James 1:13-17, Part 2

[Hidden In Him]

Spiritual Pregnancy, And The Maturation Of Good And Evil, Part 2

             

     The analogy James was using in our current passage was that thoughts and desires can grow within us like a child growing within the womb, and if allowed to develop long enough, they will transition from mere thoughts to actions. If they are truly coming from God and allowed to develop, they will result in godly actions. But if inseminated within us by the enemy, they will eventually mature into sinful and evil works. What made matters more complicated, however, was that sometimes thoughts could appear to be coming from God when in fact they were coming from the evil one. When this happened, it could eventually lead to something being "born" out of us that was hideous and grotesque rather than holy and pure. So James was now warning his readers not to be led astray by assuming every leading they were receiving was "from God." In some instances, what they thought was pure might be unclean and evil instead.

     Let no one who becomes tempted say, "I am becoming tempted from God," for God is untempted by evils and He tempts no one. But each one is tempted through his own desires, having been drawn away and allured. Then, when the desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully brought to maturity it brings death. Do not be led astray, my dear brothers, every good impartation and every perfect donation is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no deviation, nor shadow of turning. (James 1:13-17)

     What, then, did James mean by saying, "every good impartation and every perfect donation is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no deviation, nor shadow of turning"? James was comparing the God of Heaven here with the sun. The sun always gives its light and never stops doing so, just as God the Father always shines true spiritual Light upon us through His word. But this Light must be deposited within us, hence why James will soon also state that we must receive "the implanted word," which has the power to save our souls (James 1:21). 
     But what did he mean by saying that with God there was no "deviation, nor shadow of turning"? The Devil can often speak half truths and half lies. He speaks just enough truth to make you believe him, but will then turn to speaking lies to deceive and seduce. Thus, James was here comparing the moon, which has a distinctive "shadow of turning," to Satan, and the stars which no longer shone their light to angels which fell from Heaven. Some stars dip below the horizon during certain times of the year and can no longer be seen. It is caused by a wobble in the earth's rotation, and statements in ancient Jewish texts suggest it may have started after the great flood, at which time the stars no longer appeared at their appointed times as they once did. Jude mentioned this when he compared people who were departing into heresy with the fallen angels, who became "wayward stars" that no longer gave light:

     These are blemishes in the midst of your Agapes, fearlessly shepherding themselves while feasting together among you. Waterless clouds, being carried away by winds. Unfruitful autumn trees which have died twice over... wayward stars, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever. (Jude 1:12-13)

     Interestingly enough, Jude also quoted directly from the Book of Enoch (v.14-15), and the Book of Enoch is where references are found to these wayward stars, and how they symbolized the fallen angels who sinned with women and bore giants to them in the earth:

     11 And beyond that abyss I saw a place which had no firmament of the heaven above, and no firmly founded earth beneath it... 13 The angel said, 'This place is the end of heaven and earth. It has become a prison for the stars and the host of heaven. 14 And the stars which roll over the fire are they which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord in the beginning of their rising, because they did not come forth at their appointed times. 15 And He was angry with them, and bound them until the time when their guilt should be consummated. And Uriel said to me, "Here shall stand the angels who have joined themselves with women, and their spirits - assuming many different forms - are defiling mankind and shall lead them astray into sacrificing to demons (as gods). (1 Enoch:18:11-15, 9:1)

     These then were the stars James was referring to which "deviated" from their courses, and they were understood to represent fallen angels. And in both Genesis and the Book of Enoch, the fallen angels are said to have given birth to giants; giants who not only turned to murdering mankind but eventually began resorting to cannibalism, and brought death and destruction to the entire planet. Thus his point was that just like the women who received into their womb something that would eventually bring death, so too could believers allow themselves to be seduced into becoming inseminated with the thoughts and desires coming from evil spirits, which if allowed to grow would eventually bring death to them as well.


