How To Go To War - James 4:1-8

We all have problems that the enemy tries his best to shake us from our mission.  Case in point: Adam & Eve and original sin. Jesus talks of righteousness as something that is a narrow path, not the wide freeway of do what I want to. Think about the times when you are made to look dumb. As funny as it may be later, our choices are what get in trouble.

Verses 1, 2: Wars have started on lust. They could have been for oil, land, a woman, etc. That's not acceptable.  Envy is because you've been denied something and get angry anyway. Sometimes God will just give it to you!

Verse 3: Asking with the wrong motives have never gotten you anywhere because if granted,  all it does is create a greater hunger.

Verse 4: If you're friends with the world, then you're the opposite of God. Show who you live for; it's hard to show God's love when you're ducking in and out of hotels,  bed-hopping.

Verses 5-8: To resist means to oppose. Don't make yourself bigger than what you really are. If you are aquaphobic, you don't jump headfirst into a swimming pool, do you? Same rationale. To beat the enemy,  follow the plan without being bigger than it could've been. Move when the leader says move and not when you want.  Examples of learning this are lifting hands, staying associated with God, and knowing what to do for battle.