James 4James 4

James is addressing serious James is addressing serious conflict in the community of conflict in the community of believersbelievers quarrelling fighting murderous jealousy slandering judging each other

“STOP! – FRIENDLY FIRE!”

Believers are under attack Believers are under attack from the worldfrom the world The world wants our friendship

to line up our desires with theirs to be motivated by the same things

riches that fade awaythe praise of other men freedom to do what ‘feels good’

v4 Friendship with the world is: adultery hatred towards God choosing to be God’s enemy

Believers are under attack from Believers are under attack from their old human naturetheir old human nature We are all inclined to self-harm All have a sinful nature inherited

from Adam Natural desires ≠ Good desires

Believers also have a new nature through God’s Holy Spirit living in them

The Holy Spirit is at war with the old nature the battle within of v1?

Believers are under attack from Believers are under attack from the devil and his servantsthe devil and his servants a liar and a murderer John 8:45 blinds people to the truth 2 Cor 4:4 infiltrates believers ranks 2 Cor 11:14,15 does signs and wonders 2 Thes 2:9, Matt 24:24 tempts to sin Matt 4 plucks away the word and chokes faith Mark 4 causes sickness and disease Luke 13:16 fights against plans for mission 1 Thes 2:17 accuses Christians before God Rev 12:10

We must be very serious about sinWe must be very serious about sin

v8 Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  

Toplady's plea is so right “Be of sin the double cure - cleanse me from it's guilt and power.”

v9  Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Randy Alcorn - Any concept of grace that causes us to feel more comfortable sinning is not biblical grace. God's grace never encourages us to live in sin, on the contrary, it empowers us to say no to sin and yes to truth.

Please take time for personal reflection, confession & worship

Believers can win these battlesBelievers can win these battles

We can refuse the world's values Rom 12:2 Do not conform any longer to

the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Col 2:8 See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Believers can win these battlesBelievers can win these battles

We can refuse the world's values The Holy Spirit can overcome our sinful

desires Gal 5:17  For the sinful nature desires

what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Col 3:5  Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

Believers can win these battlesBelievers can win these battles

We can refuse the world's values The Holy Spirit can overcome our sinful desires We can withstand or run when tempted

1Co 10:13-14  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.  Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

Believers can win these battlesBelievers can win these battles

We can refuse the world's values The Holy Spirit can overcome our sinful

desires We can withstand or run when tempted We can help each other

Heb 3:12-13 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.   But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

Communication with our Communication with our commander is the key to success commander is the key to success in battlein battle

John Piper says:Focussed wartime prayer is an essential part of our attack on the strongholds of Satan. The reason that God has given prayer to the church is not as a domestic intercom to ring up the butler to bring another cushion to the den! God has given us a wartime walkie-talkie to make war against Satan and untruth and wickedness and evil joylessness and hopelessness in the world!

Prayer is the way to victory in this Prayer is the way to victory in this battlebattle Watch for specific enemy action and attack

it head on with prayer – don’t give ground e.g. Jesus prayer for Peter Luke 22

Call for reinforcement v8 Come near to God and he will come

near to you Submit your needs and plans to God

v2  You do not have, because you do not ask God.

v15 Instead, you ought to say, If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.

We need not fear the battle We need not fear the battle because our final victory is because our final victory is assuredassured1Corinthians 15:56-58

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.