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From the beginning of chapter 4:, it is evident that all was not well with some of the
groups of Hebrew Christians to whom James was writing:
"Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you? Come they not hence,
even of your pleasures that war in your members?" (4: 1, R.V.).
The A.V. `lusts' is correctly rendered `pleasures' in the margin. James diagnoses the
cause of these destructive factions as pleasure-seeking and this surely is one of the
greatest forces that operates in the unregenerate mind. The Apostle Paul when he wrote
to Titus also described the time of unregeneracy as ". . . . . serving divers lusts and
pleasures" (Titus 3: 3) and in his description of the last days of the age he says "lovers of
pleasures rather than lovers of God" (II Tim. 3: 4 R.V.). When we consider the amount
of time, energy, money and enthusiasm spent in the pursuit of pleasure, we can appreciate
that James is not exaggerating, but stating sober truth.
Now there is nothing wrong with pleasure in itself, providing it comes from and is
concerned with wholesome things. The devil loves to portray God, specially to the
unsaved, as long-faced, frowning upon every enjoyment. It is only when pleasure
becomes the over-riding ambition of life that it is deadly. It is like drugs which become
habitual and finally need ever larger doses to produce results. Hedonism is a terrible
master and holds its victims in its remorseless clutches and millions today are enslaved
by it. Yet it never satisfies; it promises so much and gives back so little and for this to
grip the mind of any true believer is tragedy indeed. The more one grows in grace and
knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, the simpler one's pleasures become and they assume
the right proportion in life and do not become a snare. Moreover the instructed child of
God knows that the time for real and lasting enjoyment and satisfaction relates to the
next life, and not this one. "At Thy right hand are pleasures for evermore" (Psa. 16: 11).
In the context we are considering, we have seen that James is warning against the
devastating effect of uncontrolled earthly pleasure in the life of a believer (4: 1-3). Such
a condition militates against the prayer life:
"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your
pleasures" (4: 3, R.V.).
Two things are said here which nullify prayer. "Ye have not because ye ask not"
(James 4: 2), and self-centredness, which wants answers to petitions in order to gratify
selfish desires. I John 5: 14 gives us a good guide to effective praying ". . . . . if we ask
anything according to His will, He heareth us". Nothing is clearer in the Scriptures of
truth than the fact that none of us can go to God with demands of our own which are not
in accord with His will. It appears that some believers feel that if they persist long
enough, God will finally grant their requests. It is as though by worrying Him, He will
finally give way. This will never happen no matter how long such prayer is maintained.
Our attitude must constantly be that of the Saviour, "Thy will be done, not mine"
(Luke 22: 42).