Overcoming Conflict
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Overcoming Conflict
1. Recognize the Source
What causes quarrels and fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
The problem is not external circumstances; it is the internal condition of the human heart. Our sinful desires, our passions—these are the true sources of conflict. As James emphasizes, it is not about others causing your conflict; it is about you. The word for passion, “hedone,” gives us “hedonism,” the belief that pleasure is the chief goal of life. Pleasure is a good gift from God, but when it becomes the ultimate aim, it leads us away from Him.
When there is a war within, it inevitably spills over into war outside of us. The root of external conflict is always internal conflict.
2. Realize the Consequence
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James reminds us that when we pursue worldly desires, we are spiritual adulterers. We betray God much like an unfaithful spouse. While God does not desire to be our enemy, our choices can put us at odds with Him.
A carnal Christian is someone who has enough of Jesus to be saved but enough of the world to be miserable. Such a person lives in constant tension, torn between two kingdoms. This leads to conflict not only with others but also with God Himself.
3. Repent of Your Attitude
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
James calls for repentance—a turning away from sin as soon as we recognize it. When we realize our spiritual poverty and mourn over our sin, we position ourselves to receive God’s comfort and joy.
Repentance is not a one-time event but an ongoing attitude. As we turn from worldly pursuits and turn toward God, we begin to find true peace.
4. Resist the Devil
The devil is the original source of conflict, the first to rebel against God. He delights in stirring up strife and division among us. By resisting the devil and his schemes, we align ourselves with God’s will.
If we lift ourselves up in pride and insist on our own way, we mirror the devil’s nature. But when we humble ourselves, we reflect the character of Christ. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
5. Run to God
Submit yourselves to God. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
Running to God means seeking an intimate, personal relationship with Him—abiding in Christ. When we give our lives fully to Jesus, we no longer need to fight for our own way. Our conflicts cease to be our own battles because Christ has already won the ultimate victory on the cross.
When we move even slightly toward God, He runs to us with open arms, just as the father ran to the prodigal son. Our call is to trust Him fully, rest in His victory, and follow the spiritual operating procedure laid out in His Word.
Let God be God. Let Him call the shots. Rest in Him and allow His peace to rule in your life.
SERMON DETAILS
Speaker: Steve Pink
Series: James: Real Faith for Real Life
Sermon Title: Overcoming Conflict
Date: Nov 10, 2024
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
James 4:1–10
Matthew 24:6–7
Matthew 7:3
1 Timothy 6:17
2 Timothy 3
Titus 3
1 Corinthians 3
1 John 1:8–9
Revelation chapters 2–3
Psalm 119
2 Timothy 3:16–17
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