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Where Does Temptation Come From?
Andrea Lende • May 16, 2021
James 1:13-14
Where Does Temptation Come From?
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Where-Does-Temptation-Come-From-e110cva
James 1:13-14
“Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one.”
“But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire.”
I have often wondered where temptation comes from.
James clearly addresses the quandary.
He says the Lord is not our tempter.
God cannot possibly be responsible for tempting us because He is incapable of being tempted Himself.
We as humans, however, are tempted.
James says we are tempted by our own selves – our own evil desires.
So, how do we fight against ourselves?
God is gracious, has mercy for us, and will strengthen us to rise above temptation.
We have to do our part as well.
Our thoughts are a key component in either allowing our desires to have control over our actions or not.
The more we think about something, the stronger the emotional response becomes.
The stronger the emotional response, a physical response is sure to follow.
For instance, if we think about a certain food all day long, there is a good chance we are going to eat it soon.
We’ll give in to it either today, tomorrow, or sometime next week even if we don’t want it by then.
If we put enough thought around it, we will most assuredly act on it.
There are three things we can do to ward off temptation.
First, quit thinking about the thing we are being tempted by and replace it with other thoughts.
In the case of food, we can think about the healthy body we desire to have instead of thinking about all the comfort foods we enjoy.
We can also put healthy thoughts into action literally by taking a walk.
Doing the opposite of our default nature will, over time, make the usual temptations fade.
Second, prayer is a powerful tool.
Jesus told the disciples to stay awake and pray against temptation.
And when He taught His disciples the Lord’s prayer it included praying the Lord will lead us away from temptation.
Lastly, when Jesus was tempted by the devil, He continued to fight the enemy with scripture.
Jesus didn’t complain about His physically weakened state as I would have.
He simply used the Word of God to stand up to the enemy.
Today I choose to use prayer, scripture, thoughts, and positive action to thwart the usual temptations I struggle with.
May you find the Lord will come to your aid as you pray against temptation, learn His scripture, and retrain your mind to think on beautiful things instead of temptations.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me that temptations do not come from You. Thank You for showing me I must be vigilant about praying against them. Help me bring my needs and weaknesses to You, so You can strengthen me in all ways. Help me think on the beautiful today instead of the ugly. Keep my mind on You instead of the things that come against me. In Your power, I am able. In Your strength, I withstand the advances of the enemy. In Your might, I forge ahead and walk into Your will. In Your mercy, I love others instead of hate. Keep my eyes on You, Lord. Keep my eyes on You. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you My child, and I will not let you slip or fall.
Response: Thank You, Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.