12). Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him. 13). Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14). But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15). Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16). Do not err, my beloved brethren.
JAMES 1:12-16 KJV
When we struggle with temptation, understanding how it works can be helpful. Every sin originates as a thought (See JAMES 1:14-15). If we hold on to the thought, it becomes a fantasy—the chance to imagine what pursuing that notion would be like, without actually doing so. Fantasies can easily become entangled with our emotions. This creates a desire, which brings us to the point where a choice must be made. And we must either consent to the sin or refuse. This process is quite dangerous, as the progression from thought to choice can be almost instantaneous.
Wise believers determine ahead of time to resist temptation. They build the defense before the offense happens. There are two cornerstones to a good defense: the recognition that God’s in control and the commitment to obey Him (See 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13, and JAMES 4:7).
We can further fortify our defense when temptation actually comes. Satan has a way of spotlighting the pleasure of sin until it’s all we see. But with prayerful effort, we can retrain our focus to take in the bigger picture: Is this choice a violation of God’s Word? What are the consequences?
No one can resist temptation perfectly—we’ll all continue to struggle with sin. But the more we meditate on Scripture and communicate with God, the stronger our defense will be.
-IBC
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