Sunday Morning Bible Study: James 4–5 — A Faith That Is Lived, Not Merely Claimed
- Ken Kalis
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
This Sunday, we will complete our study of the Epistle of James, turning to chapters 4 and 5.
James has spoken plainly from the beginning.
He has not allowed us to hide behind correct doctrine, religious language, or good intentions. His concern throughout has been simple and searching:
What does living faith actually look like?
In these final chapters, James presses that question home.
James 4 — The Battle of the Heart
James begins chapter 4 by asking an unsettling question:
“From whence come wars and fightings among you?”
His answer is not political or cultural. It is personal.
The conflicts around us, James says, are rooted in conflicts within us — disordered desires, pride, and divided loyalty.
When we pursue our own will instead of God’s, even prayer becomes distorted.
James speaks bluntly:
“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss.”
The problem is not prayer itself, but the heart behind it.
Yet the chapter turns on one of the great promises of Scripture:
“God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
This is not condemnation; it is invitation. James calls us to submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near — with the assurance that God will draw near to us.
Repentance, James teaches, is not despair. It is the doorway to grace.
James 5 — Living in Light of the End
In chapter 5, James lifts our eyes beyond the present moment.
He warns those who trust in wealth rather than God, exposing riches hoarded instead of shared.
He speaks comfort to those who suffer injustice. And then he calls all believers to patience:
“Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”
This patience is not passive waiting. It is faithful endurance.
James points us to the prophets who spoke God’s word amid suffering and rejection, and finally to Job — whose perseverance revealed the compassion and mercy of the Lord.
The Christian life, James reminds us, is lived with the end in view.
Prayer, Community, and Care
James closes his letter where faith must always land: in love for one another.
He calls us to pray when we suffer,
to sing when we rejoice,
to seek prayer when we are weak,
and to restore those who wander.
Faith is never merely private. It is lived in community.
Prayer, confession, care for the sick, and concern for the straying believer are not optional extras.
They are the natural fruit of a living faith.
Preparing for Sunday
As you read James 4 and 5, reflect prayerfully on these questions:
Where might pride be shaping my plans or prayers?
Where am I being called to patience rather than control?
How can my faith show itself more clearly in prayer and care for others?
Bring your Bible with you on Sunday. We will read together, listen together, and ask how a faith rooted in grace becomes visible in everyday life.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, give us humble hearts, patient spirits, and lives shaped by prayer. Draw us near to You, teach us to wait upon You, and help us to live a faith that bears fruit for Your glory. Amen.
Next week, if the Lord is willing, we will begin to study Galatians.
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Encamped along the hills of light,
Ye Christian soldiers, rise.
And press the battle ere the night
Shall veil the glowing skies.
Against the foe in vales below
Let all our strength be hurled.
Faith is the victory, we know,
That overcomes the world.
Refrain
Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.
His banner over us is love,
Our sword the Word of God.
We tread the road the saints above
With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith, they like a whirlwind’s breath,
Swept on o’er every field.
The faith by which they conquered death
Is still our shining shield. Refrain
On every hand the foe we find
Drawn up in dread array.
Let tents of ease be left behind,
And onward to the fray.
Salvation’s helmet on each head,
With truth all girt about,
The earth shall tremble ’neath our tread,
And echo with our shout. Refrain
To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be giv’n.
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in Heav’n.
Then onward from the hill of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conqu’ring name. Refrain
John H. Yates, 1891
This is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith. 1John 5:4
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