James never said that, he was taking to Christians who understood that it's the Holy Spirit that impels you to do the will of Christ Jesus. anyone who claims otherwise is of Satan.
Anyone who claims they are working for their salvation is a fool, one is to boast anything of what they did, as fact is that all the glory is only given to the Holy Spirit and not of ones self at all.
Look what I did ? No ! look what the Holy Spirit did, the thing is to abide in the Holy Spirit, we do not give our selves any glory at all, it's all due to the glory in Jesus Christ, as it's him that we serve.
Faith without the works is in fact dead! remember about that the workers are few ? and that the one must bear fruit ? and that Jesus cursed the fig tree because it did not bear fruit, Nathaniel was working at that Tree in hope for it to bear fruit, because he was a true Israelite and Jesus came and then we hear what Nathaniel said to Jesus and Jesus said of him and what he would see ?:)
Jesus said that one must abide in the vine, so if one does not abide in him you are not a Christian at all, are some claiming to be born again due to their own will or a one time event knowing that the vine exist but they do not abide in it and end up all puffed up in pride of ownership of the word.
Owning it and doing it are two different things. are they trying to own the word ? but have tossed away the deeds. like they did when they took over the Vineyard and the Prophets came and they killed them all and when Jesus came they did the same. that's religion !
All people are religious, not one person ever was not religious ever regardless what they may say ? but you must be truly born again to come out of that whore and to enter into the Kingdom of God, for Jesus Christ is not of this world.
The religious are of this world. just look at all the religions of the world, only one is not of this world, they are on about this world ? but Christ Jesus is about the Kingdom of God ! now no one can enter but for they who are worthy, the Bible points out who can not enter ? fact is that such as is pointed out can not because it's imposable for such a corrupted one to have such a perception to enter because they are wrapped up in this world. because they are degenerates and not worthy. Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Kingdom of Gods Paradise, due to being temped as to abiding in Sin = Satan's Kingdom of this world.
We see religion is claiming that we are all sinners, so they embrace the Sin and that's why prop up Sodomites, they are empowering them ? claiming that all sinners are the same, well no they are not the same at all !