The Weapon of Choice in the Devil’s Arsenal

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.”  James 1:12

Money certainly is a temptation, but it is not the only thing that can tempt a man or woman to dishonor their Creator.  Every sin is a temptation to disobey the Father, but temptation in itself is not a sin.  Most temptation comes from an outside source.  There may be something that catches one’s sight or one’s hearing, but it is the mind that either dismisses the tempting object or begins to dwell on it conjuring up thoughts and desires leading one to sin.  To endure temptation is to not let it get a foothold into one’s mind, but rather to dismiss it and move on, like the old saying about keeping the bird that flies over one’s head from building a nest in one’s hair.  From my church pew, I would watch the people as they entered just before the service began.  Many times there would be a woman walking in who was dressed very seductively.  Within my mind, I would begin to judge her for her inappropriate dress, but then I realized that it wasn’t my place to judge.  God would have to deal with her about that.  Instead, I now turn my head away immediately and get my mind on something else.  I know that is a simple example, but it shows how easy it is to be tempted into something that is not pleasing to the Lord.

Temptation is the weapon of choice in the devil’s arsenal.  However, temptation can be dealt with because God gives us a “way of escape” with every temptation (I Corinthians 10:13).  James said that the one who overcomes and does not submit to temptation is blessed for he or she has avoided the harm and misery which would have eventually been the outcome of succumbing to those things which defile the person and cause a rift between God and the one who gives in to sin.  James also said that there is a reward for those who diligently pursue the path of obedience and do not stray onto avenues of temptation and sin.  The faithful one will receive the crown of life that the Lord promised to those that love Him.  James is not promoting a “works salvation”.  He is writing to believers, those who have professed and possessed Christ as Lord and Savior, in order that they can see the necessity of pursuing righteousness.

James warns that no one should ever attribute temptation to God.  It is true that He tests His children but not with sin.  Neither can He be tempted.  The term “temptation” almost always carries with it the connotation that whatever the temptation is, it is something which should be avoided.  There is no way that a holy and righteous God can be tempted to do something wrong.  Satan tried to tempt Jesus three times with each time being something which would have dishonored His Father, and He would never have given in to those temptations or any temptations for that matter (Matthew 4:1-11).  Through the power of God, the tools to avert the eyes, change one’s focus, and/or flee the enticing lure of an ungodly pursuit is made readily available to anyone willing to take advantage of God’s help.  God never leaves us out on a limb and then cuts it off.  Help is only a prayer away.

For some folks, though, the lure of a lustful look or lustful thought is too enticing to overcome.  We live in an “instant” society.  No one likes to wait.  We seek instant gratification for our desires, whether physical or material.  We buy things on credit because some of those things that we could wait until we have save enough money to buy are too enticing for us.  We want what we want, and we want it right now.  Some folks have an attitude of entitlement.  Sometimes, when people feel they “deserve” something, they may step beyond the bounds of good judgment into the realm of lust, eventually letting the temptation have its way.  Once sin gets a foothold, an occasional veering off the path of righteousness becomes a steady drive on the highway of sin, and it becomes difficult to find a place in which to turn around and head back on the right road.  Those who habitually give in to sinful temptations may be allowed to carry on with life but their spirit will be so badly damaged that they will be miserable until they confess and turn from their sin.  James ends his message about the dangers of temptation by warning believers to never allow temptation to overrule sound judgment and bring harm to the cause of Christ.  It’s just not worth it.