James 4:1-10 - Battling Evil Desires

        God is known in war.  That’s true for nations (Ezekiel 25) and for the spiritual battles, every believer fights daily.  Our motives and the level of our friendship with the world are shown by what we fight for, how we fight, and the results of the battle.  Don’t let your temptation and sin grow.  Instead, resist the devil and he will flee from you.  God gives us grace so that we can fight the good fight today, and win.  That is God’s promise.

What issue of sin are you facing?  What are you doing to resist those evil desires?  Are you feeding and allowing that sin to grow?  If it is arrogance and pride or sexual sin or gluttony or selfish ambition and jealousy of others, acknowledge that sin today.  Right now.  When sin is allowed to grow.  It gives birth to death (James 1:15).

God is with us in our battles.  But God expects us to fight.  It is God that gives us even more grace to stand against evil desires.  We all have them.  In fact, it's easy to recognize a schemer as they'll downplay their sin (you'll hear the legalist tell you that they haven't sinned since they were a nonbeliever - a blatant lie).  And they highlight the sins of others or those in the evil world.  That's part of our human condition.  It’s just easier to point out sin in others (I see arrogance and pride all around me, but am I arrogant and prideful?).  But it's not biblical, not godly.

        Humble yourself first.  Admit your sin and your inability to conquer evil desires on your own.  Repent of sin.  That means we tell God what He already knows and that we blame no one but ourselves for the results of our sins.  Then, with God’s grace and His blessing, fight.  Resist the devil and thank God for His strength and grace to stand against the evil desires at war within us.

At my age (53) I want to grow as a Christian man.  I don’t want to be lukewarm and I don’t want to coast.  I'm more than annoyed with myself for not growing more, better.  I want to grow.  But it’s hard.  The world, worldliness, temptation, challenges, failures, relationships, lack of good influence, etc. are all a heavy pull to the devil and the failures satan hopes we achieve.

        We need good strategies to succeed and to grow in Christ.  We need to be self-aware and honest.  Acknowledge when we need help and when we are drifting.  Acknowledge when we are scheming and thinking ill of others and when we need God’s wisdom to do things the Christian way.  God’s way.

        The Bible is clear that God can’t stand a schemer (Proverbs 14:17).  May we never scheme and wage unholy wars.  Schemers are hated for good reason and get what they deserve.  Do you think maybe, just maybe, all the quarrels and fights in our relationships are at all our fault?  That’s what this passage says.  Oh, we are quick to point to satan and all his minions.  It seems the church these days is quick to play the victim card (in itself a worldly trait).  If there is any adversity, churchmen say society is picking on them.  Spiritual immaturity.  What does the Bible say?  All the dysfunction in the church, our families, and our nation comes from the evil desires at war within us.

What are you scheming to get right now?  What are we jealous that others have that we can’t get?  We need an about-face.  The church often seems to be in love with the world.  We are supposed to be different, God’s shining example of obedience, excellence, discipline, generosity, selflessness, and wise builders.  Instead, we are adulterers, schemers, and friends with the world and its ways.

This passage tells us plainly that God opposes the proud but favors the humble.  Let us humble ourselves today.  I will go first.  I acknowledge my guilt and I seek reconciliation.  I seek friendship and reconciliation with Jesus Christ, my Creator and Savior.  

Lord Jesus, please accept our apology.  We repent of sin, and selfish ambition, and allowing evil desires to grow rather than resisting the devil.

        We know the church is your people and that you planned good works for us in advance so that we could show your Glory.  We want to do just that.

        We know that the church is often off course, so guilty of friendship with the world and failing to call out sin and to stand for righteousness.  We confess that the world and its ways do not satisfy us.  It offers us nothing - only death.  We confess that our loyalty is divided between God and the world and we are so ashamed of that.  We know that we have let God down.  God, we come to you in grief and sadness for our sins.  We are sorry for our disloyalty and our disobedience.  We humbly ask for wisdom and awareness of when we are moving away from You.

        Please give us good friends, brothers in Christ who will influence us toward You, not toward the world.  Please help us to turn from selfish ambition and instead fight fearlessly for the needy and those who can’t fight for themselves.  Help us to know Your will so that we know what to pray for and how to build.  Thank you, Jesus.  Amen.

Our newest grandson arrived today.  Beckett Tyler Voogd - thankful!!