Study 10: James 4:1-10: Trent Evans
- Trent Evans
- Feb 2
- 8 min read
The study of James 4:1-10 reveals that conflict, both internal and external, stems from misplaced desires. James confronts believers, urging them to recognize that their quarrels and struggles originate within their hearts—a battle between earthly passions and godly submission. He warns against friendship with the world, which makes one an enemy of God, and calls for deep repentance, humility, and submission. The passage emphasizes that true peace and spiritual victory come not by pursuing self-serving desires, but by surrendering fully to God’s authority. The key to overcoming sin and strife is humility—choosing to “go low” in submission so that God may lift us up. Through this study, believers are challenged to examine their motives, desires, and allegiances, ultimately leading them to embrace God’s grace and resist the enemy through full dependence on Christ.
Sermon Outline
1. Introduction: The Source of Conflict (00:07 - 06:23)
Key Scripture: James 4:1 – “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”
James identifies the root of conflict as an internal struggle rather than external circumstances.
Key Question: Are your struggles with others actually a reflection of your own desires and ambitions?
Context: James is continuing his teaching from chapter 3, contrasting earthly wisdom vs. godly wisdom.
2. Internal Desires Lead to External Struggles (06:23 - 10:01)
Key Scripture: James 4:2 – “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.”
Greek Word Study: Hedone (ἡδονή) – Self-indulgent pleasure (root of "hedonism").
Illustration: The idea of hedonism—when our own desires become our highest pursuit, leading to chaos.
Key Point: Unchecked selfish ambition leads to relational and spiritual destruction.
3. The Spiritual Cost of Selfish Prayers (10:01 - 14:03)
Key Scripture: James 4:3 – “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
Key Point: Prayer isn’t a tool for selfish gain, but for aligning our hearts with God’s will.
Illustration: Treating God like a spiritual ATM—praying for our desires rather than His purposes.
4. Friendship with the World = Opposition to God (14:03 - 19:38)
Key Scripture: James 4:4 – “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?”
James compares divided loyalties to spiritual adultery.
Illustration: A bride who loves another man—the church flirting with the world instead of being faithful to Christ.
Key Point: We cannot love both the world’s values and God’s truth at the same time.
5. The Choice to Submit or Resist (19:38 - 25:06)
Key Scripture: James 4:7 – “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Greek Word Study: Hupotassō (ὑποτάσσω) – Military term meaning “to fall in rank, to submit under authority.”
Key Point: True spiritual resistance starts with submission to God.
Illustration: Many quote "Resist the devil and he will flee"—but without submission, resistance is powerless.
6. The Call to Draw Near to God (25:06 - 29:46)
Key Scripture: James 4:8 – “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Key Point: The closer we walk with God, the more victory we experience over sin and temptation.
Illustration: A child running to their father for protection—drawing near to God means living under His covering.
7. Cleansing Through True Repentance (29:46 - 33:32)
Key Scripture: James 4:8 – “Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
Greek Word Study: Dipsuchos (δίψυχος) – Double-minded, wavering in loyalty.
Key Point: Spiritual cleansing requires genuine repentance, not just religious routine.
Illustration: A divided heart—vacillating between obedience and self-indulgence.
8. The Attitude of Brokenness Before God (33:32 - 37:19)
Key Scripture: Psalm 51:17 – “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”
Key Point: True humility is not just feeling guilty—it’s bringing our brokenness to God for healing.
Illustration: Humility as a posture of the heart, not just external actions.
9. The Promise of Being Lifted Up (37:19 - 42:43)
Key Scripture: James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
Key Point: God exalts those who submit to Him, rather than those who elevate themselves.
Illustration: A seed must go into the ground before it can grow. The way up is down in God’s kingdom.
10. The Call to Go Low (42:43 - End)
Final Challenge:
Examine your heart—are your desires aligned with God’s?
Submit fully to God—no more divided loyalties.
Resist the devil—through the power of submission, not self-effort.
Go low so that God can lift you up.
Illustration: A bodybuilder explaining that the deeper you squat, the stronger you become—the lower we go in humility, the higher God can lift us.
Final Reflection & Prayer (53:42 - End)
Prayer Focus: Asking God to help us submit fully to Him, resist temptation, and walk humbly in His grace.
Challenge: This week, actively choose submission over self-will, and watch how God transforms your heart and circumstances.
Scripture References
1. James 4:1 – “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”
📌 Timestamp: 06:23
📖 Context: James identifies the root of conflict as internal struggles, not external circumstances. The study emphasizes that our battles with others often reflect unresolved desires within our own hearts.
2. James 4:2 – “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.”
📌 Timestamp: 10:01
📖 Context: The study discusses selfish ambition and its consequences, explaining that unchecked selfishness leads to relational breakdown.
3. James 4:3 – “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
📌 Timestamp: 14:03
📖 Context: This verse exposes the problem of selfish prayers—praying for personal gain rather than for God’s will. The speaker warns against treating God like a cosmic ATM.
4. James 4:4 – “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?”
📌 Timestamp: 19:38
📖 Context: James calls out spiritual adultery, explaining that divided loyalty between God and the world makes us His enemies. The speaker illustrates this with a bride being unfaithful to her groom.
