Friendship with the World is Against God
FROM where come wars and strife among you? Is it not from your physical desires that wage war in your members?
2 You lust, and do not have; you kill and covert, and yet cannot obtain; you fight and war, yet you do not have: because you do not ask.
3 You ask, and do not receive, because you ask amiss: that you may spend it all upon your pleasures.
4 ¶ You adulterers and adulteresses: do you not know, that friendship with the world is hostility against God? Whosoever therefore wishes to be a friend of the world is ordained the enemy of God.
5 Or do you suppose that the scripture says in vain: The spirit which dwells in us longs to the point of jealousy?
6 But he gives us more grace. Therefore he says: God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Submit to God
7 ¶ Therefore, obey God, oppose the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.
9 Lament, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy into gloom.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
11 ¶ Do not speak evil of one another brothers. He that speaks evil of his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law, and judges the law: And if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who are you that judges another?
13 ¶ Pay attention now, you that say: today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make profit.
14 You, who knows not what tomorrow brings! For what is your life? You are just a vapour, that appears for a little while, and then disappears.
15 For this you ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
16 But now, you rejoice in your arrogance, all such boasting is evil!
17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does not do it, to him it is sin.