What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
James 4:1
James writes to a church divided.* Caught in the middle of warring factions, he refuses to take sides, but seeks to get to the heart of the matter.*
We live in an extremely polarized society. The fight for things that we label “right” and those things that we label “wrong” comes with fiery language and impassioned hearts. If these fights do not translate directly into the church, the tactics and strategies of conflict often do.
Think about your community. Think about your church, your friend’s group, and your family. When was the last time you got into an argument? When James uses the word “quarrels,” he is referring to verbal sparring and criticism.* Do these words describe conflicts that you have been in? Do you walk away from these arguments closer together, or further apart?
The quarrels and fights that James refers to are not simple conflicts.* Conflicts and disagreements are a part of community life.* James is referring to divisive, militant arguments with troubling motivations and unwholesome practices.* Plagued by jealousy, selfish ambition, slander, anger, a willingness to depart from received teaching, and more, the church mirrors the corrupt surrounding culture.*
George Stulac suggests,
An important self-examining question for Christians in conflict is “What personal desire am I trying to protect or to gain?”
When we engage in conflicts with one another, there is something that drives us. There is a motivation that we must not too quickly assume is righteous. Each of us, as James suggests have passions at war inside of us. At times, we may align with truth, but our desire to see it come may be self-serving. At times, we may align with truth, but our weapons of warfare are carnal and injuring. At times, we may be completely wrong.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to ask Him to show you what you are trying to protect or gain through argument. Perhaps today God would have you adjust your style of conflict. Maybe today God wants you to allow Him to address the war inside of you before you engage in a war outside of you.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!
*Blomberg, C. L., & Kamell, M. J. (2008). James (Vol. 16, p. 187). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. H. (2006). James. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, pp. 252–253). Zondervan.
Stulac, G. M. (1993). James (Jas 4:1). IVP Academic.
Moo, D. J. (2021). The Letter of James (D. A. Carson, Ed.; Second Edition, pp. 224–227). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Nystrom, D. P. (1997). James (pp. 222–224). Zondervan Publishing House.
Martin, R. P. (1988). James (Vol. 48, pp. 144–145). Word, Incorporated.