James 1:14-15

New American Standard Version

14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Pastor’s Paraphrase

          Temptation occurs in someone’s life when their own sinful nature causes them to be deluded into thinking that the sin is attractive and they turn their attention toward it. Once they turn in that direction and allow themselves to become infatuated by sin’s allure, that temptation has been conceived in their hearts and it will give birth to the sinful act itself.  Once that sin is fully grown, it is another step on the road that leads to spiritual death.

 “How does this help me become more like Him?”

          Many people, especially ladies, enjoy a good romance story.  A tale of love overcoming all obstacles has a way of capturing the imagination and touching the heart.  When the overwhelming emotion of love causes someone to defy all logic and pursue the direction of their heart, it makes for a moving and touching story.  Our hearts – our emotions – can lead us to do things that override logic and reason for a greater good.  We see this not only in love stories but in testimonies of dedication to our nation and freedom on the part of our valiant armed forces and even in stories of great servants of the Lord in spreading the gospel.

          Emotion overcoming the obstacles of logic and reason for a greater good is the story line of many heartwarming or even heroic tales.  However, it can work in the entirely opposite direction as well.  Our emotions can deceive and betray us into being pulled into what is harmful and sinful.  That emotional pull can vault over the barriers of logic, reason, and even the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  This is the essence of temptation.

          Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the giants for the Lord in Germany during the tyranny of Hitler and the Nazis, said that in temptation it is often not so much about rebellion against God but forgetfulness of God.  In the vortex of powerful emotions and enticing appeal that is often a part of temptation, we don’t shake our fist in God’s face and say, “I’m gonna do this, God, whether you like it or not!”  We simply push God out of our thought processes and allow ourselves to become entranced with the allure of the temptation.

          This happened to David when he saw Bathsheba on the roof bathing.  All of a sudden, logic, reason, and spiritual conviction were swept aside and he was consumed with the physical and emotional allure of someone else’s wife.  Just as James describes in today’s verses, once he allowed himself to become fixated on this allure, sin had been conceived in his heart.  In this tragic illustration, that sin for David led to adultery, murder, and consequences handed down for generations in his family.

          In order to be successful in our ongoing battles with temptation, we must first be constantly filled with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Without Him, we do not stand a chance against temptation’s incessant onslaught.  But we also must hear and heed the truth of Scripture and recognize how temptation will seek to attack and capture us.  We must know that the shape and hue of temptation is not always adultery as in David’s case.  It can take the most subtle of forms – such as temptation to pride, materialism, or self-dependency.  As we walk the minefield that is the Christian life in this sinful world, we must be wise to know how our enemy would seek to entrap us.

“How should I pray for Him to change my life?”

Pray that the Lord would give you wisdom to recognize the traps of temptation that the enemy sets for you.  Ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to withstand whatever emotional allure the enemy would wrap your temptation in.  Thank Him for the truth and wisdom of Scripture to alert you to the dangers ahead as you do battle for Him.

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