The whole counsel of God in Scripture includes tons of verses about the primacy of FAITH.
Of course
Faith without works is dead. I think that takes care of the verse you cite quite adequately.
My interpretation and gloss would be something like: The works which show the vitality of the gift of Faith are themselves a part of the gift of new Life in Christ.
Battle cries and Slogans are kind of a nuisance, because one ends up defending them as though they were Scripture, and the contention gets simple-minded. "Faith alone" needs patient examination before it can be rightly understood in the context of Scripture or of one's own spiritual life. RC doctrine however can be -- ought to be -- mocked before understanding.