Defeating Major Enemies Part 1E

James 4:1-10

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resist the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse you hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

This passage discusses parts of I Peter 5:5-11. James says that you have problems when you are self centered. You do not put God first but yourself. When you ask, you ask not according to the Word of God but your own selfish desires. God wants you to put Him and His purposes first. The Holy Spirit in you wants your total commitment to God. God gives more grace. God's loves for us is so great and His desire to bless us is so great. God can not do all He wants to do for us except as we put ourselves in proper relationship to Him. When we put ourselves under God's mighty hand/submit to Him, we can resist the devil and he has to flee. We must draw near to God and He will draw near to us. We must use the Word of God to get our hearts right with God and He will take care of us and the problem.