James 4:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?

NIV: What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?

NASB: What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts?

CSB: What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don't they come from your passions that wage war within you?

NLT: What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?

KJV: From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

NKJV: Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

Chapter and verse divisions were not part of the original texts of the Bible. These breaks were added many centuries later in order to make it easier to refer to specific passages. Therefore, even though this verse begins a new chapter, James is continuing a single train of thought from chapter 3 where he just compared the results of living by the wisdom of heaven, versus the results of living by the world's wisdom.

The world's wisdom states that human beings are responsible to identify what they want out of life and to make a plan to get it at all costs. This has become such a "normal" perspective that even Christians may see nothing abnormal about it. It even sounds industrious to most of us. The problem with this attitude is that it puts the focus of our lives on ourselves. Success, according to the world, is defined by whether we get what we want out of life. Worldliness is driven by envy—"I want that"—and selfish ambition—"I will do whatever it takes to get that."

James 3:15–16 noted that this un-heavenly wisdom is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic, leading to disorder and all kinds of evil practices. Now he scolds his readers, who, though they are Christians, are continuing to live by the world's warped wisdom. Apparently, the community that James was writing to was in conflict. He rhetorically asks what is causing their fights and quarrels. They likely would have been tempted to answer that question by pointing to their opponents. James won't let them get away with that. Instead, using another question, he says their conflict is driven by the passions or desires that are battling within them.

Just like unbelievers, these Christians had decided they were not willing to give up getting what they wanted. They were not willing to trust God to provide good for them (James 1:7) in His time. Driven by envy and selfish ambition, they wanted to win.

James 4:1–12 builds on the end of chapter 3, describing how living according to the world's wisdom has led to great conflict among James's Christian readers. They were fighting with each other because they couldn't get what they wanted. James says that living that way is adultery. It's ''cheating'' on God. He calls them to quit their friendship with the world, humble themselves, repent from their sin, and receive God's grace. God is the Lawgiver and Judge, not man.

What was causing fights and quarrels among the Christians to whom James was writing? They were living by the world's wisdom. This false perspective says human beings should do whatever it takes to get what they want in this life, even if it hurts other people. James says that to live that way is adultery, but God gives grace. Christians should repent and move close to God again. We should trust Him to provide, to be the Judge, and to lift us up in His time. In humility, we must acknowledge that all of our plans are dependent on Him, and He can change them at any moment.

The book of James is about what it means for a Christian to live a life of complete trust in God. Chapter 4 builds on the end of chapter 3, where James described the self-seeking wisdom of the world. Following this worldliness was the cause of fights among James's Christian readers. He called them to repent and, in humility, receive God's grace. He called them to stop making their plans for business as if they could accomplish anything without God. In chapter 5, he will continue to talk about the dangers of trusting riches instead of the Lord.

The book of James is about specifically understanding what saving faith looks like. How does faith in Christ reveal itself in a believer's life? What choices does real trust in God lead us to make? Those are the questions James answers. Most scholars believe the writer was Jesus' half-brother, a son born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus' birth. James may not have come to believe Jesus was the Messiah until after the resurrection. Eventually, though, he became one of the leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem. This is possibly the earliest-written of all the New Testament books, around AD 40–50. James addresses his letter to Jewish Christians scattered around the known world.