wanton pleasures are two more reasons why “miseries” (v. 1) are in store for the stingy rich.
           
Of note in v. 5 is the phrase “on the earth,” for it describes the sinful use of riches in this world in order to achieve pleasure in contrast to the torment that awaits them in the next world for their misplaced priorities. Jesus presents a similar thought in the account of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). In that account, the rich man is completely aloof to the poor man named Lazarus who eats crumbs from his table. When their lives are over, Lazarus, a man of faith, is seen in the arms of Abraham who is in God’s presence. The rich man, however, suffers in Hades in torment, crying out to Abraham for relief. Abraham tells him, “Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony” (Luke 16:25). Clearly, this account attests to the prevalent teaching throughout the Bible that judgment awaits the wicked. Sadly, the stingy rich who are at ease now are as close to heaven in their earthly riches as they will ever be.
           
At the end of v. 5 James speaks of “fattened hearts in a day of slaughter.” The irony of this verbiage is that the rich were known for eating meat at meals, whereas the average person rarely did. The rich ate their fattened calves that they slaughtered, of which they had plenty. Yet unbeknownst to them, they, with their excesses, were the fattened ones, for the slaughter James speaks of is their own! Perhaps James was building on the image of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-30 by adding the image of the rich fool—the man who died after building bigger barns for his growing wealth in Luke 12:15-21. The point being that the eschatological day of the Lord is coming, and those who indulge in their wealth while cheating the poor are fattening themselves on their own riches for their own slaughter—the day when Christ returns to judge the wicked and do away with them forever (cf. Isa. 63:1-6; Ezek. 7:14-23; Rev. 19:17-21).
           
Since James’ context is the “last days” (v. 3), the reversal of fortune he speaks of in v. 5 for the rich fits the overall context of his warning. Later in v. 7 he speaks of the parousia—the coming of the Lord, commonly connected with the return of Christ in glory in the eschaton, or end-times. So, since James uses the imagery of slaughter in that “day,” there is little doubt he is giving a solemn warning to those who accumulate wealth for selfish reasons while cheating others who are either owed money or simply need the help the rich are able to provide.

Food For Thought
James’ stern words are loving! With the return of Christ looming, judgment could break forth at any moment. All of us with money to spare must cease from fattening ourselves and look to distribute God’s money to His glory. James was concerned with lovingly speaking the truth to those within the Church. We should do no less for those enjoying wealth while ignoring Christ.
            

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James 5:4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

In v. 4 James has wealthy landowners in mind, specifically those who failed to pay their employees. Wealthy landowners were known then (as now) for employing day laborers who hired themselves out to rich landlords. Jesus’ parable of the vineyard workers (Matt. 20:1-16) illustrates this. From Jesus’ parable, we note that the workers expected their pay at the end of the workday. In fact, God made provisions for this in the Mosaic Law, saying, “You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning” (Lev. 19:13). Likewise, “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy… Give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it; so that he will not cry against you to the Lord and it become sin in you” (Deut. 24:14-15; cf. Prov. 11:24). Also, in Malachi 3:5 God says, “I will be a swift witness…against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages.” God obviously is opposed to those who oppress the poor, specifically those who fail to pay their workers after completing a day’s worth of work.

The accusation James leveled at the rich in v. 4 was not only that they were hoarding their wealth (5:2-3) but that they were also cheating those they owed money to by refusing to pay them, specifically the “laborers who mowed your fields.” Since these kinds of laborers were the lowest rung on the economic ladder, and since there were no credit cards in those days, day-laborers would have relied on the money they received each day as their sustenance for the day. Prompt payment was therefore vital to their survival. If the landowners withheld payment at the end of each day, life itself could be jeopardized for these workers and their families. The abrupt “behold!” at the outset of v. 4 calls attention to this sinful practice which is nothing short of robbery and fraud (cf. Mark 10:19; 1 Cor. 6:7-8; 7:5; 1 Tim. 6:5).

Notice how James speaks of the laborers pay “crying out” to God, a cry that Deuteronomy 24:15 predicts will happen when pay is withheld from those to whom it is due. The pay crying out for justice reminds one of Abel’s blood that cried out from the earth for justice after Cain murdered him (Gen. 4:10) and of Israel’s cry for freedom from their bonds of slavery in Egypt (Exod. 2:23). Whether blood, people, or wages, it is clear that God hears the cries of injustice pleading for justice along with deliverance from danger and fear (cf. 1 Sam. 9:16; 2 Chron. 33:13). God is said to hear those cries from His people, and the warning is that He acts!

God’s actions against the rich can be viewed in two ways. For those crying out to Him for deliverance, His actions are a welcome relief from bondage. But for the rich who defraud, God is “Yahweh Sabaoth”—the Lord of armies; Lord of hosts. David stood before Goliath as the representative of God’s armies (1 Sam. 17:45), and Isaiah the prophet later saw God as Yahweh Sabaoth, standing to protect Israel after the good King Uzziah had died (Isa. 6:1-3). In this title God is depicted as a fearsome general—an expert of warfare, surrounded by His angelic host and as the ultimate nightmare of vengeance against those who oppress the needy. In James’ context, what the rich thought they did in secret, with no accountability, God will expose openly. Yet James, with God’s grace in mind, mercifully calls them to repentance before God’s wrath comes.

Food For Thought
Who do you owe? The bank, a neighbor, the IRS? What do you owe? Money, respect, love? It’s time to pay up, respect to whom respect is due and money to whom you owe. Give also to the needy out of your abundance. God hears their cries and is perhaps summoning your wealth.  
            

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James 5:2-3 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!

Since the term “riches” is a general term that entails material wealth—abundance of crops, grain, cattle, or money, James is referring to anything that is held in great quantity. Yet saying that they have “rotted” (Gr. sēpō) is likely a reference to the wood on their homes or to the fruits, meats, and vegetables they had stored. After all, neither silver nor cattle rots. The Greek perfect tense of the verb “have rotted” (past tense, ongoing action) means that the rot has already begun. James is either calling attention to the fact that the rich have already lost their food and shelter, or he is using the verb tense as the OT prophets used it—emphasizing the certainty of a prophecy pertaining to the imminent future.

Not only had the rich lost their homes and food to putrefaction, the ostentatious garb with which they normally adorned themselves is said to have become “moth-eaten.” Perhaps James had Jesus’ words in mind when Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matt. 6:19; cf. Job 13:28). How ironic that clothing is nothing more than food for moths, yet the rich adorn themselves with it to display their own rotting bodies that are wasting away due to sin and rebellion!

To make matters worse, James also addresses the transitory nature of gold and silver which he says “have rusted.” Now since real gold and silver cannot rust, James is talking about the short-lived use of money on this finite earth. Since he is speaking of “the last days” (v. 3) when money has absolutely no value, and since God, being eternal, is not limited by time, gold and silver already exist in a state of worthlessness. So, although man sees great and lasting benefits to stockpiling money and possessions, in reality these transitory things have no eternal value. In fact, contrary to how man may view riches as a key to happiness, James says that the rust that eats up riches “will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire.”

