At the Bible study this week we looked at James 1:12-18. Here, James continues to tell us how to persevere through trials and temptations. The first thing we must not do is blame God. It’s human nature to want to blame someone else when we do wrong (see Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden!), but we must not believe that God tempts us to do evil. Whilst God may allow trials and tests to come, He does not do so with evil intent. His own character cannot be tempted by evil and He does not tempt anyone else to do evil.
We are tempted when we are dragged away by our own sinful desires (or lusts) and enticed. “The language is suggestive of a fish swimming in a straight course and then drawn off towards something that seems attractive, only to discover that the bait has a deadly hook in it.” (R. V. G. Tasker) James outlines a process that is obvious from the earthly point of view but which also applies spiritually: desire leads to conception, then birth, then growth, then death (see Romans 5).
If the first step is not to blame God, what other strategies can we employ for overcoming temptation?
(1) Recognise our own weaknesses and the particular things that tempt us
(2) Watch and pray so that we will not fall into temptation (Matt 26:41). We need to avoid the things that tempt us, putting as far a distance as possible between us and them! We also need to pray so that we learn to depend on God more than on our own abilities and strengths.
(3) Learn from how Jesus dealt with temptation (Matt 4:1-10) and use the Word of God. It is powerful and effective!
(4) Take control of our thoughts (Phil 4:8, 2 Cor 10:5). Before ever a sinful act is committed, thoughts (desire) have led the way. If we can concentrate on taking every thought captive to Christ (‘capturing every thought until it recognises the authority of Christ’, as J.B. Phillips puts it), we will be in a better position!
(5) Don’t dwell too much on the temptation or on the tempter, but instead fix our eyes on who God is. He is Sovereign and Ruler, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
(6) Don’t try to go it alone. Be accountable to other people (James 5:16), learning to confess our sins to each other and to pray for each other. We’re not to forsake meeting together, but need to learn from each other and to be able to strengthen each other.
If we do sin, however, we need to confess our sin (see 1 John 1:9) and accept God’s forgiveness, forgiving ourselves and confessing to others and praying for each other.
James goes on to say “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” (James 1:16-18) He reminds us of the character of God:
(1) God is good (Ps 119:68)
(2) God delights to give good and perfect gifts to us (see Ps 84:11), including the gift of eternal life (Rom 6:23)
(3) God is the source of all that is good (see the Creation account!)
(4) God does not change (see Mal 3:6) – His constancy gives us a refuge and rock to stand on.
(5) God is light (1 John 1:5)
(6) He is our Father (John 1:12-13)
(7) He is truth (John 14:6) and therefore chooses to give us new life through the word of truth.
Just as the firstfruits were given to the Lord (Lev 23:10), so we should give everything we are and have to God (see 1 Cor 6:19-20). We want to avoid temptation and resist sin because we long to please our wonderful God and Saviour! James encourages us to fix our eyes on who God is so that we can continue to persevere under trial.