In truth, can faith truly be faith if there is nothing other than words or thoughts? To be clear, I do not believe that we can work our way to salvation, but rather that our faith in God should be clear through our actions. In fact, I believe that this goes beyond just faith in God, but into most of our lives. As the saying goes, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." So often, we say that we want to do something, but then fail to do it--faith, but no works.
We might say that we want to be healthier, but then do not take the steps that we know lead to better health. We might say that we pray for an end to gun violence, but then do not bring legal change that might actually affect it. We might pray for an end to COVID, but then continue to do things which can contribute to its spread. We might say we have plenty of stories to tell, but then do not actually put our pen to the page.
This is what St. James was saying about faith without works being dead. It's not so much about the key to entering heaven. Instead, it's about how we should live our lives today.