Clearly James is speaking of God’s coming judgment upon those who claim to trust in Christ for salvation but who, in reality, trust in their wealth. Ironically, the rot, moths, and rust that devour wealth will also be that which devours those who place their trust in anything other than Christ who said, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted where no thief comes near and no moth destroys” (Luke 12:33). Ezekiel addressed this 600 years before Christ, saying, “They will fling their silver into the streets and their gold will become an abhorrent thing; their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their appetite nor can they fill their stomachs, for their iniquity has become an occasion of stumbling” (7:19). Our attitude toward riches is therefore another test of the validity of our faith.

In v. 3b, James speaks of the irony of “stored up treasure” (Gr. thesaurus) in the “last days.” Since the “last” (Gr. eschatos) days are a time just prior to God’s final judgment of sinners, James speaks of the absurdity of thinking selfishly in a time when sharing wealth with others is so critical (cf. Matt. 25:31-46). Like the rich fool in Luke 12:15-21, the rich James had in mind were so consumed with transient things, they were utterly aloof to eternal matters. Being in the “last days,” with the return of Christ looming, these people were not only failing to care for those in need, they were failing to care for their own needs.

Food For Thought
            God gives us wealth, some more than others. God already knows how we’ll manage wealth, but He gives us the opportunity to learn about ourselves and how we’ll manage the wealth He has distributed to His glory. It’s all fleeting, and it all belongs to Him. Some hold on to their wealth tightly while others distribute it freely and seem to become more and more wealthy. One thing is certain however: we will all die and give an account for how we managed our God-given wealth. So, in the day of judgment when you stand before Christ, how will your management of wealth affect you? Perhaps in the past you’ve managed it poorly and selfishly. But you’ve still got today! Manage God’s gifts well, for one day we will all give an account for our lives.
            

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James 5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.
           
Though the term “rich” (Gr. plousios) is a relative term, generally speaking it pertains to having an abundance of earthly possessions that exceeds actual needs. So, we are rich if we have more than we need. Of course the Bible never condemns riches, for being rich is not a sin. All things are given by God—from inheriting wealth to having the ability to work hard for wealth. Therefore, the sin that James has in mind is not wealth but the misuse of it—from hoarding one’s wealth (vv. 2-3) to defrauding employees (v. 4) to reveling in self-indulgence (v. 5) to using one’s power from riches to condemn the righteous (v. 6). Apparently, the rich James had in mind were within the church, identifying with Christians, in an effort to obtain the benefits of Christianity and of God’s provisions without actually submitting themselves to Christ’s lordship. James therefore writes not only to warn believers against coveting the benefits of riches but also to show them how dire their judgment before God will be for their misuse of riches.

James’ address in 5:1—“Come now!” is the same as in 4:13, though in 4:13 James addressed the arrogant who presumptuously made plans without acknowledging God’s sovereignty. Here in 5:1 James sternly addresses another sinful faction in the Christian Church. Though James could be talking about the practices of the rich who are outside the Church, more likely he is addressing the ones inside it. Telling them to “weep” (Gr. klaiō) and “howl” (Gr. ololuzō), or “wail bitterly” and “cry loudly,” James is not advising the rich to have a pity party; he is calling them to open their eyes to their true spiritual condition—the most dire condition with which a person can find himself. Weep and howl are used frequently by the prophets to portray the response of the wicked when the day of the Lord is at hand, for “wail” is always used in the context of judgment. Perhaps we should imagine the horrific screams of those who, on the day of their judgment, will be howling at the tops of their lungs with tears of remorse, trying to convince the Lord Jesus that they love Him. Yet their lives on earth were spent ignoring Him.

Calling the rich to “weep and howl,” James exposes the lives of the rich for either snubbing or ignoring Christ. Their future is full of “miseries” (Gr. talaipōria)—distress and hardship. Now James had no prophetic vision of these rich people losing their wealth and having to suffer temporally for such; rather, he knew that God’s coming judgment on them for their misuse of wealth, and ultimately their rejection of the true Christ, was going to be miserable. Notice the plural use of “miseries,” for those miseries will be never-ending in the fires of hell.

Concern for the poor and oppression of the poor are two key indicators of whether one’s faith in Christ is genuine (cf. 1:26-27). God has always exhibited a concern for the poor, requiring that His love be seen through His people in their concern for the poor (Deut. 15:11; cf. Ex. 22:25; Lev. 25:35), even making provisions in the Mosaic Law that required farmers to leave some of their harvest behind for the poor (Lev. 19:9-10; 23:22; Deut. 24:19). Sadly, Israel’s history is littered with flagrant disobedience to these laws (cf. Amos 4:1ff.). As a result, the term “rich” was often used synonymously with “unrighteous” (Prov. 10:15-16).

Food For Thought
How sad that those today who enjoy great riches without faith in Christ have only this life to enjoy. Their temporary happiness today will be replaced with weeping in eternity (Luke 6:24-25; cf. Rev 18:10-24). How hard it is for the rich to enter heaven (Matt. 19:23)! For riches give the false notion that God is unneeded. Yet Jesus calls us to at least be willing to give it all up for Him (Matt. 16:24). So, let us evaluate our excesses—from time to money, and let us determine what we withhold from God and others. Should we weep and howl or sing and praise?
            

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James 4:17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
           
In v. 16 James is clear that Christians are not to arrogantly chart their own course for the future, for they have no power over anything and must rely on God for all things. This truth is one that every true Christian knows, for no one coming to Christ for salvation believes they are in control. The very acknowledgment of needing a Savior implies that one is lost and unable to control anything. Therefore, since acknowledging God’s sovereignty is basic to the Christian faith, the true believer “knows the right thing to do.” If he “does not do it, to him it is sin.” So, v. 17 is connected to v. 15, for James urges believers to consider God in all their plans. Failing to do so is sin—the sin of omission. These sins are just as heinous as the sins of commission whereby the person sins defiantly. This is illustrated in the third servant of the parable of the talents when he chose not to invest his money (Matt. 25:14-30) and the people who chose not to help those in need (25:31-46). These folks were not condemned for what they did but for what they failed to do—the sin of omission. Jesus said, “That slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes” (Luke 12:47). In sum, James is saying something like, Now that the issue has been made evident to you, you have no excuse for not obeying. Since you know what should be done, you are now obligated to do it.
           
Some who profess to know Christ learn all about God’s will, yet they choose to disobey it and arrogantly expect that their disobedience will be forgiven. Peter addresses this sin: “For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them” (2 Pet. 2:21). Virtually no other action displays man’s selfish pride more than to know God’s will but deliberately disobey it. Believers simply cannot take God’s will with a grain of salt, believing they can take it or leave it. Obedience always is the only option for Christians. God does not negotiate.
           
Ironically, there are some today who claim that following Christ is not only impossible but miserable. Yet the irony is that the only misery in choosing not to obey Christ becomes the ultimate misery for them in the end. Jesus said, “That slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more” (Luke 12:47-48). Although believers can indeed overtly disobey Christ, true believers who do will also be disciplined by God until they repent and submit to His will. For God disciplines those He loves (Heb. 12:5-11). Those who sin freely, who say they love God yet who are not disciplined by God, expose themselves not as God’s children but as the devil’s. For there are only two kinds of people: the children of God and children of the devil (1 John 3:10).

