James 1:2-4, 12-17
Is there anyone who has not been tempted to sin this week? If so, you may leave now.
You can go straight to Braums.
One of the truly great historical characters was Mark Antony. He was known as the “silver-throated orator of Rome.” He was a brilliant statesman, magnificent in battle, courageous, and strong. And he was handsome. As far as personal qualities are concerned, he could have become a world ruler. But he had the very vulnerable and fatal flaw of moral weakness, so much so that on one occasion his personal tutor shouted into his face, “Oh Marcus! Oh colossal child! Able to conquer the world, but unable to resist temptation.”
That’s what I want us to think about tonight. To address the struggles of the saints and not mention temptation would be both unrealistic and incomplete.
• Why is temptation so “successful”?
• What makes it work?
• How can we handle it?
Can we learn something that Mark Antony never did ~~~ how to resist it?
There’s a definite difference between trials and temptations. Trials are ordeals ~~~ tests of our faith. Normally, there is nothing immoral involved in experiencing a trial. A trial is a hardship, an ordeal. But it is generally not something that is evil or brought about by evil. James 1:2-3 addresses the problem of trials. “Consider it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials; knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” James goes on through verse 12 writing about trials. But, in verse 13 he speaks of temptation. “Let no one say when he is tempted.’
When you consider the trials of Job or Elisha, nothing immoral brought about their trials. When John was banished to the Isle of Patmos, it was not for moral wrongdoing. He was tested by being removed from all that he knew and called dear. It was a trial.
But when we get to temptation, it’s different. That’s why in 1:13, the verse includes the word “tempted.” Although it is the same Greek word we have read in vv. 1-12, in the writer’s mind it meant something different. It changed from the idea of an ordeal to the idea of soliciting evil.
Temptation, according to the dictionary, is ”the act of enticement to do wrong by the promise of pleasure or gain.” That’s right! Temptation motivates you to be bad by promising something good. Isn’t that just like the devil?
We tend to think first of the sensual aspect of temptation. If we were to ask, “What is temptation to you?” the vast majority of you would say, “It is that which is related to the lower nature, the sensual part of life; that which has to do with the lustful eye and the lustful desire of man.” That is temptation. But that isn’t all of it. We can be tempted
to gossip ... to steal ... to hold a grudge ... to lie. There are temptations of every sort.
So don’t categorize it just in the realm of sensuality, although sensual lust is the most common kind of temptation.
How Do We Counteract It?
Temptation can be counteracted very definitely by a particular act. This act is a fruit of the Spirit.
When we read Galatians 5:22-23 we read about the fruit of the Spirit; and it is a marvelous passage about what God’s Spirit does in us and what God’s Spirit produces through us. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law.
The word we are looking for here is self-control. The Greek word literally means “in strength,” and that’s exactly what it is. The fruit of the Spirit is inner strength. It is frequently rendered “mastery, or the mastery of self” in extrabiblical literature.
In other words, one of the things the Spirit of God promises to do for the child of God is to enable him or her to master self, weakness, and areas of temptation. How is temptation counteracted? By self-control.
But wait a minute? Isn’t this something God does, and not something that I do? I am not able to do anything. I am only passively involved. God is actively involved because, after all, it is the fruit of the Spirit that is self-control.
I’m sure you’ve heard that kind of thinking. It sounds so right, so profound. But this subtle teaching is in error. Although self-control comes from the Spirit of God, we actively carry it out. Both the Holy Spirit and we are active! That’s an important thing to remember. It’s a team effort.
There is a teaching floating around today that if something is to be done, I passively wait on God and He does it all. I do nothing ~~ or very little. For me to get involved in it would be something “of the flesh.” That sounds so good, so pious. And technically it’s true.
But, it’s only half the story. That view leaves a person uninvolved in life. In some marvelous process or spiritual ooze, out comes all these little neat things from my sweet old heart, and I look and marvel at the wonderful work of God, almost as if I’m outside watching it happen to me.
Let me tell you, that view is unbiblical ~~ and it doesn’t work. If you try to passively deal with temptation, it will conquer you every day of your life! The power and the fruit of the Spirit are available; self-control comes from God; but I want to say it again: We carry it out. You need to let that sink in just a minute.
Let me have you look at 2 Peter 1:4-7.
“For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
In that series of commands, the Lord includes our responsibility: You supply self-control. Sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? Paul calls it the “fruit of the Spirit,” and it is. Self-control is an ingredient from heaven that God gives us when the Spirit of God lives within and controls us. But Peter said we are to “supply it”!
The alleged contradiction is resolved when we realize that God is the source of the power, and that this means we pave the way for it to take place. The same basic supply is given to every child of God, but it is our responsibility to obey and carry out the action of self-control for it to happen in our lives.
