In 4:1-10 James speaks concerning dealing with pleasures, the world, and the Devil. Some may be bothered by the fact that we use the word “pleasures” in a negative sense. In our church life we do not have pleasures—we have enjoyment. In fact, our church life is an enjoyment. This enjoyment is a very positive thing, but worldly pleasures are extremely negative. In 4:1-10 James ranks pleasures with the world and the Devil. One of the virtues of Christian perfection is to overcome pleasures, the world, and the Devil.
In 4:1 James says, “From what source come wars and fightings among you? Are they not from this, from your pleasures that war in your members?” The pleasures here are pleasures of the flesh.
James’ word in chapter four is rather mixed and not easy to understand. For instance, in verse 1 James speaks of wars and fightings among those who receive his Epistle. Do you believe that in ancient times there were wars and fightings among the Jewish believers in Jerusalem and among those scattered in the Gentile world? At least to some extent, I do not believe this. How could the believers have been fighting, warring, with one another? James says that these wars and fightings come from the pleasures that war in our members.
In 4:2 James continues, “You desire and do not have; you murder and are jealous, and are not able to obtain; you fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask.” Here “desire” means covet, lust. How are we to understand this verse? In verse 1 James speaks of two kinds of wars, wars among the saints and wars in our members. Then in verse 2 he says, “You fight and war.” He also says, “You murder and are jealous.” I am bothered by what James says in verse 2. I believe that this sense of being bothered is due to the mixture of Judaism with New Testament teachings in James’ writing. James was saturated with the ideas, concepts, teachings, ordinances, and practices of the Jewish religion. He was soaked with the element of that religion, and had lived a long time in its sphere and atmosphere. Furthermore, he treasured the things of Judaism. Nevertheless, James was deeply influenced by New Testament teachings. This means that with James there are two elements, two spheres, and two atmospheres. The result is a mixture in his thinking, a mixture of Judaism with the teachings of the New Testament.
Although I have studied 4:1-10, I find it very difficult to cut these verses straight, to divide them properly. Paul’s word in 2 Timothy 2:13 regarding cutting straight the word of the truth indicates that we should not divide the Word in a zigzag fashion. But when we come to the book of James, we simply cannot cut or divide the Word in a straight line. As an example of this difficulty, I would call your attention to the word “murder” in 4:2. This word bothers me very much, and I cannot understand what James means by it. Surely James does not mean that believers were actually murdering one another. However, can we spiritualize the word “murder” here? We can easily understand what Paul means in Romans 8:13 when he speaks of putting to death the practices of the body, but who can understand what James means by murder in this verse? Who was being murdered by whom?
It is not easy to trace James’ thought in these verses. He says that those to whom he is writing murder and are jealous, are not able to obtain, and fight and war. This fighting must have been among certain persons. Then at the end of verse 2 James says, “You do not have because you do not ask.” On the one hand, James says, “You murder”; on the other hand, he indicates that they should ask. Does this mean that a murderer can ask, that a murderer can pray? I can only present this verse to you and ask you to analyze it and expound it.
In verse 3 James goes on to say, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask evilly, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” Literally, the Greek word for “on” means “in.” How are we to understand this verse in relation to the preceding verses? There seems to be no “track” for us to trace James’ thought.