Food For Thought
Our tendency is to pray for forgiveness for the things we do wrong while not seeking forgiveness for the things we never do. Because of this, we might do well to sit and consider all the ways in which we fail God by not engaging in that which we know we should. From encouraging the downtrodden to helping those in a financial pinch to seeing a need in the nursery at church and stepping up to help, there are numerous ways that we can attend to the things that are right in front of us. We won’t forfeit our salvation for remaining as we are, but we can certainly forfeit the heavenly rewards that await our faithful conduct (1 Cor. 9:24-27). Yet blatant disregard for God’s will exposes counterfeit Christians for who they really are. It might not seem like a big deal today, but when we answer for it, it will be humiliating (Col. 3:25).
            

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James 4:13-16 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.

James’s tone in v. 13 is pointed and prophetic as he regards the audacious attitude of his audience as falling short of the Christian standard for godliness. In spite of their faith in Christ, their self-centered attitude had caused them to become practical atheists—folks who say they believe in God but who live as if He does not exist. Setting their sights on getting rich, these presumptuously made their plans as to when they would go, where they would go, and what they would do without leaving any room for God to direct their paths (cf. Ps. 37:3-6; Prov. 3:5-6). To be sure, it was not that James was against Christians making future plans or earning a living by working hard for their money, he just wanted them to trust God for such, not themselves.

What James rails against is the attitude that living one’s life without God is the way Christians should live day to day—that they make their own choices, pave their own paths, and determine their own futures. This attitude may exist in worldly unbelievers, but it has no place with Christians. God’s people are to make their plans with God in mind and hold them loosely.

It is absolutely absurd for anyone to think that they can direct their own paths. After all, James says that all of us are like “a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” In short, man is frail and fleeting, here one minute, gone the next. We are prone to illness in the prime of life or an accidental death through no fault of our own. No wonder Proverbs 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” Life is but a “breath” (Job 7:7; cf. Ps. 39:5). Jesus likewise warned, saying that a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15), a truth He illustrated with a parable about a rich man who, like those in James’ audience, made presumptuous plans for acquiring more. Yet he was prevented from accomplishing his goals due to an untimely death (Luke 12:16-20).

It is important to note that James did not rebuke capitalism, hard work, and planning for the future. He simply urged the qualifying phrase, “If the Lord wills,” to counter presumptuous, self-serving plans. This was not only customary for Paul (Acts 18:21; Rom. 1:10; 1 Cor. 4:19; 16:7) but for Jesus as well who prayed for God’s will over His own (Luke 22:42). Though one will not find this qualifying phrase attached to every plan of Jesus or the apostles in the NT, it is clear that they functioned daily under this guideline and did nothing without God’s leading.
     
Summing up the sins of his audience in v. 16, James accused them of boasting of things for which they had no control. This, James says, is “evil” (Gr. ponēros). The JB Phillips translation captures this well, saying, “You get a certain pride in yourself in planning your future with such confidence.” Since none of us can chart our own future with absolute certainty, it is sinful to arrogantly assume control over one’s life. To be sure, charting our future is wise, but to believe that we are in control of our lives is to disregard the God who gives and sustains life itself. Plans should therefore be made and bathed in prayer, saying, “Only if it is Your will, O Lord.”

Food For Thought
Presumptuous plans are simply inconsistent with our Christian worldview, for when we proclaim our autonomy and independence from God, we make ourselves a god. In the Christian worldview, there is a sovereign and almighty God who gives life, sustains life, directs paths, protects, intervenes, listens, and ultimately decides our fate. We must consult and submit to Him.
            

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James 4:11 Do not speak against one another, brethren. 
           
If misinterpreted, James’s words will contradict other NT teachers, including Jesus Himself. Contextually, James teaches against Christian brothers speaking ill of one another and slandering each other based upon their jealous and selfish ambitions. But to conclude that James was against all forms of judgment would be to negate the very words he uses to judge his audience’s sinful judgments. Of course James’ words of judgment are consistent with Jesus and His apostles.
           
Like James, Jesus rebuked sin in Israel, teaching His followers to confront sin and deal with it. He said, “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst” (Matt. 18:15-20; cf. Deut. 19:15).
           
Like James and Jesus, Paul rebuked Christians for their immoral behavior. Among the many sins he rebuked the Corinthian church for, he also spoke out against sexual immorality (1 Cor. 5-6) since sexual sins violate God’s Law (cf. Lev. 18:6-8; 20:11). In fact, Paul was horrified that the guilty parties in Corinth were not being judged by Christians in light of God’s Law. The Corinthians not only failed to mourn the sins in their midst, they were acting arrogantly. This is why Paul admonished them to act in the name of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor 5:4)—doing as Jesus had instructed, and judge sinner. This is why Paul handed the guilty man “over to Satan” (5:5).

Just as James taught against slandering fellow believers in 4:11, Paul said, “I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. ‘Remove the wicked man from among yourselves’ ” (1 Cor. 5:11-13).

We cannot help but notice all the immoral practices Paul mentions—sinful ways that must be confronted and ultimately judged by church members. After all, Christ has established His Church on the earth and given authority to those who uphold God’s Law, which is Christ’s words. For when God’s people act in accordance with God’s words, God is in their midst (Matt. 18:20), judging those who blatantly defy Him. He does this through Christians in the church.
           
Notably, Paul was not saying that Christians had to be perfect in order to associate with one another. His point was that those who persist in the very activities they have been freed from after their conversion must be shunned. Shunning them was to be done in love with the goal of drawing them back into fellowship. Persistence in sin is what separates us from the community of believers who might be shunning us for our sin. In essence, it is the sinner’s own choice to be shunned. But it is vital to note that the apostles’ command to shun these sinners likely involves only the corporate gathering of worship, not individual contact (cf. 2 Thess. 3:14-15).

Food For Thought
            Blatant sin must not be tolerated in our churches since it permeates like leaven and ends up corrupting the entire congregation. In obedience to James, let us never judge others out of jealousy; rather, let judgment stem from our zeal for God’s holy name to be glorified.
            

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James 4:11-12 He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?
           
Since many in James’ audience were in conflict with each other, full of jealousy and selfish ambition (3:14, 16; 4:1-2), using their tongues to degrade one another (3:5-12), having become friends of the world and exalting themselves (4:4-6), James reproves them, commanding them not to “speak against” (Gr. katalaleō) one another (v. 11). This term denotes slander or insult—from questioning the authority of leaders (Num 21:5) to secretly belittling another (Ps. 101:5) to accusing falsely or even making insinuations against Christians (1 Pet. 2:12; 3:16). In short, slander entails setting oneself above another as an envious judge. God fervently opposes this.

What James adds in v. 11 is that speaking against a fellow believer is one and the same as speaking against God and His Law. After all, God’s Law commands us to love both God and man. In the OT Law, God said, “You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor; I am Yahweh” (Lev. 19:16, LSB). So the “law” James speaks of is the OT Mosaic Law—the “royal law” he spoke of in 2:8 admonishing Christians to love their neighbors as they love themselves (cf. Lev. 19:18).

