In these verses, James identifies the root cause of conflicts and quarrels among believers as their own desires that battle within them. He states that these desires are not necessarily wrong in themselves, but the problem arises when believers are unable to control them and they become the source of disputes.
James gives two examples of such desires: the desire for things we do not have and the desire to possess what belongs to others. These desires can lead to coveting, quarreling, fighting, and even killing. James points out that the reason believers do not have what they desire is that they do not ask God for it. He suggests that instead of relying on their own efforts, they should turn to God in prayer and ask for what they need.
However, James also warns that even when believers ask God for something, they may not receive it if they ask with wrong motives. He suggests that the motive behind their request is just as important as the request itself. If their motive is to spend what they get on their own pleasures, God is unlikely to grant their request.
To understand this passage further, we can break it down into its main themes and explore them in more detail:
- The source of conflicts and quarrels - James identifies the root cause of conflicts and quarrels among believers as their own desires. He suggests that these desires are not necessarily wrong in themselves, but they become a problem when they are not controlled. When believers allow their desires to take over, they can become the source of disputes.
- The danger of coveting - James gives the example of coveting as one of the desires that can lead to quarreling and fighting. Coveting is the desire to possess what belongs to others. When believers covet what others have, they can become jealous, resentful, and even violent.
- The importance of asking God - James suggests that believers should turn to God in prayer and ask for what they need. He implies that relying solely on their own efforts can lead to frustration and conflict. By asking God for help, believers acknowledge their dependence on Him and recognize that He is the source of all good things.
- The importance of pure motives - James warns that even when believers ask God for something, they may not receive it if they ask with wrong motives. He suggests that the motive behind their request is just as important as the request itself. If their motive is selfish, God is unlikely to grant their request.
The path James traces from desire to violence is the story of King Ahab. Ahab wanted Naboth's vineyard and said, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near my house"; when Naboth refused, Ahab sulked, and Jezebel had Naboth falsely accused and stoned so that Ahab could take it (1 Kings 21:1-16). The tenth commandment had already named the root sin: "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house," nor "anything that is your neighbor’s" (Exodus 20:17). Peter likewise warns of "fleshly lusts, which war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11). The cure James points to is prayer offered on God's terms: "if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us" (1 John 5:14), and "delight yourself in Yahweh, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).
In summary, James 4:1-3 is a passage that highlights the importance of controlling one's desires and turning to God for help in fulfilling them. It reminds believers that conflicts and disputes can arise when they allow their desires to take over and when they rely solely on their own efforts. Instead, they should seek God's guidance and ask for what they need with pure motives.
James 4:1-3. Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don’t they come from your pleasures that war in your members? You lust, and don’t have. You murder and covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t have, because you don’t ask. You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.