James writes that there are two kinds of wisdom: worldly and Godly. He describes worldly wisdom as selfish ambition, while he says that Godly wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, without hypocrisy, and the like. Concerned that his readers are still operating under the world's wisdom, he urges them to instead embrace God's wisdom, which will manifest in the way they live their lives. Such wisdom comes from God and can only come from a heart changed by a relationship with Jesus Christ.

James warns the church not to love the world system--a paradigm that values pride, temporary pleasures, achievement and possessions in order to distract us from God's eternal values. He uses the strong language of spiritual adultery to describe a person trying to follow both Christ and the world system, which the Bible is clear is impossible. Christians need to be aware of the subtle pull of the world system and invest in their relationship with God to protect against spiritual adultery.

James warns rich believers of the pitfalls of wealth such as numbing us to our need for God, tempting us to place security in money instead of Christ, increasing our anxiety, an causing us to neglect the poor. To escape these pitfalls, we must invest in things with eternal value, learn to live simply, and embrace generous giving.

James urges his readers to be patient in the face of suffering, citing Job as an example of someone who persevered and was blessed. Perseverance during trials requires faith that God will never leave us and can bring about good from our circumstances, even though we may never get a reason for our suffering. We can trust that God is at work in ways we cannot see and is always good and faithful.