Jesus Himself said that the greatest Law was to love God with all of one’s heart, mind, and strength (Matt. 22:37). He then added the caveat that we are also to love our fellow man as we love our own selves (22:39). These two commands of Jesus summarize the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses in Exodus 20:1-17. The first four concern our vertical love for God (no god other than God, no graven images, no taking God’s name in vain, and keeping the Sabbath Day holy). The next six concern our horizontal love for one another (honor your father and mother, no murder, no adultery, no stealing, no lying, and no coveting our neighbor’s property). If we love God, we keep the first four; if we love our neighbors, we keep the second six. Clearly, “love” is the key term for all of God’s commands. Failure to keep God’s commands is therefore slander—of God, His Law, and the people God made in His image.

Of course every law demands a lawgiver, and since there are unchangeable laws of nature, logic, mathematics, love, aesthetics, and morality, there must be an ultimate lawgiver—God. As the Lawgiver and Judge (v. 12), God reveals the magnitude of the sin of one who slanders Him by slandering another person. Such slander is actually a violation of God’s unique right to judge His own, for He alone is “Judge.” Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). So if God is Judge, James asks, “But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” This is akin to Paul’s “Who are you O man who answers back to God?” (Rom. 9:20, italics mine). God is the righteous Judge, so what right has man to usurp God’s role as Judge? Absolutely none.

Food For Thought
It is hypocritical judgment that God hates, not all judgment, for God has ordered Christians to rebuke sin and judge sinners who refuse to repent. Jesus addressed the need to confront sin in order to restore or exclude a sinner (Matt. 18:15-20), and Paul spoke of handing defiant sinners over to Satan for the destruction of their flesh in order that their souls might be saved in the end (1 Cor. 5:5; cf. Gal. 6:1). James thus had every right to judge his church’s sin with his rebuke of their abuses and slander of each other and God. He was not guilty of slandering them in this; rather, he was encouraging godly behavior by rebuking their ungodly behavior.
            

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James 4:11 Do not speak against one another, brethren.
           
The verb “speak against” (Gr. katalaleō) refers to slander—a malicious tongue (cf. 3:1-12) driven by jealousy and selfish ambition (3:14; cf. Pss. 41:7-8; 109:3). In James’ context, such slander was occurring among Christians—James specifically addressing Christians in the church, referring to them in v. 11 as “one another,” “brethren,” “a brother,” and “his brother.” Now in light of the fact that “a good name is to be more desired than great wealth” (Prov. 22:1; cf. Eccl. 7:1), to slander another Christian’s good name is quite the heinous sin. Note:
 

• “You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor; I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:16).
• As to he who will dwell with God in eternity, it is “Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors, or speak evil of their friends” (Ps. 15:3, NLT).
• God says, “Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; no one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure” (Ps. 101:5).
• “You let your mouth loose in evil and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son” (Ps. 50:19-20)
• “He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, therefore do not associate with a gossip” (Prov. 20:19).
• Paul lists slanderers among the worst of sinners: “…slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents” (Rom. 1:30, italics mine).

Of course slander originated in Eden (Gen. 3) by Satan, the “devil” (Gr. diabolos) which means “slanderer” (Rev. 12:10). Slandering is thus satanic, not godly. No wonder we are to flee from the devil (Jas. 4:7). Jesus said, “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man” (Matt. 15:19-20). Paul thus wrote, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” (Eph. 4:31; cf. Col. 3:8; 1 Pet. 2:1).

Slanderers stir up arguments between friends (Prov. 26:20), they spread conflict among peaceful people (6:19), and they can destroy friendships (Prov. 16:29; 17:9). Slander adversely affects its victims with deep emotional wounds (Prov. 18:8; 26:22), even destroying some (Prov. 11:9; Isa. 32:7). It obviously has no place in our churches among Christians.

Food For Thought
       There are many examples in Scripture regarding the slander of others and the damage it causes. Ziba, the servant of Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, accused his master of plotting to seize David’s throne (2 Sam. 16:3). Though this charge was denied by Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 19:25-27), it hurt his relationship with David. Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, appointed two scoundrels to slander the decent man Naboth, leading to his execution (1 Kings 21:13). Sanballat and Geshem slandered the Jewish exiles along with Nehemiah, falsely claiming they plotted to rebel and make Nehemiah their king (Neh. 6:5-7). Haman, the Persian general of Xerxes, slandered the Jews in order to plot their annihilation (Esther 3:8). After David sought to honor the Ammonite prince Hanun, Hanun slandered him, resulting in in more than forty thousand deaths (2 Sam. 10-12; cf. Ps. 31:13). John the Baptist was slandered as having a demon (Matt. 11:18), as was Jesus (John 8:48), as well as being a drunkard (Matt. 11:19). Also, Paul (Rom. 3:8) was slandered as teaching false doctrine. Slander is just too easy! May we never again succumb to this odious sin.
            

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Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (ESV).
           
Paul spent three years in Ephesus (Acts 20:31). During that time “God was performing extraordinary miracles” through him and casting out demons (19:11-12). Others tried to mimic this in the name of Jesus, but they were humiliated (19:13-16). Paul’s admonitions were thus not so far-fetched to the Ephesians since they had witnessed demonic oppression in their city. Of course Paul did nothing that Jesus had not previously done in and around Palestine, for Jesus is portrayed throughout the Gospels as relieving those who were demonically oppressed through exorcism. This in itself was one of the most obvious signs of the arrival of God’s kingdom.
           
The enemy we as Christians face is not government or the evil candidates that run for office. God has set up government as the tool through which He works, as His servant, and Christians are commanded to comply with the governing authorities (Rom. 13:1ff.; cf. Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14). That these governments can become demonic, however, is evident to all who follow Christ. In fact, Revelation 13 reveals that the government of the end-times will be the devil’s conduit through which he himself rules the world. That Satan would corrupt what God made good is nothing new, for he has done that from the beginning of time. Man allowed Satan to rule over him in Eden, and God has allowed it, intervening throughout history to protect His own and allow His perfect plan to unfold in the process.
           
The process of allowing evil in the world by God can be seen in history, dating back to Eden in Genesis 3. It continues even today, for Satan mixes enough truth with error to dupe just about everyone he hunts. Truth-twisting is his expertise. Today his biggest lies are that sexual pleasures and materialism are the paths to happiness. He also loves to cause people to doubt God’s goodness, as he did with Eve in Genesis 3:1-5. Yet those who pursue these sinful ways remain depressed, anxious, and fearful. No wonder alcohol and drug abuse are so common. People are looking for a fix, something to help them find peace or power. Satan is always there to lure those looking for such things. He goes to great lengths to destroy lives, having no conscience, no pity, no guilt. He has emotions, however, rejoicing when people fail, suffer, or die; being infuriated and humiliated when God’s people stand up under trial and resist him (cf. James 4:7).
           
The attacks of the devil are rarely done in the open. He hides well in pseudo-Christianity, a wolf dressed up as a lamb—sometimes in the pulpit preaching at large churches, but other times a quiet congregant no one suspects is spreading lies, hurting children, and creating doubt about the truth of Jesus Christ and His word. He came to the Council of Nicea in AD 325 to propose that Jesus was not God through the followers of Arius. He succeeded for centuries in keeping the Bible untaught in churches until Martin Luther faced him at the Diet of Worms in 1521. Having been around for thousands of years, he has become a skilled philosopher, a cunning theologian, a capable psychologist, and a lovable preacher. Yet behind it all, he hates Jesus and Christians, and he will won’t stop until either Christ’s church is destroyed or he is. Though his doom is guaranteed by God, so too is the doom of all who fall prey to his schemes.

