Satan is a relentless foe who exploits our weaknesses. A part of resisting him is to understand how we are undone by our own desires that we act upon, a topic that Jesus’ brother, James, addressed early in his epistle. So what are the facts about temptations? First, James says they come to all people (1:13a). Earlier in this first chapter of the letter he had been talking about trials, by which he meant hardships of life or oppositions from unrighteous. But here he begins speaking of the temptations one may face from the Adversary. They come to the elder and preacher, as to the unrepentant criminal. They come to children reared in a godly home, as well as to those with models wicked. They came to Judas and to Jesus as well. We are not at fault for having them come, assuming we are not purposely inviting them, but we are responsible for how we respond to them.
          It is true that they do not come from God (1:13b). He is working for our spiritual well-being; why would He try to undermine us? As John the beloved apostle wrote, the Son was manifested to destroy the works of that Foe, so would the Father tempt in Satan’s vein (1 John 3:8)? The purity of God’s being would not tolerate the tempting either of Self or of others. Behind every temptation, some other one is at work.
          With temptation to sin, there is a consistent process followed (1:14-15). First the bait is dropped; Satan is a skilled angler and he dangles the bait that we are susceptible to taking. He preys upon our personal desires and hungers, then offers tidbits which appear to satisfy these hungers. Then, our desires are attracted to the bait. We see the very thing that attracts us – sensually, physically, or emotionally. If we are not careful, then at that moment we stop worrying about God, He seems far removed from us, and all we can see is what might please us. Consequences become a distant concern. Only our desire is in our minds, and if we are not careful, we lunge forward in selfish myopia. When we take the bait, sin is the result. We actually do that which God has forbidden, and which is destructive to us. There is a union between the temptation and our sinful desire, and sin is whelped in an evil and vile birthing. Finally, sin, even though it brings pleasure temporarily, brings death. It may not be physical death at the moment, but we die spiritually, severed by sin from the Source of life. That is Satan’s legacy.
          It is also true that temptation thrives when we are inconsistent and wander in our thinking (1:16). We are not to let the enticements of sin blur our thinking so that we accept false promises of sin; unrighteousness can never bring contentment. Solomon said that the lusts of men are never satisfied (Prov. 27:20). We want one more lustful look, one more drink, one more joke, one more selfish indulgence. And each time we yield, it becomes harder to say “no” the next time.
     Not only is the Tempter’s approach preempted by recognizing the deadly promise of temptation, but also by focusing on that which truly gives joy and life. In rejection of temptation and sin, we are to have a faith that is victorious (1:17-18). It recognizes everything good comes from God. It realizes that He has given us all things we need in life. If God has not promoted it, it is because we do not need it. We need to focus on the good things that Heaven has freely provided (Col. 3:1-2). “Sow a thought, reap an act. Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character, sow a character reap a destiny.” We should be selective about those things we allow into our lives, those things we sow (Phil. 4:8). This faith is born of truth. We have been born by the word of truth, and we shall be kept sage by the word of truth, if we will keep it in mind (Ps. 119:9,11).
Rick Brumback

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