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TEMPTATION
JAMES 1:13-18
 
Pastor Stephen Muncherian
February 8, 1998

Raynald III was a 14th century duke in what is now Belgium. Grossly overweight, Raynald was commonly called by his Latin nickname, Crassus, which means “fat”.

After a violent quarrel, Raynald’s younger brother Edward led a successful revolt against him. Edward captured Raynald but didn’t kill him. Instead, he built a room around Raynald in the Nieuwkerk castle and promised him he could regain his title and property as soon as he was able to leave the room.

This would not have been too difficult for most people since the room had several windows and a door of near normal size - and none was locked or barred. The problem was Raynald’s size. To regain his freedom, he needed to loose weight. But Edward knew his older brother, and each day he sent a variety of delicious foods. Instead of dieting his way out of prison, Raynald grew fatter.

When Duke Edward was accused of cruelty, he had a ready answer. “My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills.”

Raynald stayed in that room for ten years and wasn’t released until after Edward died in battle.

This morning we are focusing on temptation - the desires we have which lead to our own destruction - and how we can have victory over them. I invite you to turn to James 1:12-18 and we will come there in a minute.

All of us face temptations - destructive desires. Some struggle with addictions - alcohol, drugs, pornography, smoking, lust, food. And these are destructive - and usually when we talk about temptations we talk about these. But there are others - a temptation is anything which entices us to sin - to turn away from God - to allow other things to come between us and our relationship with God - sports, work, family. The temptations of lying, pride, laziness, theft, envy, slander. The temptation towards partiality and a lack of love for others. We are even tempted to blame God for our circumstances.

All of us face temptations. And this morning we want to talk about how to gain victory over them.

James 1:13-18:  Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted with evil and He Himself tempts no one; but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death - there’s a process here - an evil desire is conceived - its born when its acted upon - it becomes sin - and the as it becomes ingrained in our behavior it produces death.  Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.

Two truths James tells us about temptations:

1. GOD IS NOT THE SOURCE OF OUR TEMPTATIONS (13-15)

Eskimos have a very efficient way of killing wolves. First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood.

Next, he fixes his blade in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster - more and more vigorously - lapping the blade until the sharp edge is bare. Feverishly - harder and harder - the wolf licks the blade.

So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his own warm blood. His carnivorous appetite just craves more - until his own desire leaves him dead in the snow!

This is really grisly - but it shows the consuming - self-destructive nature of our desires and sin.

James says, (13) Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted with evil and He Himself tempts no one; - in other words its not in God’s nature to tempt anyone - God is holy - sinless - He doesn’t desire evil or cause evil - God is not a sadistic being who would entice us to destroy ourselves with sin - (14) but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

Like a fish drawn to bait - lured to its own destruction - our desires lure us to our own destruction. In a sense, we are snared by our own bait - caught on our own hook.

It is important for us to take ownership over our desire and our sin nature. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

Drew Anderson writes in the Reader’s Digest: “While my wife and I were shopping at a mall, a shapely young woman in a short, form-fitting dress strolled by. My eyes followed her. Without looking up from the item she was examining, my wife asked, ‘Was it worth the trouble you’re in?’”

It is within us to sin: Satan uses circumstances to tempt us into sin - our upbringing may condition us - we may even have a physical disposition which weakens us towards a particular sin - like alcoholism. But the first step towards victory over what tempts us is to take ownership over our actions.

What God says about me is true - I have a sin nature - and by my own power I cannot have mastery over my sins. I am in desperate need of help and I must look outside of myself and the circumstance I am in.

What this realization - this ownership - does is to bring us face-to-face with reality and put us in a responsible position where we can take concrete steps towards victory.

The second truth that James tells us is:

2. GOD IS THE SOURCE OF VICTORY OVER OUR TEMPTATIONS (16-18)

In Genesis 4 is the account of Cain and Abel. We know this account. Abel is a shepherd - Cain is a farmer. Cain brings an offering to God from his produce. Abel brings an offering to God from his flock. And God chooses Abel’s offering over Cain’s offering. And Cain gets very angry.

Here’s a man - in the midst of a trying circumstance - who is entertaining an evil desire - and is on the verge of conceiving sin. “Why did God pick Abel’s offering? I’m the oldest. He should have picked mine. Who does Abel think he is anyway? I wish he was dead!”

