In Part One of this article, we began an exposition of James 3:3-18 to explore what James meant when he described behavior that turns demonic. Part Two will continue this exposition and show how counselors can encourage all believers to exemplify Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit which brings about righteousness and peaceable behavior.
James’ Bold Exhortation
In verses 15 and 16, James brings the argument to its pinnacle of shocking descriptive language while exemplifying the heart of a biblical counselor. James has the boldness to call out the sinful behavior for what it is. He expressly condemns this heart attitude by saying that it is unequivocally NOT wisdom from above. Anyone who has any self-righteous excuses or justification for such behavior is quickly silenced by James’ rebuke. Not only that, but he exposes the heart motivation for what it truly is—behavior and attitudes that are earthly, unspiritual, and even demonic; behavior that results in “disorder and every vile practice.” This is shocking language! James minces no words here, and he gives counselors a roadmap (a very blunt one) for how to confront such behavior: unwavering and assailing, with righteous boldness.
Paul expounds on James’ idea in Romans 12:2 where he states, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Scripture also tells us that Paul equates worldliness to spiritual immaturity in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3. Paul spoke of feeding the Corinthian church “milk” because they were not ready for “solid food” as they were still too worldly and “of the flesh.” It is crucial for counselors to note that when this type of behavior is encountered, no matter how mature the counselee may appear, this is a dead giveaway of spiritual immaturity. It must be exposed as such so that the counselee may grow beyond this fleshly and immature heart attitude through repentance and conformity to God’s Word.
But demonic behavior? Wow, James. That’s bold! That’s not loving! Or so the world would have us believe. But Christians know the truth—that the most loving thing we can do for each other is to confront hard sin and confront sin hard. For certain rebukes, the fierceness of the confrontation must match the egregiousness of the sin. The deeper the root, the harder the tug! According to James, selfish ambition and bitter jealousy are rooted so deeply in the heart that they actually manifest demonic behavior—that which is based in a worldly system representative of Satan himself.
James’ Brilliant Counsel
Next comes instruction for godliness. The soothing salve of encouragement follows so purely in the subsequent verses that James’ counsel could only have been inspired by the Holy Spirit Himself. The grace found in verses 17 and 18 is palpable, and for the repentant heart it will not only help to eradicate worldly demonic behavior, but it will embolden the freshly tilled heart to adopt the opposite response. James contrasts the previously described behavior, characterized as demonic, with behavior that is indicative of a renewed heart and an attitude of humility before God and men. He says, “But wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” Each of these descriptors is purposely and perfectly chosen to give a contrasting volitional response to selfish ambition and bitter jealousy. For neither selfish ambition or bitter jealousy descend from above or is pure! Neither is gentle; by nature, they are unreasonable, merciless, devoid of good works, partial to self, and built on an insincere lie of self-righteousness.
Instead, James uses descriptors which show that servants of Christ are to exclusively seek wisdom from above—wisdom that takes direction from the Master to whom we are bound. It is to be pure and untainted with any semblance of self-will. It is to be gentle, as Jesus Christ was gentle in His love for His people. It is to be open to reason. By nature, bitter jealousy and selfish ambition shut off the reasonable nature of the mind and push for self-satisfaction at all costs! Being open to reason removes the blinders from the eyes and removes the myopathy that sets in, allowing the believer to see the full truth of God’s goodness as well as His hatred of sin.
Wisdom from above is also described as full of mercy and good fruits. The obedient, wise Christian will only act as the Father acts, with mercy and grace, seeking the good of others through a self-sacrificial approach to relationships. And finally, wisdom from above results in the characteristics of impartiality and sincerity, both of which are so necessary! When the sin of partiality exists in the heart, it most often manifests as a prejudgment that does not allow for an honest assessment of someone else or a situation. And when sincerity is absent, any righteousness becomes self-righteousness, and any good works are all done for the sake of appearance. Insincerity cannot exist in a pure heart before God.
So, what is the result of behavior that honors the Lord? Verse 18 says a “harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” What a tremendous promise! For all the deceitful heart’s promises of satisfaction through fulfilling selfish desires, the Bible promises the opposite. And for the difficulty of fighting the flesh, clothing oneself with lowliness and true humility, and praying for a sincere heart that exemplifies the behaviors found in verse 17, what is promised is contrary to human reason. We must give up what we desire to gain what is sought through that desire, which is peace and satisfaction! This can only be described as perfectly contrary to human wisdom. But then again, James did tell us this was wisdom from above!
Conclusion
So, what do we do when we encounter demonic behavior as described in James 3? We must confront it faithfully, confront it with truth, and confront it with unwavering resolve. Most Christians who struggle with these sins will never see them for what they are without the help of faithful friends and counselors who can help to bear the burden of confrontation, rebuke, exhortation, and instruction. James was faithful to express this to his flock, preserved in the canon of Scripture for the blessing of all the church. I would encourage all believers who encounter these behaviors to exercise the same faithfulness in order to see brothers and sisters in Christ come to a realization of their sin, repent, and be fully reconciled to God and the offended party. Faithful counselors will see a righteous harvest of peace when they have the loving boldness to be faithful as James was faithful.
Questions for Reflection
If you are a counselor, are you faithful to have the boldness to call out this kind of behavior the way that James does? What are some ways you can exercise wisdom and understanding in your life and in the counseling room?