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Blessed is the man who endures under trial; (James 1:12a)

The one said to be blessed or happy (μακάριος makarios) is the one who “endures a trial” (ὑπομένει πειρασμόν). Makarios has the twofold sense of one who is happy and highly favored by God, for he has a righteous standing before him. Here, James is taking us back to 1:2–4 via both trial (πειρασμός peirasmos) and endure (ὑπομένω hupomenō). Thus, trial (peirasmos) also refers to tests here in this verse. So, the man who can face and withstand trials/tests, namely, a close examination that looks for flaws and mistakes, with his character on full display by holding his ground (endures); will be blessed/happy and highly favored by God.

James here continues with his progression of the person undergoing the difficult trials in stating that blessed is the man who endures under trial. James calls the believers that endure the trial blessed. The word for blessed is not some joy that the world could offer man, but rather a joy that only God could give to man. It is the highest good possible that only God is able to give man by his own spirit. It is an inward peace and comfort of the soul that is not determined by outward circumstances but is a continuous inner joy through life’s situations. This is the same word that Jesus used to describe the beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12. The blessedness that James talks about only comes to the one who remains firm in his faith in the midst of the trial. James simply confirms what Jesus said in Matthew 5:11-12.

Alternatively, those wealthy Christians can find joy in their wealth beyond the pleasures that it can provide, by using some of it to support the interests of Christianity and spread the Gospel. (1 Tim. 6:17-19) Moreover, they can use their wealth to help their needy brothers and sisters within the Christian congregation. – Acts 4:32-37; James 1:27.

Jesus also illustrated this point by the parable of the rich fool who rejoiced in his riches

Luke 12:16-21 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

¹⁶And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, ¹⁷And he reasoned to himself, saying, ‘What should I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”’ ²⁰But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night they are demanding your soul from you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Regardless of how much wealth a man may come to accumulate, at some point, he is going to die and leave everything behind? Jesus stresses that issue with a significant parable above that teaches us the importance of having a good name and righteous standing before God. The disciples of Jesus and the others listening to him and all who have read his words since could become entrapped by pursuing or growing their wealth. Or the pursuit of wealth to take care of the problems of this life could mislead them from fully serving God. We need to serve God whole-souled. Again, as we keep repeating in order to be balanced as is true of the Scriptures, it is not having or acquiring wealth that leads to spiritual shipwreck it is the love of money and the setting aside one’s service to God that can easily ensnare us.