When The Earth Imagined Only Evil

     Why was the earth eventually destroyed during the days of Noah. The reason scripture gives is that it had become so corrupted that men were only imagining evil in their hearts continually (Genesis 6:5). But Jewish tradition says they received a lot of help, specifically from group of angels who swore an oath together to manifest in physical form to the daughters of men and take wives for themselves of all they chose. This tradition is based on Chapter 6, where the text states as follows:

     And it came to pass when men began to be numerous upon the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the angels of God, having seen that the daughters of men were beautiful, took unto themselves all whom they chose. And the Lord God said, "My Spirit shall certainly not remain among men forever, for they are flesh. Their days shall be one hundred and twenty years." Now the giants were upon the earth in those days, and after that, when the Sons of God were accustomed to going in unto the daughters of men. And they bore children unto them, those who were the giants of old, the men of renown. (Genesis 6:1-5, LXX Alexandrian)

     Does this story have validity, or is it just an old Jewish legend? Those who have witnessed the spirit realm and seen the physical appearance of angels often describe them as being roughly eight feet tall. They are immaculate in every way and built like powerful athletes, but when it comes to the eyes of fallen angels, their eyes are as evil as Satan himself. This is what was reported in Harold Pittman's account, who like in Part 1 not only saw lower level demons but what he referred to as "the cream of Satan's crop," the strongest beings of second heaven, who still rule over the kingdom of darkness today:

     We stopped in front of one group of demons who were engaged in social activity. The angels were in the process of explaining what was going on and then, I could suddenly hear a great noise that sounded like an army marching. Looking up, I saw this column of giant soldiers marching toward me. I noticed the demons stopped what they were doing and began to move out of the way of the approaching soldiers. Fascinated with the appearance of the approaching giants, I suddenly felt my escorting angels stiffen, as if they were turning to stone. I stiffened also, and did not move a muscle. It seemed that the marching army would walk right over us. When they reached a point approximately eight to ten feet from us, they suddenly swerved and went around us. One of the giants broke ranks and came up to me. Leaning down, he put his face eyeball to eyeball with mine and leered at me. Had I not been under the protection of the Holy Spirit, there would have been some sort of confrontation... It was obvious that these beings hated me and the angels with me. It was also obvious that, if they could have, they would have torn us apart... It was revealed to me that these demons are the "cream of Satan's crop," so to speak. They are his ruling order and from this group comes all his princes who are the rulers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12) and who are the rulers of principalities. They control spiritual wickedness in high places. (Demons: An Eyewitness Account, P.22)

     Throughout Judaism and well into the early church age, it was the constant opinion of antiquity that Genesis 6 was talking about how angels took physical form and married the daughters of men. It was not some wild theory concocted in later centuries by the church, but present from the start because the legend was inherited from Judaism, as evidenced by how several references are made to it in the New Testament itself (see Josephus, Antiquities, 73, Wisdom 14:6, Sirach 16:7, Jubilees 5:1-2, 7:17-20, Baruch 3:26-28, 3 Maccabees 2:4, 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6, Justin Martyr, Second Apology, Ch 5, Recognitions of Clement, Ch 29, Athenagorus, A Plea For The Christians, Ch 24, Methodius, From The Discourse On The Resurrection, Part 3, VII, Lactantius, The Divine Institutes, Ch 15, others).

     But the question becomes, how could this happen, and how did it actually play out? The suggestion is that these angels succeeded at seducing the women quite easily. Maybe the idea of marrying a divine being was too seductive to resist. Not only were they immortal and immaculately beautiful, but also possessed supernatural strength and superhuman intelligence, as well as a knowledge of the secret things of God.
   Whatever the case, these angels clearly understood the use of seduction, because they immediately began teaching their women the art of it, introducing the use of jewelry, cosmetics and other enticements, which eventually led to ever-increasing adultery beginning to take place among them:   

     And Azazel taught men to make swords of iron, and weapons and shields and breastplates, and every instrument of war. He showed them the metals and the earth, and how they could work gold to fashion it suitably, and concerning silver, to fashion it for bracelets and ornaments for women. And he showed them concerning antimony (i.e. ancient mascara), and eye shadow, and all manner of precious stones and dyes. And the sons of men made them for themselves and for their daughters, and they transgressed and led astray the holy. And there was much godlessness upon the earth, and they made their ways desolate. And Shemihazah taught spells, and the cutting of roots. Hermani taught sorcery, for the loosing of spells and magic and skill... (Enoch 8:1-3, Nickelsburg)
 
     In other words, the effect was to increasingly brutalize the men while sexualizing the women, until the entire earth was seduced, whether by female beauty, the ability to kill, or the power to practice sorcery, all thanks to the things revealed by these angels to the sons of men. Even those who were once holy became corrupted, until the whole earth had departed into evil, violence, and wickedness. But it would be the direct offspring of the angels who did the most harm, for while the women may have been told their sons would become "men of renown" in the earth, what they actually became most renowned for were the brutalities they inflicted upon humanity. The better texts state that the unholy unions of women and angels led to three different classes of giants being born, for as the giants themselves had offspring, these would be slightly smaller than themselves, but still giants nonetheless:

