The world's wisdom will produce arrogance and what James refers to here is that they are bragging one thing and believing another. Which is a lie against what they themselves know to be the truth. They are traitors to themselves and seek their own way, not the way of God. You see it is that type of subversive conduct that God looks at.

The "wisdom of the world" is everything that involves us using our knowledge to further our individual causes here on earth. Every device and application of knowledge that would influence the sphere of our individual worlds; for what we think we know of good for our own cause. Everything we do in "looking out for number one". The actual manipulation of things, events, and people to secure what we think as a better place in this world, for ourselves. And actually if you really want a true definition of this wisdom it is everything we do for and of ourselves.

He is one who is lost in darkness; the darkness of the mind that does not know or cannot know the things of God. The wisdom which he thinks will save him has become his own death trap, and he is squandering in it, looking for the way out

There is only one way out; the way of the cross. Man has to submit to the wisdom and authority of God. He has to be crucified, because he knows not God or the things of God and cannot know them. They are and will always be foolishness to him. Man is sold out to his senses and cannot rescue himself.

He is locked into this world and it's ways by his five physical senses. He can't see the spiritual side of life and existence, neither can he know it. Until, and unless, he submits his life to the one who created him and the one who gave His own life for him, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

It is one of the major characteristics in our lives that Christ Himself came to crucify, to do away with, to erradicate. Because He knew that if man continued to seek after their own ways, watch over their own things, they would soon self-destruct and also destroy each other. This is why we needed a Savior. Because man knows not the ways of God. We know only the ways of our own selfishness, our own greed, and our own pride.

According to this verse, we think we know the right way to live. We think we know how to take care of ourselves, but we don't. Because that very thought is contrary to what God's wisdom is. God says you cannot take care of yourselves and every effort towards that will end in death and destruction. This wisdom which you pursue is of the world, of the earth, fleshly and will be done away with as surely as the world as we know it will be destroyed.

That is why when Christ was crucified He was crucified for us, and we were crucified with Him he had to come and destroy the wisdom of this world to show the foolishness of it in Himself and His death.

The world mind should not be operating in The Church because it is exactly what He came to destroy. It's this world's wisdom that makes us think we can do things on our own without God. It is the world's wisdom that separates us from God. It is this world's wisdom that tells us we can't know God and all the things of God. It is the world's wisdom that justifies ourselves. These self-justification processes have got to stop and be laid down at the cross.

It is the world's wisdom that says I won't get caught, buddy you have already been caught, IN CHRIST. Only at the cross of our Lord Jesus is that wisdom dealt with as it should be, crucified, dead and buried. Now don't allow it to come back and get you. You are dead to the world and the world is dead to you. Period!