Last week, we spoke about the reality of temptations in trials. Trials are an inevitable part of Christian life and yet they are fully in the control of our Lord. During our Sunday morning message, we looked to the first part of James chapter one which taught us that God, in His sovereignty, will test the faith of His people, and He will do it for their good. However, while it might be easy to take the next step in our minds and assume that God tempts us to turn from Him. James warns that He does not! He would say, “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: “
God does not, can not, and will not tempt us with evil! This, therefore, makes us responsible for sin in temptation. We learned that while God may allow a trial to enter our life, He is not responsible for our response to it. Rather, His ultimate desire is that the trial and more specifically, the response to the trial would be used for our good and His glory! Therefore, how we recognize and handle temptations should be, can be, and will be an expression of our faith in God.
This passage in James is rather encouraging for us as followers to consider. Most believers attribute temptation to sin as sin. Once I understood the truth as a young adult (that temptation is the place in which Christians go to battle) it revolutionized how I dealt with habitual struggles. Sin starts with disordered thoughts not being brought captive, which leads to disordered desires not being rejected. The path to sin can go fast if not stopped in our minds by the grace of God. As one author put it, “When Christians find themselves exposed to temptation they should pray to God to uphold them, and when they are tempted they should not be discouraged. It is not a sin to be tempted; the sin is to fall into temptation.” God convicts us of sin by showing us how to deal with it through the Cross. Satan accuses us to discourage us and make us want to give up. An evil thought or temptation might occur in our minds just for Satan to say, "And you say you are a Christian—look what you're thinking!”
So what do we do amid temptations, when we are so prone to be dragged away and enticed by the desires that are at the core of our lives?
We remember that temptation is not sin. (James 1:13-18)
We remember that God is faithful for our salvation. (James 1:17-18)
We go to work at expelling the vile thoughts. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
We seek to redirect the wicked thoughts. (Romans 12:1-2)
We look to quote Scripture. (Matthew 4:1-11)
We seek out a brother/sister via phone or a physical visit. (Hebrew 10:25)
We refuse to encourage, nourish, and enjoy it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Christians, remember, that temptation is not sin. Sin is sin. The temptation is what you go to war within your mind, heart, and soul. As you walk through today, this week, month, and a lifetime — always remember, God has given you divine grace to battle the temptations of your mind. If you stop and think about it, He’s already won the war.
Sincerely,
Pastor Jordan