Wars, a Result of Worldliness

by Dewayne Griffin

In his book, Practical Christianity, Studies in the Book of James, David Roper includes a chapter entitled Wars, Worldliness, and God's Will. Being a career soldier, I found the title particularly interesting. However, it took only a few seconds after reading James 4:1-10, to realize that wars are really a result of worldliness. James spends most of the time in this passage discussing the lusts that produce wars and focuses very little on war itself.

Quoting Roper, "Through the years there have been "wars" in the context of the church---often battles for the truth, but sometimes battles with less worthy motivations; such as the You-defeated-my-pet project War, the They-won't-let-me-teach War, the They-fired-my favorite-preacher War. Wars between nations are tragic, but nothing is more tragic than a religious 'civil war' with brother arrayed against brother."

At a time when our nation is engaged in war on several fronts, I believe we should step back and determine the root cause of why we fight with other countries and sometimes find ourselves fighting with each other in the Lord's church. James gives us the answer. In James chapter 4:1, he writes that wars (fighting) come from our desires for pleasure that battle within us. In verses 2-3, he tells us that we want something, but do not get it. We kill and covet and still do not get what we want. We do not have, because we do not ask God. When we do ask, we do not receive because we ask with wrong motives, referring back to satisfying our pleasures.

James goes on to give a great lesson on worldliness, stating that "friendship with the world is hatred to God." Those who choose to be a friend of the world become an enemy of God.

I strongly recommend taking a few minutes to read chapter 4 of James as we search for answers to why we have war, quarreling and fighting in our world and sometimes in the church. It becomes very apparent that ill-guided power and the love of money is almost always a part of the problem. We must make a choice. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches)", Matthew 6:24.

• Breaking Away From the World -Nov 16, 2008
• Worldliness -Sep 14, 2008
• On Being a Soldier -Jun 05, 2005
• Thoughts on about the War on Terrorism - Is It Right? -Mar 23, 2003
• Friendly Fire -Jul 21, 2002