THE NATURE OF THE SPIRIT WITHIN
James 4:5

Now and then I come across a verse of Scripture that is translated in a variety of ways in different versions of the Bible. This can be confusing because it seems to me that the translators make the text say what they want it to say rather than what it is really saying.

One of these texts is James 4:5. Here are a few variations to illustrate my point.

James 4:5 CEV
[5] Do you doubt the Scriptures that say, “God truly cares about the Spirit he has put in us”?

James 4:5 NIV
[5] Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?

James 4:5 NLT
[5] Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.

James 4:5 GNT
[5] Don’t think that there is no truth in the scripture that says, “The spirit that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires.”

Since Scripture is meant to be taken seriously, what sense can we make of a verse that differs from version to version. Do you get my point? With this variation in translation, what truth can we understand from this text?

Perhaps we might find the real meaning if we go back to the context. When I was exploring the meaning of the words in the Greek text, I came across some words that might be clues to the meaning.

Kenos… to no purpose
Phthonos… envy, spite, ill-will
Epipotheo… long for, desire greatly, crave, lust
Katoikeo… inhabit, dwell in, implying permanent residence
Pneuma… wind, breath, vital principle, mental disposotion

When we put the meaning of these words together, they seem to echo what James was writing about in the first two verses.

James 4:1-2 NLT
[1] “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? [2] You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.

In the context, James admonishes believers for quarrelling and fighting within the fellowship of the church. “There’s war going on in the body of Christ because of jealousy, even leading to murder to get what someone else has.”

What is the root of this outrageous behaviour? “Evil desires at war within you!” This is the age-old issue of war between the old nature driven by sinful desires and the Holy Spirit who leads us in righteousness.

Paul addresses the same issue in his letter to the Galatians.

Galatians 5:13-17 NLT
[13] “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. [14] For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [15] But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. [16] So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. [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.”

Paul and James are saying the same in slightly different ways.

Despite the variety of interpretations, the King James Version comes closest to the meaning of the Greek text.

James 4:5 KJV
[5] Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

James is explaining the reason for the “evil desires at war within you” that produce the conflicts between people. It’s the spirit in us (corrupted by sin) that drives us towards envy.
Envy, in turn, wants to eliminate the one who causes us ill-will towards him/her.

In the context, then, we must ask, how can the Holy Spirit in us have an attitude of ill-will and cause us to lust after what someone else has? Since there are no capital letters in the ancient Greek text, “Spirit” here can either mean Holy Spirit or our spirit.

We must, therefore, understand that James was focusing on the evil desires in us that drive us to want to harm others to get our own way.

This is an issue that New Testament writers, especially Paul, address at length because our old sinful nature has such a strong influence and powerful pull against our new nature in Christ. This struggle is not a periodic skirmish but a daily ongoing war against the flesh. If we give in to its dictates, there will be both temporal and eternal consequences.

So, we are urged to call, constantly, on the Lord to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil, our three arch and mortal enemies, because Jesus overcame them for us.

Our victory comes through faith in Jesus.

1 John 5:4-5 NLT
[4] “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. [5] And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”

and the discipline of dying daily to the flesh so that we can live daily to God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:12-13 NLT
[12] “Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. [13] For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.”

Jesus stated bluntly,

Matthew 16:24-26 NLT
[24]” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [25] If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. [26] And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

That’s the question we must all answer.