When Christ appeared, He came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Satan is powerful, but he is no match for God. He is merely a tool of God’s, being used to separate God’s children from his own (1 John 3:10). We as Christians are therefore to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might, putting on the full armor of God, and standing firm (Eph. 6:1-13). If we are filled with the Spirit (5:18), Satan’s forces cannot subdue us. But if we choose to let him has his way with us, we put ourselves in danger and welcome the demonic host into our lives.
            

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1 Peter 5:5-7 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
           
Peter’s words in 1 Peter 5:5-7 sound just like James’ words in 4:7-10. Though it is estimated that Peter wrote his letter some 20 years after James, the fact that he says essentially the same thing James did 20 years prior points to the commonality of the problem James saw in the Jerusalem Church. Though Peter’s audience was distinct (1 Pet. 1:1-2), the same problems existed in multiple cities where there was a church. Submission to God and humbling oneself in His sight was, and is, the ultimate answer—coming through repentance and prayer.

An insubordinate flock under their pastors is one that thwarts the sanctification process and makes life and ministry difficult, if not impossible, for the pastors of any church. Thus, Peter’s admonition to the younger men, as it was to the wives in relation to their husbands (3:1-6) and to the church in relation to the governing authorities (2:13), was that they “submit” to the church elders. The word means “to line up under” as a soldier under authority. Few need this instruction more than young men, then as now (cf. Heb. 13:7, 17), for young men tend to believe themselves to be wise when in fact they are dull, and strong when in fact they are helpless.

Peter’s words in v. 6, which are God’s words, instruct those with such pompous attitudes to “clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.” To “clothe” literally means “to tie something on oneself,” and perhaps Peter recalled the picture of Jesus on the night he before He died when He clothed himself in a towel to wash the feet of the disciples (John 13:3-11). This humility is “lowliness of mind”—an attitude so contrary to worldly thinking that those who would abide in it would be completely set apart from the world in submission to those in authority. Those without humility believe themselves superior to all; they are therefore unable to submit to anyone. Note God’s words through His prophet Isaiah: “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at my word” (66:2).

Now since “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (v. 5; cf. Prov. 3:34), true Christians have only one course of action: “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.” God’s “mighty hand” was an expression associated with how He delivered Israel out of Egypt (Ex. 3:19; Dan. 9:15), but it is also descriptive of God’s sovereign work through His chosen leaders in the church. Obedient ones will be “exalted”—both on earth and in heaven.

In v. 6, Peter says to “cast” one’s “anxiety” upon God. To cast is to throw something, and here in this verse it signifies how one humbles himself. Failure to cast is to continue in one’s pride and with one’s quest to do all things themselves. David wrote the same thing in Psalm 55:22 after being betrayed by a friend. Peter must have drawn from this so as to encourage arrogant people that even the mighty King David submitted himself and his work to God.

Food For Thought
As Christians, our humility will be seen as we accept the suffering that God has ordained for us without complaining. After all, God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Jesus promised that everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 14:11; cf. Jas. 4:10). Humility makes us less apt to be offended by others and allows our relationships to run much smoother. With humility, we can actually listen to people! So, let us cast our worries on God, humble ourselves before Him, and let affliction drive us to God instead of allowing it to sever us from Him.
            

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James 4:9-10 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
           
James 4:9-10, if taken out of context, sounds downright morbid. Does God want His people miserable, mourning, and weeping? In a sense, yes, He does! But these imperatives are part of a greater context where professed Christians are called to repent in light of their guilt of showing favoritism (2:1-7), having faith without works (2:14-26), using their tongues to slander (3:1-12), and being full of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (3:14)—sins that equate to murder of the heart (4:2; cf. Matt. 5:21) and spiritual adultery—departing from God to befriend the world (4:4).
           
James 4:7-8 gives numerous imperatives for repentance to the guilty: “submit to God” and “resist the devil” (v. 7); “draw near to God… cleanse your hands… purify your hearts” (v. 8). Here in vv. 9-10 James introduces more imperatives for repentance. First, “be miserable.” This term (talaipōreō) entails brokenness from the recognition of being separated from God due to sin (cf. Rom. 3:16; 7:24; Jas. 5:1; Rev. 3:17). The term is not about feeling sad about a rough time in life, and it is not about the religious asceticism that some have practiced throughout the centuries, denying themselves certain pleasures or punishing themselves for various sins. Applying James’ form of repentance entails owning one’s sins and being miserable about them.
           
Accompanying our misery over our sins, we are to “mourn and weep” over our spiritual adultery—our friendship with the world. This is not simply about realizing the depths of our sin; it concerns feeling grief and sorrow for such—the way we might mourn the death of a loved one. This is why Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4). He was talking about sin! Of course weeping naturally follows the deep emotion of realizing we have offended our holy God. Such weeping is illustrated in Peter after he denied knowing His friend and Lord (Mark 14:72). Paul wrote, “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death” (2 Cor. 7:10, NLT).
           
When James says, “Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom” (v. 9), he is addressing an audience steeped in sin that professes to know Christ but who is celebrating instead of mourning; laughing instead of weeping. It is as if they are on a sinking ship, and instead of fearing for their lives, they are partying and enjoying themselves like nothing is wrong. For such people Jesus said, “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep” (Luke 6:25); yet “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh” (v. 21).
           
The final imperative in this context is in v. 10: “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” This is akin to Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”—the humble, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3). For “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6). “Humble” (Gr. tapeinoō) means “to make low; reduction in rank, character, or status.” Yet humbling oneself is not about putting ourselves down; rather, it means to see ourselves as God sees us—like we might view an unfortunate bird fallen from its nest in danger of being eaten by a scavenging animal. To humble oneself is not only to realize our great need for God, it is to understand how unworthy we are to receive His love, mercy, and grace—all because of our sinful state which separates us from God. Humble yourself!

Truly humble people cry out to God as the prophet Isaiah did: “Woe is me, for I am ruined! I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips…” (Isa. 6:5). As Jesus clearly articulated, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt. 23:12). Exaltation by God is thus the result of us humbling ourselves—of us repenting of our spiritual adultery. God’s “greater grace” follows (Jas. 4:6).

Food For Thought
Francis Fuller wrote, “To repent is to accuse and condemn ourselves; to charge upon ourselves the desert of hell; to take part with God against ourselves, and to justify Him in all that He does against us; to be ashamed and confounded for our sins; to have them ever in our eyes, and at all times upon our hearts, that we may be in daily sorrow for them; to part with our right hands and eyes, that is, with those pleasurable sins which have been as dear to us as our lives, so as never to have to do with them more, and to hate them, so as to destroy them as things which by nature we are wholly disinclined to. For we naturally love and think well of ourselves, hide our deformities, lessen and excuse our faults, indulge ourselves in the things that please us, are mad upon our lusts, and follow them, though to our own destruction.”
           

