"Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."
Just as we must put off unrighteous anger by being quick to listen and slow to speak, James admonishes that all moral sin be eradicated from our lives. It goes without saying that self-recognition of sinful tendencies and patterns is paramount (which requires great humility), for we cannot fix what we do not recognize as the root issues of sin in our lives. But I find the verbiage here extremely important.
Filthiness is defined by Webster's 1828 Dictionary as "foul, dirty and nasty, by means of corruption, pollution and anything that defiles moral character." Therefore, do we see our sin that way or only marginally evil? Similarly, the idea of our wickedness being rampant could range from being a consistent struggle and failure to literally being so out of control that restraint is impossible. In either case, wickedness prevails and severely diminishes the effectiveness of truth breaking strongholds.
Our only remedy is meekness, which Webster defines in an evangelical sense as "humility, resignation, and submission to the divine will without murmuring." What a contrast of pictures! Not only are we to surrender control to the Holy Spirit, but without murmuring and complaining that would undermine our intent to seek righteousness. This should provide great conviction and encouragement in the midst of various degrees of sin addiction though, because we can overcome sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. The question is whether we want to be broken of our patterns and set free, because comfortability is an idol that is only defeated by extreme intentionality and surrender to Christ and His Word.
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