And God says to Cain - Genesis 4:6: “Cain, why are you angry? Why is your face all twisted up with rage? (7) If you obey what I’ve told you to do you’ll have joy - everything will work out okay - Genesis 4:7: But if you refuse to obey, watch out. Sin is crouching at the door - sin is waiting to attack you - and its desire is to destroy you. But, you can conquer it. You can be the master over it!” - Cain - in temptation - you have a choice. Choose to obey me and do what’s right - and you’ll have victory.

We know how this turns out. One day Cain suggested to Abel, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they’re out there, Cain attacks and kills his brother. His evil desire gives birth to sin. And Cain is severely punished by God.

He had a choice. He could have trusted God - but he choose to do what he knew was wrong. And in temptation we have the ability to choose. No matter how trapped we may feel - or how strong the temptation or difficult the circumstance - we always have a choice.

James says, (16) “Do not be deceived” - take ownership - you can make a choice.

There’s an old Indian legend about Indian youths who would go away in solitude to prepare for manhood. One youth hiked into a beautiful valley - with lots of green trees - brilliant and colorful flowers. On the third day - as he looked up at the surrounding mountains - he noticed one tall rugged peak, capped with dazzling snow.

I will test myself against that mountain, he thought. He put on his buffalo-hide shirt, threw his blanket over his shoulders and set off to climb the peak. When he reached the top he stood on the rim of the world. He could see forever, and his heart swelled with pride.

Then he heard a rustle at his feet, and looking down, he saw a snake. Before he could move, the snake spoke. “I am about to die,” said the snake. “Its too cold for me up here and I am freezing. There’s no food and I’m starving. Put me under you shirt and take me down to the valley.”

“No,” said the youth. “I am forewarned. I know your kind. You are a rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you will bite, and your bite will kill me.”

“Not so,” said the snake. “I will treat you differently . If you do this for me, you will be special. I won’t harm you.”

The youth resisted awhile, but this was a very persuasive snake with beautiful markings. At last the youth tucked it under his shirt and carried it down to the valley. There he laid it gently on the grass - when suddenly the snake coiled - rattled - and leapt - biting him on the leg. “But you promised...” cried the youth.

“You knew what I was when you picked me up,” said the snake as it slithered away.

We know what sin is - we feel the desires - and we know its wrong. And what is so empowering - so liberating - is that we don’t have to give in to them - we don’t have to pick up the snake. God gives us a choice.

Notice what James says: (17) Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights - the means of victory over temptation comes from the God who created everything - especially the stars - He does not change, nor does He cause darkness by turning - the planets turn and cast shadows which are always changing in shape and appearance - but, God doesn’t change - His promises are certain to be honored and He never breaks His word - (18) By His own will He chose to give us birth by the word of truth - the Gospel of Salvation in Jesus Christ - so that we might be the first fruits of all He created - the first of all those through the centuries who would be born again.

James says that God does not change - His word and His promises are unfailing. And God has won a great victory - over Satan - and sin - through Jesus Christ. We can choose to trust in Him for that victory in our lives.

James 4:7,8 - “Submit to God - Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

What an awesome promise - Satan is already on the run. In Jesus, God has already won the victory.

If we submit to God - choosing humble ourselves before Him by owning up to our sin nature - admitting our weakness toward sin - Satan will flee before the power of God. As we choose to draw near to God - He draws near to us and empowers us to live in obedience to Him.

The hardest part is making that choice. Two suggestions:

1. AVOID CIRCUMSTANCES OF TEMPTATION

A father said, “Son, don’t swim in the canal.”

“OK, Dad,” said the son. But later he came home carrying a wet swimming suit.

“Where have you been?” demanded the father.

“Swimming in the canal,” answered the boy.

“Didn’t I tell you not to swim there?” asked the father.

“Yes, sir,” answered the boy.

“Why did you?” asked the father.

“Well, dad, I had my swimming suit with me and I couldn’t resist the temptation.”

“Why did you take the swimming suit with you?”

“So I’d be prepared to swim, in case I was tempted.”

Taking ownership - admitting weakness - means agreeing with God that we can’t handle it. We know where we stumble. So don’t go there - don’t even try.

2. DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO DRAW NEARER TO GOD

A survey in Discipleship Journal - concerning resisting temptation - came up with this:

81% of survey respondents said that temptations were more powerful when they had neglected their relationship with God.

84% said they were better able to resist temptation when they were in prayer.

66% said that Bible study helped them to resist temptation.

Drawing near to God - avails us of His power - places us within His promises - allows the Holy Spirit to work within our sin nature to bring us more in conformity to His holiness. To strengthen us so that when circumstances bring temptation our first inclination will be to choose His submission and obedience to Him.