In verse 4 James says, “Adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever determines to be a friend of the world is constituted an enemy of God.” Here James makes a turn from the matter of pleasures to the matter of friendship of the world and enmity with God. James’ writing here is marvelous; his word is very descriptive. In verse 4 James clearly says that to be a friend of the world is to be constituted an enemy of God.
In 4:4 James uses the word “adulteresses.” God and Christ are our Husband (Isa. 54:5; 2 Cor. 11:2). We should be chaste and love Him alone with our entire being (Mark 12:30). If our heart is divided by loving the world, we become adulteresses.
In verse 4 James uses the words “friendship” and “friend” in relation to the world. Friendship of the world is love of the world for the pleasures of the flesh. The “world” is the satanic system, which is enmity with God. The Greek word for world, kosmos, is used for different things in the New Testament. In Matthew 25:34; John 17:15; Acts 17:24; Ephesians 1:4; and Revelation 13:8, it denotes the material universe as a system created by God. In John 1:29; 3:16; and Romans 5:12, it denotes the fallen human race corrupted and usurped by Satan as components for his evil world system. In 1 Peter 3:3 it denotes adorning, ornament. Here in James 4:4, as in 1 John 2:15; John 15:19; and 17:14 it denotes an order, a set form, an orderly arrangement; hence, an ordered system, set up by Satan, the adversary of God. By this we see that the “world” does not denote the earth. God created man to live on earth for the fulfillment of His purpose. But His enemy Satan, in order to usurp man, has formed an anti-God world system on earth by systematizing mankind with such things as religion, culture, education, industry, commerce, and entertainment, through men’s fallen nature in their lusts, pleasures, pursuits, and even in their indulgence in living necessities, such as food, clothing, housing, and transportation. According to what James says in 4:4, loving the world causes a person who loves God to become an enemy of God.
In 4:5 James goes on to say, “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain: The Spirit who dwells in us longs to envy?” When God secured us to be His spouse, He put His Spirit into us to make us one with Him (1 Cor. 6:19, 16-17). He is a jealous God (Exo. 20:5), and His Spirit is jealous over us with the jealousy of God (2 Cor. 11:2), longing, jealously desiring, that we may not make friends with His enemy and be His lover at the same time.
Verse 5 is the only time James mentions God’s indwelling Spirit. His one mention of the Spirit is negative, concerning the abolishing of the friendship of the world. It is not positive, concerning the building up of the Body of Christ.
The Greek word rendered “dwells” in 4:5 may also be translated “makes His home.” The indwelling Spirit makes His home in us so that He may occupy our entire being for God (see Eph. 3:17) and cause us to be wholly for our Husband.
In 4:5 James refers to what “the Scripture says.” However, I do not know to what verse in the Scriptures James is referring. I do not believe that any Bible teacher has been able to locate the particular verse in the Scriptures.
Translators differ on how to render the Greek words translated, “The Spirit who dwells in us longs to envy.” I believe that “longs to envy” is the most accurate translation. This longing comes out of love. For example, a husband who loves his wife is full of longing for her and would be envious if she were to love someone else. He does not want her to love another besides him.
In verses 4 and 5 James uses marriage to illustrate our relationship with God. God is the Husband, and we are His counterpart. As God’s counterpart, we should love Him. If we love anything or anyone in place of Him, we become adulteresses. The indwelling Spirit that God has put within us longs to keep us singly for Himself. Whenever we would not be solely for Him but would love the world, this indwelling Spirit will not only be offended, but will also be envious. This is the correct understanding of what James means when he says that the Spirit who dwells in us longs to envy.
In 4:6 James leaps to the matter of grace: “But He gives greater grace; wherefore it says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Logically speaking, there does not seem to be a connection between verses 5 and 6. In verse 6 we have a quotation from Proverbs 3:34 according to the Septuagint.
In verses 7 through 10 James says that we should be subject to God, withstand the Devil, draw near to God, cleanse our hands, purify our hearts, be miserable, mourn and weep, let our laughter be turned into mourning and our joy into dejection, and be humbled before the Lord.
As we consider 4:1-10, we see that James skips from one matter to another. This makes it difficult for us to follow his thought. It is also difficult to cut straight the Word in this portion.