You will be tempted-no question about that. The book of James speaks to the realities of a living faith in Jesusthe kind of roll-up-your-sleeves and get-your-hands-dirty discipleship that is borne out of an authentic relationship with the risen Lord. Think about your best strategy to fight temptation. But maybe there’s a better approach-also saying yes to the kind of life God wants to give us. And there’s nothing wrong with saying no. We often assume that the best way to fight temptation is self-discipline. Generosity combats our selfish tendencies. Healthy eating honors the body God gave us. A kind word can pull someone out of suicidal thoughts. Remember: God gives us a whole new life that is infinitely better than anything the tempter can offer. We get easily distracted by the glitter of more things, more attention, more pleasure, right? The promises of pleasure cause temporary blindness. It’s hard to believe that God’s way is best when we’re being tempted. Our choices point us either toward life or death. What seems so small can have big consequences: Gossip could lead to a broken relationship. Giving in to temptation takes us down a road from temporary pleasure to sin, which, if not stopped, will lead to death. So don’t listen to the tempter’s deceptive words. All the good things in life are just bonus, extra blessings He chooses to give us. His love gives us purpose and significance, just because we are His children. Our heavenly Father is the source of “every good gift and every perfect gift.” He started by giving us life itself. Just like that fish that’s being lured away, either I go and I grab it, or I swim away. We know the feeling of being baited, like Francis pointed out-God says something is wrong or evil, but we want it anyway. Rather, our own desires entice us to take what we want, when we want it. James 1:13 clearly states that God is not the source of temptation. As though He made it impossible for them to resist wrongdoing.īut God doesn’t work that way. Did you ever use the excuse, “The devil made me do it!” after giving in to a temptation? We like to deflect blame from our own poor choices, don’t we? Some people in James’s day even tried to blame God for their own failures.

Francis chan book of james