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James 4:8b Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

In addition to submitting to God and resisting the devil (4:7), James calls those spiritual adulterers in his audience to “cleanse your hands…and purify your hearts.” Such people are to radically repent of their sinful ways in order to restore their fellowship with God. The fact that these people are called “double-minded” (cf. 1:8) attests to the fact that they were spiritual adulteresses who, though married to Christ, had befriended the world (cf. Rev. 3:15-16). They had a mind for both the world and for God; hence, they were “double-minded” (Gr. dipsuchos).

Of course washing one’s hands and purifying one’s heart are spiritual fixes, not things that can be accomplished physically. Paul likewise admonished Christian men “to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension” (1 Tim. 2:8). Hands, however, are not holy in and of themselves; they must be cleansed. Once these hands are cleansed and holy, the Apostle Paul commands that men be “lifting up holy hands.” What might this mean for us?
           
Notably, human hands are used in contexts throughout Scripture to signify a holy or unholy life. Job spoke of the pureness of his prayer because his hands were not involved in violence (16:17). David spoke of washing his hands in innocence so as to approach the altar of God (Ps. 26:6). One Psalmist wrote that if wickedness was in his heart, God will not hear his prayer (66:18; cf. 134:2). Solomon wrote, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh, but the prayer of the upright is His delight” (Prov. 15:8). In light of this, Isaiah spoke of the fact that when a man’s hands are covered with sins, God will not hear that man’s prayer (1:15): “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you, yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.” Likewise, the prophet Jeremiah spoke of the futility of coming to God in prayer while continuing in the sins of theft, murder, and adultery (7:9-10)—filthy hands. Finally, the prophet Malachi admonished God’s people to live a pure life, represented by holy hands, in order to obtain the Lord’s favor (1:9).
           
In the NT, hands are also associated with either a holy or unholy life. In Acts 10, Cornelius is introduced as “a devout man, [who] prayed to God continually” (Acts 10:2). The writer of Hebrews calls Christians to “draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (10:22). So when James calls believers to “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (4:8), it is a pure life he seeks.
           
Human hands are therefore a synecdoche (a part representing the whole) referring to a holy life lived by the believer so that his prayers will be heard by God. These kinds of people serve in the church, offering their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (Rom. 12:1-2). When they lift up “holy hands,” they lift up their entire being, worshiping God and praying on behalf of all (1 Tim. 2:1), including civil authorities (2:2). When the Christian’s life is pure, they pray effectively for all people which is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior (v. 3).

Food For Thought
            Raise your hands high in church if you wish, but make sure the hands you raise unto God represent a holy life, not a hypocritical one. Holy hands entails a life that is at peace with our brethren in Christ, even those we might not like. There are to be no dividing walls between us or bitter jealousies that keep us from fellowship or worshiping together. To attempt to worship Christ while at the same time nursing a rift with a fellow believer is to fail at lifting up holy hands. It is clear from Scripture that our relationships with one another affect our relationship with God to such a degree that one without the other equals bad relationships with both.
            

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James 4:7-8a Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

If God gives to His people all that He requires of them—“greater grace” (v. 6), then all we need to do is “submit” (Gr. hupotassō) to Him—to subordinate our lowly selves to God by putting ourselves under Christ’s lordship. We know we need this when we finally realize that we have begun to befriend the world—being lured by its pictures, the fantasies created on social media, the illusion that the rich and famous have it all, that the key to happiness is found anywhere in this universe outside of Jesus Christ. After all, Jesus Christ is everything! There is no lasting joy outside of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Therefore, failure to submit to Him is the essence of unbelief (cf. Rom. 8:7; 10:3). And when we repent of worldly ways, this is the first step in the list of urgent imperatives James uses in 4:7-10.
           
The first action that naturally follows submission to God is resisting the devil, for one cannot submit to God without first resisting Satan’s temptations. To “resist” (Gr. anthistēmi) is to “stand firm” against an opponent. That opponent here is the “devil” (Gr. diabolos; Heb. Satan, or accuser). James’ teaching suggests that since it is the devil who opposes Christians, he will “flee” (Gr. pheugō) when Christians resist him. He will literally move away quickly from those he tempts, removing his wicked influence from them. We can thus conclude that one of the graces God has given to believers is the ability to resist the devil when he tempts us to sin with the added grace that he will remove his evil influence from us when we do.

When an imperative like “resist the devil” appears in Scripture, spiritual warfare is in view. Truly, James 3:13–4:10 is part of a larger dialog regarding spiritual warfare in the Bible (cf. Gen. 3; Job 1-2; Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 11:14-26; John 8:42-47; Acts 13:6-12; Eph. 6:10-20; 1 Pet. 5:8-9; 1 John 4:1-6). James 3:15, for instance, referring to “earthly, unspiritual, and demonic” wisdom, references three interwoven forms of evil that taunt Christians: the world, the flesh, and Satan—seen throughout Scripture and in our own lives. In James 4:7 Christians are assured that they have the power to actually “resist” Satan (cf. Eph. 6:13; 1 Pet. 5:9). How? As Jesus was revealed for the purpose of destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), His followers can resist him.
           
A second action that flows from one’s submission to God is the ability to “draw near” (Gr. eggizō) to Him. In the OT this entails worship (Lev. 21:3, 21, 23; Isa. 29:13; 58:2; 65:5; Ez. 40:46), for worship is “drawing near” to God. Though the author of Hebrews uses a different term in 4:16, the meaning is the same: “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (italics mine).

Although “draw near to God” in Hebrews 7:19 uses the same Greek term as James 4:7 (eggizō), this does not seem to fit James’ context since he follows with God also drawing near to believers. Thus, given the context of many in the church being steeped in spiritual adultery and needing to repent (4:1-6), James likely has reconciliation with God in mind (cf. Hosea 12:6). Certainly James’ audience needed restoration of fellowship with God, and as was evident in the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), God is eager to reconcile with those who have gone astray. All spiritual adulterers and murderers need to do is repent: submit to God; resist the devil.

Food For Thought
            If the Bible tells Christians to “submit to God,” it is clear that even Christians need to repent, especially of our friendship with the world. And when it tells us to “resist the devil,” it means that the devil, or at least his evil angelic host, is able to tempt us to sin. What do you need to repent of today? Restore your fellowship with God by submitting to Him, by resisting the devil.
            

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James 4:4-6 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (NASB95)

James’ accusations against some in his audience about committing murder (4:2) and being adulteresses (v. 4) are serious accusations that no one would expect to find in a Christian church. Yet according to Christ Himself, we commit murder of the heart each time we become angry with a fellow human being (Matt. 5:21-22). So, although someone may have been guilty of that capital crime, all who were struggling with bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (3:16) within the church, those who were quarreling and at odds, were guilty of murder of the heart. Moreover, by abandoning their love for God and befriending the evil world system—being envious of others and resenting them for what they lacked and what others had, they had become spiritual adulterers. James says very plainly “that friendship with the world is hostility toward God,” and one who desires friendship with the world “makes himself and an enemy of God” (v. 4).

