James 1:22-Be a Doer of the Word of God

April 11, 2024

James 1:22-Be a Doer of the Word of God

This particular passage of Scripture was written by James the half-brother of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is such a powerful verse because it lets us know the dangers of not abiding by the Word of God in its entirety. A lot of times we learn a partial verse of Scripture or Scriptures that are spoken frequently by our Pastors at church. The problem with that is the fact that you are only gaining a piece of the passage and leaving out important parts.

For example:
“The Lord will make you the head and not the tail…” Deuteronomy 28:13

“You will be above only and not beneath…” Deuteronomy 28:13

“No weapon formed against me shall prosper…” Isaiah 54:17

When we look at these verses of Scripture out of the Old Testament in totality we can determine the correct interpretation of each one.

Deuteronomy 28:13 states “And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.”

When we read this entire passage of Scripture completely it reveals a stipulation attached to it. God is very specific letting us know that we will be the head and not the tail, and above and not beneath but then He mentions the word “if.” What is the requirement that the Lord is giving us here? He is telling us that in order to validate this Biblical Principle or Spiritual law we need to heed to His commandments and observe them.

The spiritual realm is governed by spiritual laws established by the Lord that both the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness have to abide by, 1 John 3:4. The Lord will never go against His Word and in fact places it above His own Name, Psalm 138:2.

Let’s take a look at the verse of Scripture found in Isaiah 54:17. It states, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord.”

When you read the whole passage out of the Holy Bible it seems like a new verse of Scripture. God is letting us know that no weapon formed against you will prosper but then He goes on to attach a stipulation to this promise. The important word that we need to zoom in on is the word “servants” which means: servants, worshipers of God.

So in other words God’s blessing of no weapon being formed against us is specifically for those that worship God. How do we know if we fall into that category? God’s Word is plain and clear in John 4:24 when our Lord Jesus Christ states, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” So, the Lord is telling us that authentic adoration is done in Spirit (though the Holy Spirit and spiritually) and then He says “in truth” which has to do with following the entire counsel of God.

This is so significant to understand when it comes to becoming a doer of God’s Word and not just a hearer only. We have to get into the habit of learning how to properly apply Scripture. In order for you to do that you have to make sure that you are reading and studying the Bible daily, Joshua 1:8. If we aren’t following the Word of God but only submitting to parts of it we aren’t going to see any results in our lives.

The Lord tells us in Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Every word that the Lord gives us is final meaning that if He said it, then His is faithful to fulfill what He said.

Unfortunately we don’t study to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15) and so what happens is we don’t properly put the Word of Truth into proper context. When we follow God’s precepts and Biblical law found in the New Testament and the Old Testament, we will see God’s hand move on our behalf.

The fact of the matter is that the devil knows the Lord’s Word more than most Christians. He is legalistic and is just waiting for you to break God’s Biblical law so that he can legally come into your life and cause chaos! God is clear that we are not to big ignorant of the devil’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11) and that we are destroyed because we lack knowledge (Hosea 4:6).

The enemy loves Christians that are only hearers of God’s Word and not obedient to His Word. That way he can come into your life and wreak havoc in the hopes that he can prevent you from walking in your God ordained purpose. The devil is a liar!

Let’s take a look at the passage of Scripture that I am highlighting so that we can put all of this into perspective.

James 1:22

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

This verse of Scripture out of the book of James is giving us some very revealing information regarding being a doer of the Word versus just a hearer of the Word only. Putting this passage into context we need to take a look at what James had to say before he mentions this verse.

James 1:21 discloses “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” Here we can see that James is letting us know that the only way to get rid of the filth and wickedness found in your life is by implanting the Lord’s Word which will save your soul.

The reason why this is effective is because allowing the Word of God to saturate your heart and mind transforms the way that you think, Romans 12:2. The Holy Spirit will guide you and lead you the right direction using Scripture, John 16:13. Within our own selves and in our own power it would be almost impossible to remain a doer of God’s Word. That is why the Spirit of God is so critical to the life of every believer of Jesus Christ.

Don’t underestimate what the Lord’s Word can do in your life; it is literally our spiritual daily food. You can study God’s teaching in a practical way by doing your own Bible study and going at your own pace. The key thing that you want to keep in mind is in order to properly put a verse of Scripture into context you want to read what comes before it and after it. A lot of times we hear someone give us the part of a verse of Scripture that sounds good but they don’t give you the rest of the passage.

What this does is leaves out important things that our Heavenly Father is conveying to us. We never want to short-circuit God’s purpose for our lives by only reading parts of the Bible. Obedience is established when we take the Lord’s Word at face value following exactly what God says. The Scriptures will shape and mold you which is not always going to be pleasant but you need to make the decision that no matter what it takes, you want to see that permanent transformation in your life.

When you begin to properly apply the Lord’s Biblical rules and stipulations and see them begin to change your life right before your eyes your faith will grow tremendously. One of the worst things that you can do as a believer of Jesus Christ is be a forgetful hearer meaning that you hear God’s Word but it goes in one ear and out the other.

There are a lot of Scriptures that have stipulations attached to them that need to be fulfilled in order for them to work successfully. If you are not digesting what God is saying you are going to miss extremely vital pieces of information that can literally change your entire life.

Let’s take a closer look at this verse written by James, the brother of Jesus Christ. The word “doers” being used is the Greek word “poiētēs” which means: one who obeys or fulfills the law. The words “of the word” being used is the Greek word “logos” which means: instruction, discourse.

The word “deceiving” being used is the Greek word “paralogizomai” which means: to deceive, delude, and circumvent (by-pass). So when we piece these keys words together we can determine that James is letting us know that we are to be doers of the law or ones that obey the law found in God’s Word (His instruction). When we allow ourselves to be hearers of the Word only we are deceiving ourselves by by-passing God’s message.

A lot of times Christians will hear the Word of God being preached at their church from the pulpit, but very rarely will they go home and study the word that was given. This is why it is so important that you study to show yourself approved, 2 Timothy 2:15. Your faith in God will go to unimaginable levels if you see first-hand that God means what He says and He says what He means.

Regrettably we often misinterpret, misapply, or leave parts out of Scripture. The Lord is not the author of confusion, 1 Corinthians 14:33. His Word is filled with His promises that are meant for us to take at face value; the thing is a lot of His promises come with stipulations attached to them. We somehow by-pass those provisions and that is how we can end up deceiving ourselves.

God is so loving and merciful that He gave us the perfect Gift of the Holy Spirit that dwells on the inside of us. He will lead us into absolute truth (John 16:13) He will also bring Scriptures to our remembrance (John 14:26). This is important to understand as the Spirit of God will help us properly apply the Scriptures to our daily lives so that we can see results. Make sure that your Scriptural Memory Bank is not blank.

When you are not a doer of God’s Word you can easily be entangled by the enemy’s devices. Why? If you don’t know the Lord’s Biblical law how can you follow it? By you not abiding by the Word of God you are a prime candidate for falling into sin. What that does is opens the door to the devil and his demons to create turmoil in your life.

Remember the Lord gives us His Word for our own personal growth and protection from the devil’s tactics. God’s Word is powerful, living, and is sharper than a two-edged Sword, Hebrews 4:12. The more Scriptures that you have embedded in your heart and mind, the more equipped you will be to fight your enemy! Make it a point to be a doer of God’s Word and never a hearer only!

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

James 1:6-Have Faith with No Doubt

James 1:5-Ask the Lord for Wisdom

James 1:2-3-the Testing of Your Faith

Who is Jesus’ brother James?

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Confess and Repent

Recognizing Spiritual Strongholds

What are Spiritual Strongholds?

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 1