JAMES DAY 27 - The Fight Inside

DAY 27
THE FIGHT INSIDE
James 3:13-18

Do you ever feel torn between one choice or the other?

Of course! We all do! Some of our indecision comes from a fight happening inside us all. James says there are two ways of life battling it out inside us. He says in 4:1, “Your desires battle within you.” In today’s section, he contrasts those two ways of approaching life. 

One way is SEFLESS. Notice how many times in this passage he talks about being humble? In 3:13, 4:6, and 4:10. When humility wins, life is marked by purity, peace, gentleness, consideration of others, compassion, impartiality, and sincerity. 

The other way is SELFISH. It’s driven by bitter envy and selfish ambition. You’re always wanting more, more, more - never satisfied with what you have. Selfish ambition means you’re driven to get ahead for yourself, to get more for you, no matter how it affects other people. When this way wins the fight inside, life is marked by chaos and evil.

The fight inside sounds a lot like Paul the Apostle’s fight between the Spirit and the flesh. He says in Galatians 5:17, “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” He adds in Gal. 6:8, “Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” He’s even more blunt in Romans 8:13: “If you live according to the flesh, you will die.”

You will never be happy unless you win the fight inside.  

REFLECT
When have you experienced the fight inside between selfless and selfish? Be specific.

PRAY
Lord, purge me of bitter envy and selfish ambition. Make me pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Amen.