So in v. 5, James is not quoting a particular passage from the OT; rather, he speaks of “the Scripture” as a whole with regard to how God perceives those who depart from Him and befriend the world: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us” (NASB). Though variously translated in other English translations, the meaning is that God is jealous of the “spirit” of man to whom He granted life but which has gone astray from faithfulness to Him—spiritual adultery. Or, it is the “Spirit” of God who indwells believers who is jealous of the Chrisitan living in spiritual adultery. Either way, James would have been thinking of OT passages like Exodus 20:5; 34:14, Zechariah 8:2 and the prophet Hosea’s ministry—all of which speak of God’s righteous jealousy over His own people who have gone astray.

So what of those who befriend the world today and have gone astray from Christ, their first love? Through their own weaknesses, they daily succumb to their hedonisms—pornography, leisure, materialism, etc. Others struggle with God’s fairness, questioning God’s goodness after a recent cancer diagnosis, a loved one’s death, a lost job, or a treacherous friend. Can there be grace for them? Yes! But not grace unto salvation, for God’s children already possess such grace. Christians in the sin of spiritual adultery can expect “greater grace” (v. 6), grace upon grace from God. We recall Hebrews 4:16: “So, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (italics mine). And Paul’s words in Romans 5:20: “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” Likewise, John wrote, “For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace” (John 1:16).

What is the avenue for receiving this “greater grace” from God when we are in the midst of spiritual adultery? James quotes Proverbs 3:34 which says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” In other words, God will welcome spiritual adulterers back into fellowship through humble repentance. Without humble repentance, no matter what a professed believer in Christ might believe, his or her actions will vindicate whether they truly love Christ.  

Food For Thought
            Our world has long since departed from any faithfulness to God. Even in our churches today professed Christians are living in spiritual adultery, many of them in physical adultery. We have this sinful tendency to covet what others have, becoming envious that they have what we want. Isn’t that the essence of socialism and communism—people who are jealous of those wealthier than they, believing life isn’t fair? No wonder communism is popular today, for it preys on people’s jealousies. This satanic system comes straight from the devil, for the devil himself challenged Eve in Eden that God was ripping her off (Gen. 3:1-6), keeping her from what she coveted. We must therefore recognize how wicked coveting is, the quarrels that result from it, and what it all ultimately leads to: spiritual adultery punished eternally by God. If you’ve been guilty of it, however, God’s grace is abundant for those who repent. Only for those who repent. 

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James 4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? (NASB95)
           
James 4:5 presents two interpretive problems in the second half of the verse. First, the NASB’s rendering differs from other English translations, attesting to its difficulty. The fact that “jealously” and “desires” can have both negative and positive connotations, and that the Greek term pneuma can be both a reference to the Holy “Spirit” or to the human “spirit” reveal some of the difficulty interpreting the verse. In addition, grammatically, the Greek pneuma (Spirit, or spirit) can be either the subject of the phrase or the object, and both are given to humanity by God, our spirit at our conception, and the Spirit at our rebirth (Rom. 8:9-11; cf. John 3:3).
           
Verse 5 causes us to ask a few unanswerable questions: Is it God who jealously desires, or is it our human spirit that envies sinfully? (KJV; NIV 1984; NET) Is God, in a righteous sense, jealous for our spirits? (ESV; NIV 2011; NLT) Or, does God righteously desire His own Holy Spirit within us? (NASB; LSB) Note some of the English translations:
 

• KJV: “The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy”
• NKJV: “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
• ESV: “[God] yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”
• NIV 1984: “The spirit [God] caused to live in us envies intensely”
• NIV 2011 “[God] jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us”
• NLT: “God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him”
• NET: “The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning”

At least four possibilities emerge for rendering James 4:5 in English:

1. The human spirit, given to us by God at creation, in its sinful state, “envies” sinfully.
2. God is intensely jealous for us to honor Him with our human spirits at war with Him.
3. God’s Spirit who indwells Christians is intensely jealous for our faithfulness.
4. God is intensely jealous for us to honor Him through the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.

The second interpretive concern in v. 5 is that though James appears to quote OT Scripture, there is no OT quote that says of God, “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us” (NASB) nor any of the other proposed English translations. But since James accuses some in the church of being “adulteresses” in v. 4, cheating on God through friendship with the world, God’s jealousy for His own makes sense. James thus had multiple OT passages in view regarding God’s righteous jealousy for His people (Ex. 20:5; 24:14; Zech. 8:2)—a jealousy like that of a husband for his wandering wife. The OT prophet Hosea illustrates this, for he married Gomer who became and adulteress, representing Israel’s spiritual adultery, Hosea representing God’s righteous jealousy. What was true for Israel who was in a covenant relationship with God, is also true with the Church, for God jealously longs for His people who have gone astray.

Food For Thought
Negatively, jealousy reveals our envy of someone. We desire what we do not possess. This is always a sin. By contrast, a man whose wife flirts with another man has every right to be jealous. After all, she belongs to him by marriage covenant. His jealousy is therefore not a sin. So it is with God. Those who claim to love Christ and have put our faith in Him alone for their salvation and joy should expect God’s stern rebuke should we flirt with worldly pleasures.

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James 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
           
Although James called his readers “beloved brethren” (1:16, 19; 2:5), in 4:2 he accused them of murder. Now in 4:4 he calls them “adulteresses.” Why? Because of their penchant to stray from God—their “friendship with the world.” “Friendship” in Greek is philia, a term for love closely associated with agape (volitional love). But philia speaks of affectionate love, like that of a family or friend; hence, “friendship.” But in this case, the philia, or friendship, is with the “world” (Gk. kosmos). Now the “world” spoken of here is not about the earth; rather, it refers to the evil system that stands contrary to the work of God. Jesus speaks of the “world” throughout the Gospels as that wicked system that stands in contrast to God’s kingdom.
           
So, one who is in “friendship with the world” is one who stands opposed to God in their actions. They may say they love God, but their actions prove otherwise. Like a husband who tells his wife he loves her but who has other women he is intimate with, so it is with those who call themselves Christians but who love the evil world system. This is why James calls them “adulteresses” in v. 4. Notably, God only calls people “adulterers” when they claim to be in a covenant relationship with Him through faith. In contrast, God never calls the unsaved person an adulterer. Why? Because they are not in a covenant relationship with Him. Only the professed Christian who befriends the world is an adulteress—an enemy of God inside the church.

This spiritual adultery committed by professed believers is not new to the NT. The OT prophets railed against Israel for spiritual adultery because their relationship with Yahweh was like a marriage (Isa. 54:5-6): “But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel,’ declares the Lord” (Jer. 3:20; cf. Isa. 57:3; Ez. 16:38; 23:45). In fact, the prophet Hosea’s entire ministry to Israel was meant to illustrate their adultery toward God. Hosea thus married a woman, Gomer, who would prostitute herself to other men, Gomer representing adulterous Israel who continually chased after other gods (Hosea 2:5-7). Jesus used this metaphor for the covenant relationship between God and Israel by calling all who rejected Him “a wicked and adulterous generation” (Matt. 12:39; 16:4). Likewise, James’ audience, by seeking friendship with the world, was, in effect, in the throngs of spiritual adultery.
           
