This is War

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

What is worldliness? Some say it’s about how you entertain yourself, the movies you go to, and if you drink. Others say it’s the crowd you run with, the way you dress, or the words you say. Maybe the worldly person doesn’t go to church.

None of these define worldliness. They may not be good practices or symptoms of the disease, but they are just evidence of the deeper, actual problem.

James, the writer of this letter, says worldliness is strife and envy, which produce “confusion and every evil thing” (3:16). They produce wars and fighting. Big, global conflict and that little skirmish you had at church last week. You wanted to have your own way. So did they. Selfish desires lead to war.

James describes the spirit of the world, the spirit of strife, and it represents your old nature.

The dog-eat-dog competition in the business world—worldliness. One political party pitted against another—worldliness. Climbers on the social ladder step on the hands of others. In your neighborhood, one family doesn’t speak to another. Then this same spirit gets into the church. That is worldliness.

Surprisingly, the cure for the disease of worldliness is prayer. The answer is to trust God absolutely, go to Him in prayer and commit to Him what’s on your heart. When you find strife and envy there, talk to Him about it, tell Him everything. We can’t even fathom the depth of His grace.

Grace has been defined as unmerited favor, but it’s really love in action. God didn’t save us by love; He saved us by grace. He has so much of it. God gives abundant grace—but we must carry it around in a humble container. We also must be ready to submit to Him.

The devil cannot get to you unless you get too far away from God. A wolf never attacks a sheep when it’s with the shepherd. Our problem is that we get too far from God.

Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up. He will. Too often, we think we are smart or strong, or skilled. We think we are good enough, but God says we have no good in us. Nothing in us attracts Him, but only our great need draws Him to us. If we are willing to humble ourselves and get down where He can lift us up, He will.

Two types of people seek to take the position of God. One is the sinner who says, “I’m good enough to be saved. Lord, I don’t need your salvation. You just move over, and I’ll sit beside you. I am my own savior.” Then there’s the other one who sits in judgment on everyone else. James says judgment is God’s business (see also John 5:22). We are to judge ourselves and go to God in humility.

We also like to make big plans for the future, but James reminds us we don’t know what tomorrow holds.

Human life lived apart from and without God is the most colossal failure in God’s universe. Many of us never learn to really live down here on earth. Good thing our lives are in God’s hands. We can’t brag about a thing. We even mess up and don’t even know it. If you know you should do a certain thing or help a certain cause—and you do not do it, that is sin.

Our lives are brief. Let’s not spoil it with strife and envy. Come to Jesus Christ, put your life before Him, and start living. He wants to give you a life that’s out of this world.

1. Worldliness is a desire in our heart for things that are not of God. What might worldliness produce in our lives?

2. Why do we fail to take our problems to Jesus in prayer?

3. The way to resist temptation is to submit to God. What are some ways you can intentionally submit to God in your life?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee’s complete teachings on James 3:14—4:4 and James 4:5-17.