The Book of James

1:8. he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. – A man who requests not only wisdom but wavers in his intent of the prayer is not going to be blessed by God.

Double-minded - is translated in the Greek as dipsuchos (Strong’s 1374). Taken from two Greek words dis which means ‘twice’ and psuchos which means ‘a soul,’ it literally means ‘two-souled.’

Unstable – This word has the meanings of inconsistent, restless and disorderly.

The Bible is full of warnings regarding the ‘double-mindedness’ of those who serve God with their lips but their heart is far removed. Elijah challenged the people to serve either Baal or the Lord (1 Kgs 18:21). We can have flattering lips and be double-hearted (1 Ch 12:33). In New Testament writings the qualifications for a deacon included that they must be reverent and not double-tongued (1 Tim 3:8). False teachers are able to easily entice unstable souls, who in turn twist the scripture to their own destruction (See 2 Pet 2:14 with 3:16).

God is after the person who will seek Him with his whole heart. In fact there is a blessing for those who do (Ps 119:2 with Matt 22:37). God will pour His favour of answered prayer on the believer who trusts with his whole heart.

Unstableness is the opposite of faith. In verse 4 James wrote that the goal of Christian living (through trials) is to result in being whole and perfect. Now he counters that by stating that double-mindedness is the opposite. A major theme of the book of James is that of purity of intention.