Day 8: Submit Yourselves to God
Read James 4:1-12
Context: What does James identify as the root cause of conflicts and quarrels within the Christian community?
In a stunning summation of all that he’s outlined so far, James identifies the root cause of conflicts as the same divided loyalties he established at the start of the letter. As with the earthly wisdom he’s just spoken about, James sources the problem with the inner man. As he said when he warned against saying that God tempts us, James says it’s got nothing to do with God and everything to do with our hearts when they are not submitted to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Such hearts are prone to want what they wanted before Christ, and that’s anything other than Christ. This is why it’s no surprise that there are disputes and power plays. It’s no surprise that we favour the rich, as it’s a bid to align with those who can enrich us. The threads of everything he’s been saying, including the tongue and the tendency to exhibit dead faith, are indicated at this reproach.
Content: What steps does James prescribe for restoration (verses 7-10), and what warnings does he give about judging others?
For restoration, the remedy James suggests is more than humbling – it’s self-humiliation. Recognising that the carry-on was anathema to God should lead us to a state of deep mourning that includes resisting the devil, which is to actively discourage any further entertaining and tolerating of the shenanigans we allowed him to sponsor. These steps of utter self-humiliation before God are to express ultimate surrender to him. We have the vibe of the sackcloth and ashes that was the expression of deep mourning in the classic days. And these acts are for no one other than God. It’s our recognition of the seriousness of the situation and the steps we take to come under His rule, accepting it in every aspect of life with deep contrition and a deeper yearning to be filled by Him and led by Him. The act requires seeing the state of the heart and the state of the behaviour, so that everything is again aligned with the Lord we profess to belong to.
Concept: How does James describe the spiritual battle between friendship with the world and friendship with God?
The stakes could not be higher, the issues could not be more serious, and the way in which the distinctions are set could not be clearer. You are either committed to God and ever humbling and submitting to Him, or you’re a friend of the world. The consequences of being in either camp have eternal consequences and also have a bearing on how we display our allegiances in this life. The spiritual forces at work in the battle include our internal desires, the systems of the world, and the spiritual armies of the devil, ever desiring to lead us down the path of darkness and thinking that duplicity and uncertainty can be a tolerable way of doing life. Where the Spirit that yearns jealously for us recognises this is never how we were meant to be and strongly urges the rejection of these ways in favour of the power available in life in God. There is no middle ground, and there are no grey areas. The contrast is stark, and the war is fierce from the side of the wicked one, who seeks to trap people in disputes, factions, fighting, and wars.
Conclusion: What specific areas of worldliness or judgmental attitudes do you need to submit to God, and how will you practically “humble yourself before the Lord”?
There are attitudes I have in certain conversations that need to be submitted to God. I can behave in a way that isn’t pleasing to God during those conversations, and I’m aware of the pull and desire to be led down unhelpful paths in certain conversations. Practically humbling myself before God is ever to be aware of my tendencies and cry out to God for help and receive it to learn how to better behave in those conversations so I can reflect the Father I belong to and not the demonic forces that enjoy it when I behave in those kinds of ways. This is part of a larger desire to continue humbling myself before God, looking to and leaning on Him for the decisions I make, the approach I take to daily tasks, and key relationships in life.
Next Up – James – Day 9: The Danger of Presumptuous Planning
Read James 4:13-5:6
Context: What attitude towards the future and material success is James confronting in both the merchants (4:13-17) and the wealthy landowners (5:1-6)?
Content: What does James teach about the uncertainty of life and the dangers of wealth accumulated through injustice?
Concept: How should awareness of life’s brevity and God’s sovereignty influence our planning and use of resources?
Conclusion: How do these warnings challenge your own approach to future planning, wealth, and treatment of others, particularly those in vulnerable positions?
The world and the ways of God are not friends. Our fleshly tendencies and the Spirit of God are not friends. We must be wary, we must be alert. That’s another reason to get the Word In so we can get the Word Out!
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
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