Now let me share with you four facts concerning temptation as we pick them up in this first chapter of James ~~ namely vv. 13-15. Let me read these vv. and then we will look at these four facts that we need to know.
“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
Temptation is Inevitable
The first factor is: temptation is inevitable. I think it was John Wesley who said, “You can no more keep evil thoughts out of your mind than you can keep birds out of a tree,
but we don’t have to allow them to nest there.” Now the Scripture says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God.’” Note that it does not say, “Let no one say IF he is tempted. It says, WHEN he is tempted.
It would be wonderful if we could live without facing temptations. But the simple fact is we cannot. If you think you’ve found some place,
• some unique Christian victory secret,
• some perfect location,
• some uninhabited island,
• some ideal church,
• some area where there is no chance for temptation,
don’t go there. Because when you do, you’re going to spoil it! You see when you go you take with you your mind, your thoughts, which is the vehicle of temptation. We will never be in a place on earth where there is no temptation. Never.
The monk who lives behind cloistered walls wrestles with temptations as real as the businessman in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. The salesman who faces the temptations of competitive life wrestles with allurements no less (and no more) than one who is engaged in the work of Christian ministry. Every one of us faces temptation. It is inevitable. We cannot get away from it.
Not Directed by God
Temptation is never directed by God. He permits it, to be sure, but He never directs it. God does not direct us into sin. Notice in James 1:13, that God cannot be tempted by evil, and God does not tempt.
God is holy. God cannot fellowship with sin. He cannot tolerate it, nor does He direct us into it. Even when we look at Jesus we know that even He was tempted. The Scripture says, “For He has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” In order for Him to face temptation ... and the fact was He faced temptation, all sorts of temptations.
But He didn’t sin in it so the temptation, in itself, is not wrong. It’s what we do with in response to it that becomes a problem for us.
Now in the Old Testament when Adam and Eve sinned do you recall what happened when God came looking for Adam? He asked where he was and Adam said he hid because he was naked. God asked, “How did you know you were naked unless you ate of the tree that you were forbidden to eat.” Adam, being the kind of manly man all of us aspire to, and unfortunately some make it, said, “Lord, the woman you gave me, she caused me to eat it.” Often we linger over the fact that it was the woman. But, I want you to know what Adam is doing. He is saying, “God you set me up. If you had not given her to me I would not have done it. But you, your responsible!”
Isn’t there a tendency sometimes for us to want to say, God must be involved in this thing. I’ve heard people erroneously say even in the midst of their sin that God was somehow involved. It’s never the case. You need to rethink that commandment about taking the Lord’s name in vain.
Temptation Is An Individual Matter
Temptation is an individual matter. “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.” (James 1:14).
You need to underscore each one and own lust. When we choose to yield to temptation, it is an individual matter. You cannot blame anyone else.
Nothing outside ourselves is strong enough ... not even satan ... to cause us to sin. Sin takes place when we agree to the temptation and follow it. It takes an agreement on our part. Not until I individually involve myself does sin take place. Up to that point, I am safe and pure.
Open doors to sin face us all each day. The person centered on Christ and His righteousness says, “nothing doing” and willfully walks away. The person intent on satisfying his own desires for sin (whether he is a Christian or not) says, “Oh, I just can’t help myself,” and walks in. The good news for the Christian is that by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can help it!
Temptation Follows the Same Process
Temptation that leads to sin always, always follows the same overall process. Verse 14 begins the process, and verse 15 carries it out.
Step 1: The bait is dropped.
Step 2: The inner desire is attracted to that bait.
Step 3: Sin occurs when we yield ... we bite the bait.
Step 4: Sin results in tragic consequences ... we end up hooked and fried.
The word entice is a fishing term. When you fish you’ve got to provide a bait that interests and entices a fish. Some people use worms. Other use more exotic things like stink bait. Then fancy lures are used to get the attention of a fish and so entice him that whatever else he is doing he can’t resist that lure, that bait.
Now his mistake is when he goes for it. As long as it is passing by it is not creating any problems for him other than just a temptation. But the moment he goes for it he is hooked. The moment we go for the temptation or the bait is the moment we sin.
And what happens when we get hooked? The fish ends up fried. That’s what happens to you and me. So you see the process is always the same and we need to learn how to deal with it. The lure is going to come by you. And satan is smart. He knows how to make it more attractive. And he knows how to fit it to your taste. The devil knows our weakness, he knows what will entice us. But it always follows this same pattern. And the inner desire is attracted to the bait and sin occurs when we yield and we go for it and it results in tragic consequences. So how do we handle it? How can we fight temptation?
