James was the brother of Jesus, but notice James does not list that fact. He calls himself a “servant” of Jesus. Josephus says that James was the bishop of the church in Jerusalem.

James 1:1-6
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Testing that comes our way is not for God to see what we will do. It’s for us to see what God will do through the testing.
God gives wisdom generously to those who ask, if they believe and not doubt.

James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

James 2:19
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-- and shudder.

James makes it very clear in the previous two verses that merely listening to the Word or just believing is not enough. Those who just believe are “shadow makers” in the pews. The idea is not to just believe there is a God but instead believe in the God that is just. We must believe in Him, not just acknowledge he exists.

James 3:2a
We all stumble in many ways.
And yet our ever faithful God catches us as we stumble and sets us back on the right track.

James 4:1-4
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.

This scripture is often taken out of context. Look what comes after that.

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Ouch!