James 4:1

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? etc.] Which are to be understood, not of public and national wars, such as might be between the Jews and other nations at this time; for the apostle is not writing to the Jews in Judea, as a nation, or body politic, but to the twelve tribes scattered abroad, and to such of them as were Christians; nor were Christians in general as yet increased, and become such large bodies, or were whole nations become Christians, and much less at war one against another, which has been the case since; and which, when it is, generally speaking arises from a lust after an increase of power; from the pride and ambitious views of men, and their envy at the…”

“AGAINST FIGHTINGS AND THEIR SOURCE; WORLDLY LUSTS; UNCHARITABLE JUDGMENTS, AND PRESUMPTUOUS RECKONING ON THE FUTURE. (Jam. 4:1-17) whence--The cause of quarrels is often sought in external circumstances, whereas internal lusts are the true origin. wars, &c.--contrasted with the "peace" of heavenly wisdom. "Fightings" are the active carrying on of "wars." The best authorities have a second "whence" before "fightings." Tumults marked the era before the destruction of Jerusalem when James wrote. He indirectly alludes to these. The members are the first seat of war; thence it passes to conflict between man and man, nation and nation. come they not, &c.--an appeal to their consciences.…”

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? - Margin, “brawlings.” The reference is to strifes and contentions of all kinds; and the question, then, as it is now, was an important one, what was their source or origin? The answer is given in the succeeding part of the verse. Some have supposed that the apostle refers here to the contests and seditions existing among the Jews, which afterwards broke out in rebellion against the Roman authority, and which led to the overthrow of the Jewish nation. But the more probable reference is to domestic broils, and to the strifes of sects and parties; to the disputes which were carried on among the Jewish people, and which perhaps led to scenes of…”

“From whence come wars and fightings - Quarrels and wars among you, quite opposite to this peace? Is it not from your pleasures - Your desires of earthly pleasures. Which war - Against your souls. In your members - Here is the first seat of the war. Hence proceeds the war of man with man, king with king, nation with nation. James 4:2”

“4:1 quarrels and fights (literally wars and battles): James uses military imagery to declare that their own evil desires at war within them were the immediate cause of the battles among church members. James uses the Greek word translated evil desires again in 4:3 (translated “pleasure”) to enclose the entire paragraph and indicate the source of conflict and unanswered prayer (Luke 8:14; Titus 3:3).”

“whence: Jam 3:14-18 fightings: or, brawlings come they: Jam 1:14; Gen 4:5-8; Jer 17:9; Mat 15:19; Mar 7:21-23; Joh 8:44; Rom 8:7; Ti1 6:4-10; Tit 3:3; Pe1 1:14, Pe1 2:11, Pe1 4:2, Pe1 4:3; Pe2 2:18, Pe2 3:3; Jo1 2:15-17; Jde 1:16-18 lusts: or, pleasures, Jam 4:3 in: Rom 7:5, Rom 7:23; Gal 5:17; Col 3:5 James 4:2”