James 4:4 kjv
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
James 4:4 nkjv
Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James 4:4 niv
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James 4:4 esv
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James 4:4 nlt
You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
James 4 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 20:3 | “You shall have no other gods before me." | Exclusive worship to God alone. |
| Deut 6:5 | “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart...soul...strength." | Complete devotion required. |
| Deut 32:21 | "They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols." | God's jealousy against spiritual infidelity. |
| Ps 73:27 | "Those who are far from you will perish...destroy all who are unfaithful to you." | Separation from God leads to destruction. |
| Hos 1:2 | "Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry...for the land commits great harlotry by forsaking the Lord." | Israel's spiritual adultery (idolatry). |
| Mt 6:24 | "No one can serve two masters...You cannot serve both God and money." | Incompatible allegiances; dual service impossible. |
| Mt 12:30 | "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters." | Either for God or against Him. |
| Lk 16:13 | "No servant can serve two masters..." | Reiteration of the two masters principle. |
| Jn 15:19 | "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world..." | Believers are chosen out of the world. |
| Jn 17:14-16 | "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." | Jesus' prayer for believer's distinction. |
| Rom 8:7 | "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God..." | Worldly mind is an enemy of God. |
| Rom 12:2 | "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind..." | Imperative against worldly conformity. |
| 2 Cor 6:14-16 | "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers...What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?" | Warning against unholy alliances. |
| Eph 2:2-3 | "following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air..." | Describes the old life subject to worldly influences. |
| Gal 1:4 | "who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age..." | Christ's purpose to rescue us from the world. |
| Col 3:1-2 | "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." | Call to elevate focus from worldliness. |
| 1 Jn 2:15-17 | "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them." | Direct prohibition against loving the world. |
| 1 Jn 4:4 | "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." | Believer's spiritual power against world system. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do..." | Command to be holy and set apart. |
| 1 Pet 4:3-4 | "For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do..." | Disengagement from former worldly practices. |
| Rev 2:4-5 | "But I have this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen!" | Rebuke for losing initial devotion, often due to worldliness. |
| Jas 1:27 | "pure and undefiled religion...to keep oneself unstained from the world." | Purity requires avoiding worldly contamination. |
James 4 verses
James 4 4 Meaning
James 4:4 profoundly states that intimate alliance or affection for the systems, values, and allurements of the fallen world is directly contrary to God and establishes a state of spiritual hostility towards Him. It frames worldliness as a spiritual "adultery" against the exclusive covenant loyalty owed to God, leading to one being His enemy. This verse emphasizes an irreconcilable dichotomy: one cannot simultaneously maintain true allegiance to God and a close, compromising relationship with the ungodly world system.
James 4 4 Context
James 4:4 is part of James's address concerning the root causes of conflict and disunity among believers (Jas 4:1-3). The previous verses highlight how selfish desires, envy, and a covetous spirit lead to quarrels and an inability to receive from God. James directly confronts this by exposing the underlying issue: an attachment to the world system. The "adulterous people" addressed here are those who outwardly claim allegiance to God but whose inward affections and actions are aligned with worldly desires, thus betraying their covenant relationship with God. The immediate context of internal strife, prayerlessness, and indulgence in carnal pleasures is directly linked to the broader problem of worldliness as a spiritual affront to God.
James 4 4 Word analysis
- adulterous (μοιχαλίδες, moichalides): This Greek term literally means "adulteresses" (feminine plural). Its use here is a powerful metaphorical charge, drawn from Old Testament prophetic language where Israel's unfaithfulness to God through idolatry or seeking foreign alliances was depicted as spiritual harlotry or adultery (e.g., Jer 3; Eze 16; Hos 1-3). It indicates a profound betrayal of the exclusive, covenantal bond God establishes with His people. It implies a conscious choice to seek intimacy or benefit from a rival—the world—instead of complete devotion to the divine 'Husband'.
- friendship (φιλία, philia): Refers to a strong affection, fond regard, or alliance. It suggests more than casual acquaintance; it implies loyalty, affinity, and shared interests. The presence of philia with the world signifies a deep emotional and practical connection, where one aligns their values, goals, and conduct with the world's ways.
- world (κόσμος, kosmos): In this context, kosmos does not refer to the physical creation or the human inhabitants generally, but specifically to the corrupt, anti-God system of values, principles, and desires that characterize human society apart from God. It encompasses the worldly mindsets, sinful cravings (pride of life, lust of eyes, lust of flesh), and rebellious opposition to God's will. It is Satan's domain (1 Jn 5:19).
- enmity (ἔχθρα, echthra): This word denotes intense hatred, hostility, or antagonism. If "friendship with the world" is a love relationship, then echthra describes the resulting, unavoidable opposite relationship with God. It signifies active opposition and irreconcilable conflict, indicating a state where one is not merely separate from God but stands against Him.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "You adulterous people": This phrase directly equates spiritual infidelity with physical adultery, underscoring the severity of disloyalty to God. It highlights God's exclusive claim on His people's devotion, parallel to the exclusive nature of a marital bond. This sharp address challenges their compromised loyalties and self-deception regarding their spiritual state.
- "friendship with the world": This signifies an alignment of affection, values, and practices with the ungodly systems and ethos of the world. It is not about simply existing in the world but embracing its perspectives and priorities as one's own. It suggests a comfort, affinity, and active pursuit of worldly approbation or benefits, implying that one is deriving satisfaction or identity from it rather than from God.
- "means enmity against God": This makes the unavoidable spiritual reality clear: such friendship with the world is not neutral, but an active declaration of hostility toward God. There is no middle ground; divided allegiance automatically places one in opposition to God, who demands absolute and undivided loyalty.
- "anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world": This highlights personal volition and responsibility. The spiritual state described is not accidental but a result of deliberate choice. It is an intentional leaning towards or aligning oneself with the world's ways, rather than God's.
- "becomes an enemy of God": This is the unequivocal consequence of the aforementioned choice. It re-emphasizes the binary outcome, asserting that the act of choosing the world positions an individual as an adversary of God, separating them from His favor and bringing them into a state of spiritual conflict with the divine.
James 4 4 Bonus section
The severe language used by James, especially the term "adulterous people," underscores God's personal and covenantal nature. Just as physical adultery breaks a sacred marital bond, spiritual adultery, which is loving the world more than God, breaches the holy covenant between God and His people. This illustrates God's fervent desire for an exclusive relationship, demonstrating His jealousy not as a human flaw but as divine passion for the purity and faithfulness of His beloved. This verse implicitly affirms God's holiness and His rightful expectation of full devotion from those who claim to follow Him. It is a direct warning against the pervasive, subtle allure of worldliness that often infiltrates and undermines Christian faith and community.
James 4 4 Commentary
James 4:4 is a powerful declaration against spiritual compromise, using the strong imagery of adultery to convict believers whose loyalty is divided. It clarifies that engaging in a close, affectionate relationship with the world's anti-God system is not a minor deviation but a direct act of betrayal against God, making one His adversary. The "world" here is the rebellious order, not physical creation. God, like a jealous husband, demands exclusive devotion. There is no possibility of dual allegiance; a friend of the world, by default, becomes an enemy of God. This challenges any superficial Christianity and calls for radical, uncompromising loyalty to Christ. It implies that inner spiritual struggles and outward community conflicts often stem from a divided heart seduced by worldly allurements. Practical application involves evaluating our affections, values, and priorities:
- Where do our truest desires lie?
- Do our actions reflect God's will or worldly standards?
- Are our choices driven by godly wisdom or worldly wisdom (James 3:15-16)?