     And [the angels] began to go in unto them, and defile themselves through them, and teach them sorcery and charms and the cutting of roots and plants. And the women conceived from them, and bore unto them great giants, and the giants begat the Nephilim, and to the Nephilim were born the Elioud, and they each grew according to their greatness. And they consumed all the produce of the people until the people could no longer supply them. So the giants began to kill men and devour them. And they began to sin against birds and beasts, and reptiles and fish, and devour one another's flesh, and they drank the blood. Then the earth brought accusation against the lawless ones. (Enoch 7:1-6, Nickelsburg. See also the footnotes in R.H. Charles, P.18).

     Another ancient Jewish text called the Book of Jubilees confirms this as well, likewise stating:

     The giants slew the Nephilim, and the Nephilim slew the Eljo (i.e. Eliud), and the Eljo slew the children of men, and all of them publicly practiced every form of injustice and shed much blood, and the earth was filled with injustice. And afterwards, all these slew the animals, and the beasts, and the birds, and whatever walked and moved on the earth, and much blood was spilt on the earth. And all the thoughts and deeds of men were wicked in all their days. (Jubilees 7:18-19)

     The Book of James was written specifically to Jewish Christians who would have been familiar with these legends, so his reference to pregnancy, and to God being "the Father of Lights, with whom there is no deviation, nor shadow of turning," was a way of saying, "Don't be deceived into thinking every thought is 'from God'. The women who sinned with angels thought what was inseminated within them was divine as well, but it ended up bringing death and destruction to the entire planet, and shame to those who were seduced by it." 


Becoming A Blessing, And Not A Curse
             

     Though most of this study had to be dedicated to explaining the evil that can be born within us, James was also implying that Christ, the Word of God made flesh, can be formed within us as well, if we chose to hear the true voice of God instead. This is what Paul was referring to when he told the Galatians, "My little children... I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed within you" (Galatians 4:19). Christ begins to be formed within us when we allow His thoughts, His desires and His word to enter in, and begin to grow, much like how Mary allowed the Lord Jesus Christ to grow in her womb until He was finally born as the Son of God into this world.
     But what would Him being born within us look like in actions? For James, when evil desires was birthed within his brethren, it was resulting in them cursing each other for things like teaching false doctrines. For Christ to be birthed, it would result in the opposite, and rather than cursing others they would bless them instead. James appears to have gotten this from the gospels, where Jesus once said:
 
     I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.... Love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and the evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. (Luke 6:27-28, 35-36)

     So, too, would the apostle Paul teach in 1st Corinthians that when others cursed him, he blessed them instead:

     To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, are insufficiently clothed, receive beatings, and wander homeless. But we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless. Being persecuted, we forbear. (1 Corinthians 4:11-13a)

     This, then, was the teaching James was trying to communicate. He eventually asks, "Who is the godly man among you?" with the answer being that it is those who demonstrate it by their godly behavior. When Christ is fully formed within us, He subdues our tongue, and puts it under His feet. As a result, we bless others rather than curse them. Certainly Christians - especially those in any position of authority - must correct others sometimes, but even this is never in a spirit of hatred or disdain. It is Satan who tries to kill with words, whereas the Lord Jesus Christ is constantly seeking to only be a blessing, and edify others, and bring them into eternal Life.

     The tongue.... is a restless evil, full of death-dealing poison. By this we bless our Lord and Father, and by this we curse men who have been made in the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be. Does a fountain pour forth sweet water and bitter water from the same opening? My brothers, is a fig tree able to produce olives, or a vine figs? Nor is a fountain able to produce salty and sweet water. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him demonstrate from good behavior his works through meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and contentiousness in your heart, do not boast and lie against the truth. This is not the wisdom coming down from above, but is earthly, soulish, and demonic... the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, forbearing, yielding, full of pity and good fruits, does not apply double standards, and is not hypocritical. And the fruit of righteousness is being sown in peace by those creating peace. (James 3:8-18)


Questions And Applications

1. Name some of the ways you think Christ was the biggest blessing to others.

2. Name some of the ways you think He is the biggest blessing to others through you.

3. Does the enemy sometimes use you also? If so, how will you stop it from happening again in the future?

4. If Christ is formed within us by allowing His word to grow, do you feel you are spending enough time in study and meditation for Him to fully manifest Himself through you? If not, then why?