It can be done! We have made resisting temptation some mystical, unattainable talent reserved either for the very old or the very pious. That’s bunk. Saying no is something all of us who belong to Christ can do. There’s nothing magical about it. You simply put Jesus Christ at the helm of your life and say NO!
I think it was John Wesley who said, “Give me men who love nothing but the Lord and hate nothing but sin.” That’s it precisely. The Lord will give you the power to stand up (or run) and say no when the tempter comes. Let me break this down into four workable, practical principles to follow.
Counteract Temptation.
First of all we need to counteract temptation. Paul wrote in Romans 6:13: “And do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
The best defense is a good offense. By that I mean, rather than hanging around to see how close to the temptation or how long you can toy with the temptation, it is better to distance yourself from it early on. Early in the day commit yourself anew to God; to be His child; to be His disciple; His servant; His obedient follower. Don’t just be on the defense, hoping it won’t come into your nest. I think it often does come into our nest, but if we committed ourselves at first to the Lord then somehow the temptation doesn’t seem so attractive. So counteract temptation.
Use The Right Resistance
Use the right resistance. Now this is something I think we need to learn, and it certainly is related to self-control. Job said something that is attention getting. He said, “I have made a covenant with my eyes, that I am not going to look at certain things.” I think that is not a bad way to approach it. Before the temptation is presented the covenant is made with your eyes. Proverbs says let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be focused straight in front of you.
In other words don’t even look at the thing. Don’t even tolerate a look.
In Genesis 39 we have the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. How did he handle this situation? He high-tailed it out of there. Now that is a good way to handle temptation. It is sometimes dramatic, but it is a good way to do it.
Final Pain Erases Temporary Pleasure
Remind yourself that the final pain will soon erase the temporary pleasure.
That’s exactly what Moses did when he chose to walk with God rather than to become absorbed in Egypt’s lifestyle. Listen to God’s Word in Hebrews 11:24-25: “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.” The pleasure is there. Don’t lie to yourself. But it is a fleeting pleasure and the pain that follows it is far more intense and destructive than the brief moment of pleasure which you might have. If we could only remember that.
There is another verse I think that would be helpful. “Be not deceived, God is not mocked, whatsoever we sow, that shall we also reap.” So if we are sowing seeds in sin, we are going to reap pain and heartache. It’s going to come. And all too quickly it is upon us. And the destruction lasts a lot longer than the pleasure.
Control Your Thought Life Through The Memorized Word
Control your thought life through the memorized word. This word, the word of God.
When the devil launched his full-scale attack against Jesus, (Matt. 4:1-11), our Lord withstood temptation by using the Scriptures. “It is written ... It is written ... It is written!”
The psalmist asks, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word ... Thy Word have I hid in my heart That I might not sin against Thee” (Ps. 119:9, 11). The psalmist wrote, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”
Listen if you feed your heart and mind with the Word of God Satan is going to be losing an opportunity more and more and more in your life.
Now one final suggestion. Look with me at 1 Cor. 10:13. This is probably one of the more familiar passages that speaks concerning temptation. This is from God’s Word and you can count on it. “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man.” You have not been overwhelmed one time with one that is bigger than someone else has had to face. It’s a common thing. But note, “God is faithful....” The temptation comes to you, but “...God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able....” In other words, God knows your weight limit. You’ve seen bridges with a weight limit. You don’t drive a ten ton truck over a five ton bridge cause it may fall in.
God knows your weight limit and so you can count on Him to not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. See He doesn’t tempt us but He allows us to be tempted up to a point. But note here, “God in His faithfulness with the temptation will provide the way of escape so that you may be able to endure it.”
One of the best things we can do when we are tempted it to pray, “God help me!”
And immediately look for the way out of there. That’s what the Scripture promises that is available to us.
What happens when we fail?
What happens when we fail ... when we yield to temptation and we sin? Well, we do. And in fact the Scripture says if we say we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. So what do we do when we sin? Confess it. “If we confess our sins He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
What does it mean to confess? It means to agree with God’s diagnosis. God has suggested through the Word through the preaching of His Word, through the testimony of someone that we are sinners, that we have failed, that we have done wrong. Confess it! “Lord, I know I did it, I’m sorry. Would you forgive me?” Quickly deal with it. And He is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse. It is better that we don’t sin. And we shouldn’t run to sin. As one man put it, “We shouldn’t traffic in grace that we should assume that God being always there will forgive us.” But we should be careful not to sin. But, when we do and we will, there is not one of us in this room He hasn’t let us confess our sin believing He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Hanging in there through temptation.
Are you hanging in there?