5. James 4:7 – “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
📌 Timestamp: 25:06
📖 Context: The study highlights that true resistance against the devil only happens through submission to God. The Greek word hupotassō (ὑποτάσσω) is discussed as a military term meaning to fall into rank under authority.
6. James 4:8 – “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
📌 Timestamp: 29:46
📖 Context: This verse emphasizes that our spiritual progress is dependent on actively drawing near to God. The speaker compares it to a child running to their father for protection.
7. James 4:8 (continued) – “Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
📌 Timestamp: 33:32
📖 Context: The Greek word dipsuchos (δίψυχος)—meaning double-minded, wavering in loyalty—is explained. The study challenges believers to fully commit to God rather than vacillating between worldly desires and faith.
8. Psalm 51:17 – “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”
📌 Timestamp: 37:19
📖 Context: The study discusses true repentance—not just feeling guilty, but being broken before God and allowing Him to cleanse us.
9. James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
📌 Timestamp: 42:43
📖 Context: James teaches that exaltation comes through humility. The speaker uses the illustration of a seed that must go into the ground before it can grow.
10. Matthew 5:21-22 – “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,’ but I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.”
📌 Timestamp: 23:28
📖 Context: Jesus equates anger and hatred to murder, reinforcing James’ point that internal sin leads to external destruction.
11. Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death.”
📌 Timestamp: 22:18
📖 Context: The study warns against self-deception—what seems right according to human wisdom often leads to spiritual destruction.
Psalm 51:17 (revisited) – “A broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”
📌 Timestamp: 45:31
📖 Context: The study calls believers to true humility and repentance, explaining that God never rejects those who come to Him in sincerity.
Word Study
1. Ἡδονή (Hedone) – "Pleasure, Self-Indulgence"
📖 James 4:1 – “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires (ἡδονή – hedone) that battle within you?”
📌 Timestamp: 19:38
Definition & Context:
Hedone (ἡδονή) means pleasure, indulgence, or self-gratification.
This is the root of the English word "hedonism," a philosophy that elevates pleasure as the highest good.
James warns that selfish desires lead to conflict, strife, and separation from God.
Application:
When we prioritize our own pleasure over God’s will, we fall into spiritual warfare against ourselves and others.
True peace and satisfaction come not from indulging desires, but from submitting to God.
2. Ὑποτάσσω (Hupotassō) – "Submit, Fall in Rank"
📖 James 4:7 – “Submit (ὑποτάσσω – hupotassō) yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
📌 Timestamp: 41:26
Definition & Context:
Hupotassō (ὑποτάσσω) is a military term meaning to fall in rank, to align under authority.
James connects submission to spiritual warfare—we cannot resist the devil unless we first submit to God.
Application:
True spiritual power comes through submission.
We must yield to God’s leadership before we can effectively stand against the enemy.
Many people attempt to resist Satan without first submitting to God—this is ineffective.
3. Μέγας (Magos) – "Great, Mighty"
📖 James 4:6 – “But He gives us more (μέγας – magos) grace.”
📌 Timestamp: 38:35
Definition & Context:
Magos (μέγας) means great, mighty, abundant.
God’s grace is not just sufficient—it is mighty, overwhelming, and powerful.
This grace is freely given (didōmi – offered) but must be received in humility.
Application:
No matter how deep our struggles, God’s grace is greater.
We cannot earn it, manipulate it, or demand it—we must receive it through humility and submission.
1. Hupsos (ὕψος) – "High Position"
Scripture Reference: James 1:9 – “Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.”
Definition: Hupsos refers to elevation, height, or exaltation. In this context, it symbolizes a spiritual elevation that comes from being in Christ, regardless of earthly circumstances.
Sermon Context: The sermon contrasts the "high position" of believers with their humble circumstances, emphasizing that their identity and value are rooted in their relationship with Christ, not in worldly wealth or status.
Application: Believers are called to rejoice in their spiritual status in Christ, which is unshaken by external trials or material losses.
2. Tapinosis (ταπείνωσις) – "Humiliation" or "Low Condition"
Scripture Reference: James 1:10 – “But the rich should take pride in their humiliation…”
Definition: Tapinosis refers to being brought low, humility, or a state of abasement. In the sermon, it is tied to the temporary and fleeting nature of worldly riches.
Sermon Context: The rich are reminded to find humility in the reality that material wealth fades, and only a relationship with Christ offers eternal significance.
Application: This word underscores the importance of spiritual humility, urging believers to shift their focus from temporary wealth to eternal treasures in Christ.
3. Peirasmos (πειρασμός) – "Trial" or "Temptation"
Scripture Reference: James 1:2-3, 1:13 – “Consider it pure joy... when you face trials...” / “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’”
Definition: Peirasmos can mean either a trial (testing of faith) or a temptation (enticement to sin), depending on the context.
Sermon Context: The sermon differentiates between trials, which God allows to refine and strengthen faith, and temptations, which arise from personal desires and lead to sin.
Application: Believers are encouraged to endure trials with joy and to resist temptation by seeking wisdom and strength from God.
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