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James 1:13-15 - Victory Over Temptation And Sin.

James 1:13-15 (NLT) And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

James 1:13-15 (NIV) When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

INTRODUCTION

Temptation comes from evil desires inside us, not from God. It begins with an evil thought and becomes sin when we dwell on the thought and allow it to become an action. Like a snowball rolling downhill, sin grows more destructive the more we let it have its way. The best time to stop a temptation is before it is too strong or moving too fast to control. See Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Cor. 10:13; and 2 Tim. 2:22 for more about escaping temptation. [Life Application SB]

People who live for God often wonder why they still have temptations. Does God tempt them? God tests people, but he does not tempt them by trying to seduce them into sin. God allows Satan to tempt people, however, in order to refine their faith and to help them grow in their dependence on Christ. We can resist the temptation to sin by turning to God for strength and choosing to obey his Word. [Life Application SB]

COMMENTARY PEARLS

By faith and prayer all may meet the requirements of the gospel. No man can be forced to transgress. His own consent must be first gained; the soul must purpose the sinful act before passion can dominate over reason or iniquity triumph over conscience. Temptation, however strong, is never an excuse for sin. {5T 177.2}

There is no safety for any man, young or old, unless he feels the necessity of seeking God for counsel at every step. Those only who maintain close communion with God will learn to place His estimate upon men, to reverence the pure, the good, the humble, and the meek. The heart must be garrisoned as was that of Joseph. Then temptations to depart from integrity will be met with decision: "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" The strongest temptation is no excuse for sin. No matter how severe the pressure brought to bear upon you, sin is your own act. The seat of the difficulty is the unrenewed heart. {AH 331.1}

To your closet, followers of Christ. Pray in faith and with all the heart. Satan is watching to ensnare your feet. You must have help from above if you would escape his devices. {5T 177.1}

COMMENTARY

God Is For Us
   When we come to faith in Jesus Christ and the bonds of sin are broken, a number of things become true of us immediately. We are transferred from death to life and indwelt by God's Spirit. We're placed within His family. We are redeemed, changed, and born again. Sin no longer reigns in our lives.
   It does, however, remain.
   In trusting Christ, we are not living a life of ease whereby we are exempt from attacks from the Evil One or the subtle tendencies of our own hearts. Instead, from the point of conversion through to the point of seeing Christ and being made like Him, the Christian is involved in "a continual and irreconcilable war" against temptation.
   Scripture is full of warnings about temptation: that enticement to sin and evil that we all experience. Temptation is not simply the lure of things which are wild and unthinkable, but the impulse to take good things which God has given us and use (or misuse) them in a way that sins against God. In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis alludes to this subtlety of sin when Screwtape urges his apprentice devil to "encourage the humans to take the pleasures which our Enemy [namely, God] has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden."
   Scripture is clear that God is never and cannot be the source of temptation. When James says that "God... tempts no one," he has built his statement on God's character. God is incapable of tempting others to evil because He Himself is insusceptible to it. Tempting others to evil would require a delight in evil which God does not possess.
   The word translated "tempt" can also be rendered "test." So what our fallen nature might turn into a temptation to sin is also a test that can strengthen our faith. When we face a time of testing, which God allows, we should remember that His purpose is not our failure but our benefit. The devil longs for us to fail, but God longs for us to succeed. He is for us, and He is working all things, even trials and temptations, for our good.
   So what temptations are you regularly doing battle with (or giving in to)? Learn to see those as temptations but also as opportunities - as moments to choose obedience, to please your Father, to grow to be more like Christ - to gain a victory in your ongoing war. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). [Truth for Life by Alistair Begg]

CLOSING PEARL

Choose Holiness over Happiness
   Today we live in an age of irresponsibility, where few people want to admit that their problems are their own fault. We've become a victim culture. I'm speaking generally, but it seems like people never think a problem is their fault; somebody else is always to blame.
   We blame others. We blame the government and the media. We blame our parents and our DNA. We blame our schools and the environment - everything but ourselves.
   The truth is, we bring most of our problems on ourselves. We just need to accept responsibility and quit blaming others. Every time we blame somebody else, we're not admitting what the real problem is.
   If you're facing temptation right now, you're never going to find freedom until you stop fixing the blame and start fixing the problem. Stop blaming other people! Even when other people have hurt you, it's your reaction that's causing the problem.
   It's amazing to me that some people even try to blame God for the messes in their lives.
   One of the most common excuses I've heard to justify a multitude of sins is, "God wants me to be happy, and this will make me happy."
   But God's will never contradicts God's Word. If God says, "Don't do that" in the Bible, he will never tell you "yes" through a feeling. I don't care how good the feeling is - when you listen to your feelings instead of God's Word, you're walking straight into a trap.
   God wants you to be holy more than he wants you to be happy. He wants you to obey him. And the truth is, you will never be totally happy when you ignore God's will. In fact, you're heading for destruction when you do that. The rules and principles in the Bible are not there to make life miserable. They're there for our own good.
   The happiest people in the world are those who hang on to what God says and follow it, regardless of what their feelings are telling them to do. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY

James 1:13-15 - Victory Over Temptation And Sin.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211118-1030.html

James 1:13-15 - Defending Against Temptation and Sin.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200308-0912.html

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/