- 1From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
- 2Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
- 3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
- 4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
- 5Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
- 6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
- 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
- 8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
- 9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
- 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
- 11Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
- 12There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
- 13Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
- 14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
- 15For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
- 16But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
- 17Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
KING JAMES VERSION
JAMES 4
Read the chapter, follow a linked verse, and continue into related Watchman 33 teaching.
CHAPTER VISUAL
James 4 — Worldly desire breeds conflict and boastful plans, but God gives grace to those who submit, draw near, repent, and humble themselves.
About this illustration
The market, planned journey, vanishing mist, washed hands, mourning, prayer, and reconciliation combine the chapter’s warnings and invitations. Weapons stay sheathed, and no devil is literalized.
Scripture basis: James 4:1–17King James Version · Standardized 1769 text with Strong’s numbering · Public domain outside the United Kingdom
EXPLORE THE MESSAGE
Related Watchman 33 Resources
Archaeological Evidence
Sermons
No Looking Back
Pastor Dean Odle uses an old family plow to illustrate Jesus’s warning in Luke 9:62 about following Him without looking back. Beginning with Romans 8 and John 10, he argues that discipleship requires continually hearing Christ’s voice, resisting the flesh, and surrendering self-will. He examines the excuses in Luke 14, shares personal accounts of ministry decisions, correction, and restoration, and turns to 1 John 2 and Proverbs 3 to urge trust in God’s direction. The sermon closes with warnings drawn from Lot’s wife and the parable of the talents, calling listeners to examine their faith, abide in Christ, and move forward in obedient, fruitful service.
Christian LivingSalvation and the GospelHoly Spirit and Spiritual GiftsDoctrine and Discernment
View sermon The Runaway Train to the Tribulation
Pastor Dean Odle warns that artificial intelligence, surveillance, economic instability, war, and spiritual deception are accelerating the world toward the tribulation described in Scripture. Moving from Matthew 24 and Revelation to the prophets and epistles, he argues that Christians should expect to endure tribulation rather than escape through a pre-tribulation rapture. He calls believers to reject lukewarmness, bring every thought into obedience to Christ, resist the mark of the beast, prepare wisely for disruption, and strengthen themselves through God’s Word. The sermon closes by urging repentance, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to spend eternity with Jesus.
Bible ProphecyApostasy and DeceptionChristian LivingDoctrine and DiscernmentSpiritual Warfare
View sermon The Resistance
In “The Resistance,” Pastor Dean Odle presents Ephesians 6:10-18 as a direct call for Christians to recognize and actively oppose spiritual powers rather than drift into passivity. He argues that the conflict is intimate—touching thoughts, homes, relationships, churches, and public life—and that believers must answer it through submission to God, persistent prayer, Scripture, corporate fellowship, discernment, and the authority of Jesus Christ. James 4:7, Luke 10:19, Hebrews 10:25, John 10:10, and related passages reinforce the message’s central appeal.
Spiritual WarfareApostasy and DeceptionBible ProphecyChristian Living
View sermon Showing 1–3 of 6 sermons