- Watch Your Mouth
- Watch Your Mouth, part 2 – Be positive!
- Your Desires that Battle Within You
- How to Win the War Within You
- From the Archives: Trials and Cozy Coupes
We’re looking at some lessons in the book of James, one of the most practical books in the Bible. We’ve talked about both the damage and the good that our mouths can do.
One of the things we said is this: what comes out of the mouth reflects what’s in our hearts. If we have a mouth problem, we have a heart problem. What we need is a change of heart.
But how do you get a change of heart?
The Bible says that each of us is in a constant battle between what God wants for us and what we want, a struggle over whether to submit to God or our desires. There’s this battle raging within us over what we want to do and what we should do.
And, sadly, many times, we lose this battle.
One day, after getting in trouble, a little boy said, “I’m sorry, Mommy. I accidentally forgot to be good.”
We all accidentally forget to be good at times. If we want a change of heart, if we want to pursue holiness, we’ll need a change of mindset, and it starts with pursuing godly wisdom.
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. (James 3:13-16)
Most people are operating under what James calls “earthly, unspiritual” and even “demonic” wisdom. Our entire worldview and our sense of right and wrong comes from what the world says is right and wrong, what our friends say is good and bad. You follow culture for guidance on morality, and since culture’s viewpoint comes from Satan, it leads to predictable results, like jealousy, selfishness, disorder, and vile practices.
James also says that we’re governed by bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. Left on our own, we’re naturally selfish. We want what we want, and we’ll do almost anything to get it. We act on our impulses, satisfy our urges — and then reap the consequences.
There’s a different kind of wisdom available to us — wisdom from above.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:17-18)
True wisdom comes from God and is a gift he offers every believer. With this wisdom, our understanding of right and wrong comes not from what the world says but from what God says. When it comes to morality, our first question will always be, “What does the Bible say about this?” And when the issue isn’t black and white in the Bible, the question is, “How is the Holy Spirit leading me in this?”
With godly wisdom, we don’t just act on impulses to fulfill our animalistic urges. We avoid instant gratification and look to the long-term good. We set aside our desires and put others first. We care less about our little kingdom and work to further God’s kingdom. We stop satisfying ourselves and start serving others.
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:1-3)
Here’s where James discusses that battle I mentioned earlier. There’s a fight inside us between our selfish urges and godly wisdom. No one is immune to this battle, including those who strive for holiness.
One day, a man was walking down the sidewalk and saw a little boy selling a lawnmower. Needing a lawnmower, he gave the kid $20 and tried to crank the mower. The boy said, “That lawnmower won’t crank unless you cuss while you pull that string.” The man, offended, replied, “I’ll have you know I’m a devout Christian, and I don’t even remember how to cuss.” The little boy said, “You just keep pulling on that string, it’ll come back to ya.”
Just when we think we’re doing well, those urges come back to us. No one is immune to this battle within.
You know there are things in your life that aren’t pleasing to God. It could be things you know you shouldn’t do. Or things you know you should be doing. And you fight this battle every day.
Our selfish urges even impact our prayer life. James says we don’t have because we don’t ask, and when we do ask, we have the wrong motives. Lots of us don’t even bother to pray, and when we do, we pray selfish prayers. If my prayers are only asking God for things I want, with no regard or desire for his will, then I’m asking God to help me sin. Those are prayers God usually doesn’t answer, and they’re another casualty of the war within.
So, is there any hope for us? Is there any reason to have confidence that we can win the battle within and have a change of heart?
Yes, and we’ll discuss it in the next post.