Who Are You At War With — Are You Willing To Kill To Get Your Own Way?

LET YOUR FAITH ROAR

Faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead. James 2:17 (BSB).

Divided Heart — Divided Life

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:1—8 (NIV)

The Battle Of The Heart

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:1–3 (NIV)

Who Are You At War With — Are You Willing To Kill To Get Your Own Way?

You have become spiritual adulterers who are having an affair, an unholy relationship with the world. Don’t you know that flirting with the world’s values places you at odds with God? Whoever chooses to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy! James 4:4 (TPT)

A divided heart produces a divided life.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in). Matthew 6:24 (AMP)

Are you flirting with the world and its values while trying to claim God’s promises?

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. Psalm 86:11 (ESV)

A Passionate God

Does the Scripture mean nothing to you that says, “The Spirit that God breathed into our hearts is a jealous Lover who intensely desires to have more and more of us”? James 4:5 (TPT)

If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1–2 (ESV)

“Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go? …My heart is torn within Me, and My compassion overflows. Hosea 11:8 (NLT)

The Way Back to God

But He continues to pour out more and more grace upon us. For it says, God resists you when you are proud but continually pours out grace when you are humble.” So then, surrender to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will turn and run away from you. Move your heart closer and closer to God, and He will come even closer to you. But make sure you cleanse your life, you sinners, and keep your heart pure and stop doubting. James 4:6–8 (TPT)

1. ​Grace – Receive it

He continues to pour out more and more grace upon us. James 4:6 (TPT)

Wherever sin increased, there was more than enough of God’s grace to triumph all the more! Romans 5:20 (TPT)

No matter how messy or broken, God pours more grace. You can’t out-sin His supply.

For it says, God resists you when you are proud but continually pours out grace when you are humble. James 4:6 (TPT)

Pride builds walls between us and God. Humility opens the floodgates of grace.

2. Submission – Say yes to God

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NIV)

In God’s kingdom, surrender is the first step towards achieving victory.

Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvellous mercies? I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be His sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights His heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship. Romans 12:1 (TPT)

3. ​Nearness – Make space for His presence

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. James 4:8 (ESV)

So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:20 (NIV)

You are more important to God than the gift you bring.

Grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning. – Dallas Willard