James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James reiterates his point from verse 7 and adds more details about what submission to God looks like. The basic human problem is that we are “double-minded.” We like being a believer for its benefits, especially the eternal life part. But we also like the world and its pleasures. The problem with mixed allegiance is that the world will poison us and lead us away from God. James gives three commands, each of which shows ways to fight off the devil. The first is simply making the decision in faith to draw closer to God. This is the fundamental action every human is created to take. Those who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will know firsthand the spiritual power available to those who draw closer to God. How do we draw closer to God? We cannot do this in a physical way specifically but in a spiritual way. We can come into God’s presence through prayer, praise, and worship. There is a physical sense of finding a designated place to be with God, but drawing upon God is not dependent upon a church sanctuary or a prayer closet. It is dependent upon our attitude and motives. Second, as we draw nearer to God, we may and likely will experience conviction. This does not mean that we are “bad” sinners. We may simply realize that we are so dependent upon God’s grace. When we confess, we do not necessarily need to confess sin, but we do need to confess Jesus as Lord. As we confess, we will cleanse our hands of sin, bad attitudes, pride, self-reliance, and any of the passions within us that the world tries to distort. Third, the result of this will be a pure heart. A pure heart will filter out to godly behavior and loving actions. A pure heart will also allow us to draw even closer to God. The result will be more power, victory, peace, and love in our lives. What stops us from experiencing this purity? The biggest thing I can think of is the fear that comes from pride and self. We do not want to give up the comforts promised by the world. We are blinded from seeing the deceit of the devil. We must ask the Holy Spirit to bring us clear vision and provide the inner strength to reject the ways of the world.
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