v1-6: The lessons of 3.13-18 clearly needed to be learned; instead of the fruit of righteousness sown in peace, there were wars and fights, lusting and coveting.

v1: Conflicts among Christians (1 Cor 3.1-2; they are a sign of immaturity); the problem of wrong desires and attitudes, envy and self-seeking, desires for pleasure. The physical is preferred above the spiritual, leading to such conflict.

v2: Greed and prayerlessness, because men prefer the physical above the spiritual.

v3: Wrong motives, of selfishness, hedonism, the desire for physical pleasures. God sees our real motives; we cannot hide them from Him.

v4: Spiritual adultery, being unfaithful to God. We cannot belong to Christ and love the world. We do need to befriend unbelievers that we might win them to Christ, but we must avoid living their way. Our God is jealous; any deviation from total loyalty and commitment is deemed to be unfaithfulness and adultery. See also Matt 12.39, where the Lord Jesus referred to the wicked and adulterous generation.

Again, James was targeting known attitudes. His words are not just addressing some theoretical issue. The opening words of this verse, "adulterers and adulteresses" are quite shocking, and deliberately so.

v5: The Holy Spirit who dwells in us "envies intensely," or 'yearns jealously.' He is working to produce spiritual character, and working against the flesh.

v6: The danger of pride and the need of humility. James' Jewish readers would see the power of the scripture quoted here. God resists the proud, and therefore they must reject that attitude.

v7: The need for submission and humility. Even Christians must repent and get right with God. Our submitting to God goes hand-in-hand with resisting the devil. Accepting God's authority in and over our lives encourages true humility. Our conflicts are not solved by negotiation, so much as by repentance.

v8: The command is to turn our backs on the world and its attitudes; these can be more dangerous than obviously wrong actions. Pride and rebellion will hinder our closeness with God.

Turn to God single-mindedly; to be double minded, inconsistent, or hypocritical; such are abhorred by God.

Purify our hearts, putting away wrong motives and desires, pride and doubt; in their place put godly desires.

Cleanse our hands to do good works.

Realise the importance and seriousness of approaching God, Lev 10.3; Ps 24.3-4. We make a deliberate decision to draw near to God.

v9-10: The modern teaching to 'let go and let God' is a dangerous half-truth; we must act decisively in pursuing humility. Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn; James wrote to many who were ignorant of their true spiritual condition.

James' tone here is severe, speaking to "you sinners," and giving command after command (v7-10). These issues are important; they must deal properly with them, and get themselves right with God.

v11-12: Judgment belongs to the Lord, it is not our responsibility. But see 1 Cor 2.15, and our need for discernment, sometimes leading to rebuke. We are not to speak evil of a brother; but be strict on ourselves, and slow to criticise others. See Is 33.22.

v13-16: Many made and pursue their plans independently of God; man-made, man-centred, man-glorifying. Rather we must submit ourselves to God, committing our plans to Him.

John Piper comments; 'God does not tell us in detail what He intends to do tomorrow or five years from now. Evidently God intends for us to live and act in ignorance and in uncertainty about the outcome of our actions.' (Don't Waste Your Life, p 80)

There are numerous examples of risk-taking in scripture;

• 2 Sam 10.12, where Joab leads the Israelite army against the Amalekites;
• Esth 4.15-16, where Esther enters the presence of the king, at risk of her life;
• Dan 3.16-18, where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refuse to worship Nebuchadnezzar's man-made idol;
• Acts 21.13, where Paul was prepared to die for Christ in Jerusalem.

v17: See Matt 21.28-32; 25.41-45. This verse seems to summarise much that has gone before. Unless we put the word of God into action, we are guilty of sin.