James 4:1 KJV
[1] “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?”
James asks two questions in this verse, and he uses the word war in both of them. I think that is interesting because, in the last verse, he used the word peace twice. He expresses how God’s people can live either in peace or strife. God wants His children to get along and live in peace rather than strife and envy. Spiritual people desire to have unity.
We must consider the first question in our verse, what is the source of our resistance? Who is behind the wars and fightings that take place among the saints? Anytime a division arises, we should stop and consider the source. I promise that it is not coming from Christ. It is sad when so-called Christian believers fight and go to war against each other. There have been church splits because members fight and argue. Some preachers have parted ways and used the pulpit to attack other preachers who they disagreed with or disliked. We should not compromise our convictions, but we should not attack other believers. That does nothing to help the cause of Christ.
The other question reveals the answer to the first question. The wars among saints and within saints come from our lustful desires. When we fight with another brother, it’s both selfish and Satanic. We’re allowing the flesh to dominate and the devil to have control. I know sometimes things happen, and fallouts occur. However, there is a difference between falling out with someone and attacking someone. On a personal note, there is a battle within the heart of every man. His lustful desires are constantly at war with his spiritual desires. Don’t allow the spiritual battle between the flesh and the spirit to become a personal battle between you and another brother. Keep your flesh under God’s control.