James 4:5

5 Or do you think that in vain the scripture says, "The spirit which he caused to dwell in us desires jealously"?

James 4:5 In-Context

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, in order that you may spend [it] on your pleasures.
4 Adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes [himself] an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think that in vain the scripture says, "The spirit which he caused to dwell in us desires jealously"?
6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
7 Therefore subject yourselves to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. This translation takes "spirit" to be the capacity within people that produces a divided mind and conflicts regarding God; other translations take this to refer to the Holy Spirit: "He (God) jealously desires the Spirit which he caused to dwell in us"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.