Lesson 6: Facing Temptation (part 1)
Read James 1:13-18 - www.bible.com/bible/59/jas.1.esv

 A little boy playing around in the pantry takes down the cookie jar when he hears his mother calling, “Willie what are you doing in the pantry?” “I am fighting temptation Mother.” He was in the wrong place to be fighting temptation.

We learned in an earlier lesson that the mature person is patient in outside trials, this lesson we want to learn how to respond when we face trials on the inside. These are temptations sent by Satan to encourage our sinful nature. When we face difficult circumstances it is important to keep the right attitude. When we start to complain or doubt God, or resist His will, we provide Satan an opportunity for temptation. (James 1:12 – temptation is testing under trial, James 1:13-14 – temptation is solicitation to evil)

“Temptation” means to entice to do wrong by promise of pleasure or gain – for example, an opportunity to accomplish a good thing in a bad way such as passing a test by cheating, or eating food by stealing.

4 Facts in dealing with temptation:
-Temptation is always present in life (James 1:13). It doesn’t say if, it says when. We are not blamed for having to ward off temptations, we cannot eradicate temptation but we are responsible for how we respond to it.
-Temptation is never prompted by God (James 1:13). Man always wants to shift blame. (Genesis 3:12-13) There are 2 different words in Greek for the word “by”. One means that God is not directly responsible – for example He allows a test into our lives (maybe an illness) that might lead to a temptation (discouragement or anger); and the other means that God isn’t even indirectly responsible – for example in tempting us to sin.


Temptation follows a consistent process (James 1:14-15). 1) Drop or deceive (disguise the trap). The bait does 2 things – attracts and hides. The bait keeps us from seeing the consequences of sin. We need to eat (hunger), get tired (sleep), sex (in marriage, Hebrews 13:4). 2) We all have desires but the key word is “control”. 3) When the bait comes in contact with my desire a child is conceived (sin – disobedience). Mature Christian living is a matter of the will not feelings. We do what’s right in spite of how we feel. 4) Sin results in spiritual and eventually physical death. A great deterrent to sin is look ahead and see that sin leads to death. Romans 6:23
-Temptation flourishes on wrong thinking (James 1:16). Err – to be led down the wrong path. James uses it in the form of a command – Don’t allow your lust to blur your thinking so that you forsake the truth to pursue a lie.

*Giving in to temptation will never lead to ______ - according to Proverbs 27:20.

The first way to overcome temptation is a negative one – see that sin will bring death. The next one is positive (James 1:17) – consider God’s goodness. (See Philippians 4:8) If we sow these thoughts consistently we crowd out the weeds of temptation…and harvest more fruit of the Spirit. One of the enemy’s tricks is to convince us that our Father is holding out on us. (Remember, Jesus’ temptation was, “If your father loves you, why are you hungry?”)