There is a difference between self-seeking and seeking the Lord. False teachers would have you seek wisdom from sources other than the Lord. Today, this may look like: inner divinity (the power of manifestation), astrology, tarot, secret knowledge spirituality (modern-day gnosticism), etc. The Bible makes it clear there are other powers, other spirits, other knowledge out there. But that is not the power, spirit, or knowledge we are called to seek. Jesus is the way, the truth

Jesus was able to forgive not only those who betrayed and tormented Him, but all people to come, because He knew it was not man's fault. Man is God's creation, created perfectly in His image. By design, we are not evil or corrupt. The devil is who corrupts man, but it is more than corruption. It is inhabitation or possession. Separate the human from the spirit living inside them. There are no evil people, only evil spirits.

False teachers try to make us doubt in who Jesus Christ was, what He did for us, and thus doubt in the truth / Word of God. The devil's deception does not always come as strict opposition, such as to say that Jesus never existed or that God isn't real. Sometimes the devil's deception comes with a slight bending of the truth. The devil gains footholds in our hearts and minds by planting seeds of doubt, and then those seeds grow into weeds that consume us from the inside out.

The Book of James reminds us to stand firm in our faith, seek God's wisdom, and exemplify true Christ-like love. It is a reminder of what true Christianity looks like and acts like. Let us remember the truth. Let us remember love. Let us remember we are not each other's enemy. There is only one enemy and his name is Satan.

Many people struggle with skepticism, like James, when it comes to the claims of the Bible. Because it was written by man, translated so many times, and some books were purposefully left out of Biblical cannon, it's easy for doubt to creep in, especially when we don't really want the truth.