James’ harsh words reveal that at least some in the church were acting unfaithfully to Christ. They were imitators of the world in their propensity to show partiality (2:1-13), using slanderous tongues (3:1-12), harboring “bitter jealousy” and “selfish ambition” (3:13-18), and living for their own destructive pleasures (4:1-2). In short, they were living for themselves, not God. They thus looked like the evil world from which they had been saved. Their propensity to engage in that which God hates made them spiritual adulteresses and thus enemies of God, not Christians.

Food For Thought
Love of the world can be found in many churches today, especially the ones that have as their goal to be mega-churches. These places are full of competition resulting in quarrels and conflicts. Politics and social justice are huge issues in these kinds of churches. In addition, people play politics in these churches, seeking to flatter the rich and entertain the famous. There is little to no Bible teaching and never any discipline for sinners. People come in the front doors in droves while the orthodox trickle out the back. What they leave behind are spiritual (and physical) adulterers, back-biting, toxic people attending church for their own selfish ambitions. Swindoll says, “A heart beating to the rhythm of the world leads to anger with God and opposition to His words and works (4:4). These conditions lead to quarreling and fighting among believers.”
            

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14954 Mueschke Road
Cypress, TX 77433 

James 4:2b-3 You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Prayer is always the solution to the problems Christians face—asking God for the right things and for the right reasons. Jesus plainly exhorted us to “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matt. 7:7). James warns, however, that our prayer requests, if motivated by selfish desires, will be denied. Our prayers must be for the will of God, not our own (Matt. 6:9-10), praying for things in Christ’s name (John 15:16), that is, things for which He would pray (cf. 1 John 3:21-22; 5:13-14). Prayer for the right things results not only in God’s gifts but the enjoyment of those gifts. Jesus and His apostles exhort all Christians everywhere to pray, for God says He will answer:

• Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened (Matt 7:7-8).
• Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you (Mark 11:24; cf. Matt 21:22).
• Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it (John 14:13-14).
• If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you (John 15:7).
• Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God, and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing to him (1 John 3:21-22).
• This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him (1 John 5:13-14).

As to why not all our prayers are answered, James blames selfish motives in 4:3. In these instances, God is actually unable to give us what we pray for since our requests are contrary to His will. Other reasons why prayers go unanswered are habitual sin (Ps. 66:18; cf. 1 Pet. 3:7), weak faith (Mark 11:24; Jas. 1:6-8), or a simple lack of perseverance (Luke 11:5-8; 18:1-8).

But God has still other purposes for not granting our requests. Paul for example, prayed three times that God remove a thorn from his flesh. Yet God, perfecting His power through Paul’s weaknesses (2 Cor. 12:7, 9), told Paul that His grace was sufficient. Later, when Paul asked for rescue from the Jews in Jerusalem (Rom. 15:31), God allowed him to be arrested and beaten (Acts 21) for the sake of His will being worked through Paul’s ministry.

What does praying for the right things look like? Paul prayed for the Ephesians that God would “give them a spirit of wisdom in the knowledge of Christ and that they would know the hope to which they had been called… the riches of God’s inheritance… the greatness of God’s power.” That the Philippians’ “love would increase, coupled with knowledge and discernment so that they would approve what is excellent and be pure and blameless at Christ’s return, filled with the fruits of righteousness.” That the Colossians would be “filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom so that they would be fully pleasing to God.” And for the Thessalonians, he wanted them to “increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all men, so that they would be established unblameable in holiness at Christ’s return.”

Food For Thought
If God gave us everything we asked for, our character would suffer because we would pray away all our trials. We would then be like spoiled children. We must draw near to God through study and prayer in order to know His will and be able to pray in Christ’s name—praying in accordance with God’s will (1 John 3:21-22; 5:14) shelving our own. Since God’s will is revealed in Scripture, let us pray Scripture—“Thy will be done” (Luke 22:42), not our own.
            

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Our mailing address is:
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14954 Mueschke Road
Cypress, TX 77433 

James 4:1-2a What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.
           
Back in 3:16 James addressed the problem that exists in our churches when jealousy and selfish ambition are present: “there is disorder and every evil thing.” He contrasts that in 3:17 with the heavenly fruits that accompany those whose focus is on Christ. Then in 3:18, he commends peacemakers since they sow peace and not discord in the church. There is thus no real transition from 3:18 to 4:1. James merely identifies the source of the problem in 4:1-5.
           
What is the source of “quarrels and conflicts” among you—literally of “wars and fighting”? Answer: your “pleasures” (Gr. hēdonē), from which hedonism derives—the belief that pleasure is the goal of life (cf. Luke 8:14; Titus 3:3; 2 Pet. 2:13). James says these “pleasures” work to “wage war” in our “members,” like the tongue (3:1-12; 4:11; 5:9), causing “quarrels and conflicts” within the church. Anyone who has ever been involved with a local church can attest to some of the toxic people James is referring to, for their jealousy of certain teachers, singers, and servants within the church eventually stirs up their sinful tongues to action, unleashing gossip, harsh words, criticism, and insults. Yes, even in the church, even among Christians. How can this be? Because Christians, saved from the penalty of sin, are not yet free from its presence.
           
In v. 2, James calls his audience murderers! Why? They were lusting for things they could not obtain, quarreling, and perhaps blaming one another for their own problems. But were they truly murderers? Likely not, although anything is possible. Since James often relied on Jesus’ teachings from the Sermon on the Mount, he likely had murder of the heart in mind. After all, Jesus’ Sermon accuses all who are angry at a fellow human being of murder (Matt. 5:21-26), for murder begins with anger against another. Thus, “you murder” is perhaps a condemnation of those in the church who were bitterly jealous and selfishly ambitious (3:14). In a word, they were envious. Examples of this in Scripture are the chief priests’ decision to deliver Jesus to Pilate—done out of “envy” (Mark 15:10). Likewise, Luke and Paul attribute the persecution suffered by the early Church to “jealousy” (Acts 5:17; 13:45) and misplaced “zeal” (Phil 3:6).

James does not state what his audience lusted for and what they were envious of. It might be that some were jockeying for positions of power or teaching responsibilities. This fits with his previous warnings, for in 3:1 he addressed the issue of how Christians should be careful about desiring to teach. Perhaps some who desired to teach but were unable were envious of those who did? Likewise, James chided his audience about who was wise and understanding among them (3:13). It is possible that many wanted to lead and be thought wise by the rest, yet since many were not succeeding in this, they lashed out at those who were effective leaders. It is no wonder, therefore, that James previously exhorted his people to ask for wisdom if they lacked it (1:5).

Food For Thought
Pleasures, in and of themselves are not bad. After all, God is the author of pleasure, and it is our pleasure to exalt and glorify Him. The Westminster Confession of faith says that the Christian’s first priority is to glorify God Almighty and enjoy Him forever. We note that the Psalms are replete with the language of pleasure and joy: “Taste and see that Yahweh is good” (Ps. 34:8). “Delight yourself in Yahweh, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4). “In Your presence is fulness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever” (Ps. 16:11, LSB). It is to God’s glory that we enjoy His gifts and grace—from the air we breathe to the people we love to the food we eat. May all our pleasures, however, be only to His glory.
            

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Copyright © 2024 Harvest Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Harvest Bible Church
14954 Mueschke Road
Cypress, TX 77433