War Within

This graphic, titled “Discerning the War Within,” powerfully illustrates the dynamics of the human heart as described in James 4:1–3. James asks, “What causes quarrels and fights among you?” and answers with devastating clarity: “Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” This war is not external. It is in the heart.

The War Within: When Heat Meets Desire

At the center of this graphic is the heart— the control center of our thoughts, motives, desires, and worship (Proverbs 4:23). On one side, heat enters: the pressures, inconveniences, offenses, and hardships that confront us in everyday life. These can be as simple as a child not listening or as complex as betrayal in marriage. But in and of themselves, heat is not the problem.

Heat is God’s mercy, exposing what already resides in the heart, namely, disordered desires. James calls them coveting, passions, and desires. These words overlap in meaning, and all point to the same theological truth: we want something too much, or we want it in the wrong way, and when we don’t get it, we respond sinfully.

That sinful response often shows itself in anger as the graphic says, Anger Exits. But the anger is not the root. It’s the fruit. It reveals the war. Anger is the outflow, but it’s not the origin. The real battleground is within in the passions of the heart.

How to Use This Graphic in Counseling

When you’re helping someone work through anger, conflict, or anxiety, don’t start with the external heat—start with the war within. Use the graphic to walk them backward:

• What was the heat that entered your life?
• What came out of your mouth or actions in response?
• What were you wanting, craving, expecting, or demanding in that moment?
• Were those desires rightly ordered, or were they inordinate?

For example, someone might say, “I was just tired, and my spouse kept nagging me.” That’s heat entering. The anger that followed reveals they were coveting comfort, control, or affirmation—something they didn’t get, so they lashed out. Help them name that desire.

A Case Study: Biff Discerns the War Within Bert

Biff is counseling Bert, a man from his church who’s been having increasing conflict with his teenage son. Bert explains that the arguments always begin over “disrespect,” but as Biff listens, a pattern emerges. Bert isn’t merely concerned about honor, he’s demanding control and respect on his terms. One evening, Bert’s son interrupted him during a conversation. Bert erupted, slamming his hand on the table and storming out of the room. “He’s so disrespectful,” Bert tells Biff.

Biff gently opens James 4 and asks, “What were you wanting in that moment?”

“I just wanted peace.”

“Did you want peace or control?”

“I guess… I wanted him to shut up and listen to me.”

Biff pulls out the Discerning the War Within graphic and says:

“Bert, here’s what I think happened. The heat was your son interrupting. That revealed something deeper, a desire for respect, a craving for control. Those desires were not necessarily wrong, but they became ruling desires. You didn’t get what you wanted, so anger came out.”

Biff explains that the real issue is not the son’s behavior, but Bert’s heart. He’s not living from the gospel of grace but the gospel of self. “You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel,” says James. From here, Biff walks Bert through repentance:

• Confess: “God, I wanted control and affirmation more than I wanted to love my son.”
• Repent: “Father, forgive me for making an idol out of being respected.”
• Renew: “Teach me to respond with kindness when I don’t get what I want. Help me worship You more than I crave control.”

Final Thoughts

This war is within every one of us. The problem is not the heat, it’s the idols the heat exposes. By identifying these desires, passions, and cravings, we can help others walk in repentance and experience lasting transformation.

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Peace,
Rick