The theme of James Chapter 4 is one of admonitions for living a Christian life.  

“Do you not know that friendship with the world means enmity to God?  Whoever is bent on being friendly with the world makes himself an enemy to God……Submit therefore to God:  resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”   James 4:4, 7, 8  Weymouth Bible Translation

The Lord showers blessings upon the humble, the meek, the teachable.  “Humble yourselves (feeling very insignificant) in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you (He will lift you up and make your lives significant)….. Do not speak evil about or accuse one another…Who are you that (you presume to) pass judgment on your neighbor?”  James 4:10, 12 Amplified Bible

“You who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.’” James 4:13-15  NIV

Every step from sin toward righteousness is a step toward God, toward sonship through Jesus Christ.