SURVIVING TEMPTATION                        JAMES 1:13-18

Background: James 1:1-12: He addresses Christians about responding in a positive way to God allowing trials to come their way

These trials are meant for our betterment, not our downfall

They have a beginning and an end

God will give us the ability to go pass the test

Differences: James 1:1-12 uses the Greek word peirasmos (proving) to show these tests come from God

James 1:13-18 uses the Greek word peirazo (drawn away evilly) to show these temptations are from Satan

Remember the difference  Peirasmos gives the most Peirazo leaves you with zero

TRIED OR TEMPTED?

COMPLAINT   CAUSE      CONSUMMATION     CONFIRMATION

I    COMPLAINT (13)

Tempted or tried = lured away  to do evil  peirazo  

"God is doing this to me!" "It's God's fault!"

How can God who knows no evil cast something evil in front of us?

What does scripture say?

Mt 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Mt 16:1 - Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.’ Hypocrites …. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.  

Mr 10:2 - Some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife.

Joh 8:6 - They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.

APP: TRIALS from God are sent to build us up

TEMPTATIONS are from Satan to tear us down

God will not send a trial that will take us from His Word and Will

Satan will always send a temptation that will seek to separate us from God’s Word & Will

II   CAUSE (14)

 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 

These desires may be repressed, but Satan looks in all the closets of our heart. At just the right moment, Satan will bring these desires to the surface

Satan knows exactly which buttons to push to get our attention


APP:  When these repressed  feelings come to the surface, we don’t need to suppress them again, but rather reject them by asking God to remove them

We cannot always keep temptation from crossing our path, but we can control how we respond to it

Jesus rejected temptation every day of His life,

But He didn’t do it alone. He prayed for strength

III  CONSUMMATION (15)

Lust conceives ... Brings forth sin .. Sin leads to death ..  Death leads to separation from God

Lot's fall: Looked, Leaned, Lived, Led, Lost

APP’ Prov 14:12  There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through  Jesus Christ our Lord.

IV  CONFIRMATION (16-18)

As an encouraging admonition to his readers, James reminds them that God is the sole author of all that is good.

His gifts are perfect and filled with His grace.

There is no hint of darkness or evil in His person

All that He does for us, He does it out of love for us.

APP:  God gives us the grace and strength to be overcomers in this world

He gives us the ability to choose eternal life with Him or

eternal separation from Him

NANCY REAGAN WAS RIDICULED
FOR TELLING KIDS TO RESIST DRUGS BY JUST SAYING “NO!” 

BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT GOD
TELLS US WHEN IT COMES TO SIN.

JUST SAY “NO!”