"... James 4:4 expresses the author’s disdain for this world; whoever is a friend of the world is in turn not a friend of God’s. James 3:17 and 4:4 serve as two examples to demonstrate that a this-worldly versus otherworldly dichotomy permeates or operates throughout this epistle and lies behind its message. For James, while the world refers to the physical earthly world, it also includes the entire cultural system that is associated with it. Johnson therefore argues that, for James, the world is “a system of untrammeled desire and arrogance.” Similarly Moo comments; “The ‘world’ is a common biblical way of referring to the ungodly worldview and lifestyle that characterizes human life in its estrangement from the creator.” In his 2008 article “God and the World”, Lockett discusses the portrayal of the opposition between God and the world and argues that, in describing the world, “James calls forth a new identity for his readers and articulates a theological construct of reality.” He discusses the five occurrences of “world” (i.e. 1:27; 2:5; 3:6; 4:4), and one occurrence of “earthly” in 3:15, noting how these terms are used to express the opposite to God’s standard of measure (compare God’s ephah of 4Q418). James 1:27, for instance, refers to the need to keep oneself unstained from the world, and, for James, this is achieved by keeping particular boundaries between themselves and the influence of the world. (Compare 1 Enoch 48:7) Hence, friendship with the world is, in James’ view, the ultimate betrayal of God and, Lockett maintains that it “constitutes an alliance with a system of valuation set against God.” ..."