Battling Worldliness

In our previous posts on the Book Of James, we examined the cause of worldliness. We turn now to the cure for worldliness. Before we do, reviewing what we have learned may be helpful. To be “worldly” is to allow ourselves to love the things of this fallen world more than we love the things of the Lord. According to James, worldliness is friendship with the non-Christian world such that it makes one an “enemy of God” (James 4:4).”

In James 4:7-10, there are no fewer than ten commands, all imperatives in the original text. We have noted that James is fond of using the imperative mood, likely because it fits his style. His letter is an alarming call to action, and we are wise to heed its teachings.

We may summarize the cure for worldly living by observing three necessary actions. We’ll examine the first one in today’s post:

Allegiance to the Right Person (Faithfulness) 

Allegiance to the right person means allegiance to God. It means we are faithful to Him, separating ourselves from the encroachments of the world. In James 4:7-8a, James writes:

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you…”

To “submit” means “to arrange under,” as in “to arrange ourselves under the authority of another,” and the idea is that of enlistment. We enlist in God’s service. We do not enlist in the enemy’s service, namely the devil. Nor do we enlist in a half-committed way, giving some allegiance to God and some to the devil. We are to choose sides and remain faithful.  

If we love the Lord, we will want to be faithful to Him.  Love moves us to “arrange ourselves under” His authority.  

The Apostle John teaches a similar idea in his first letter:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever

1 JOhn 2:15-17

Paul also states in a familiar verse: “Do not be conformed to this world…(Romans 12:2).” JB Phillips paraphrases the verse memorably: “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its mold…”

It is easy to become increasingly comfortable with the world’s ways, allowing it to change us rather than our changing the world.

What are some signs we may be allowing the world to squeeze us into its mold?

We may show that we love the world more than the Lord by how we think, speak, and live. Our idle thoughts may lead us into sinful thinking, lustful thoughts, thoughts of anger, resentment, and bitterness. Remember: what is inside the heart comes out. We’ve noted this truth in the last few posts. If we have issues on the inside, they’ll show up on the outside. Wrong thinking leads to wrong living.  

You may love the world more than the Lord if you are too busy for Bible reading. 

You may love the world more than the Lord if you don’t tithe or give generously.  

You may love the world more than the Lord if you are too tired for corporate worship when the church gathers together. Frequently, Christians miss corporate worship because of love for the world, because they have allowed the things of the world to choke out their first love.   

You may love the world more than you love the Lord if it’s easier to gossip than it is to witness. You find it easier to talk to others about others than to talk to others about Jesus.

You love the world more than you love the Lord if it’s easier to look at pornography than it is to look at the Bible.

Allegiance to the right person means to be faithful to the Lord and “resisting the devil.”

Interestingly, James’ call to “resist the devil” is sandwiched between two positive commands: “Submit to God” and “Draw near to God.” And right between those two commands is the negative command: “Resist the devil.”

The key to resisting Satan is not merely to rebuke him, though rebuking the devil is a wise practice. When Jesus sensed the tempter’s work in his life, He said, “Get thee behind me, Satan (Matthew 16:23).”

But consider why the instruction of resisting the devil is sandwiched between the two great commands of submitting to God and drawing near to God. It’s as though James is showing us the best way to resist the devil and ensure that he flees from us is by remaining especially close to God, submitting to Him, and drawing near to Him. I love that promise in the first part of verse 8: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

Do you want to feel the power of God’s presence in your life? How much time did you spend last week drawing near to Him? Be honest. How much time did you spend last week just “hanging out” with friends, watching movies, or surfing the internet? How much time did you spend last week drawing near to God through prayer and the reading of His Word? How faithful have you been in worship?  

If you want to feel the power of God’s presence every day in your life, the answer is right here in this verse: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” And take care not to reverse the order. The promise of God’s drawing near to you does not come before your drawing near to Him. 

So…draw near to God and enjoy His empowering and encouraging presence!

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 134-137, available in all formats here.