To read the rest of A Journey through James 1, start HERE.
James 1:13-15
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Here at verse 13, James makes a pivot in his writing, from perseverance and humility towards the topic of temptation. Right away, he clarifies that God does not do the tempting, but rather a person’s sinful cravings are what pulls them away. God in His holiness cannot be tempted by evil, but people who are still in the process of being sanctified can be.
“Tempted” in the Greek is peirazo, and not surprisingly, the first time it’s used in the New Testament is in Matthew 4, when Jesus is tempted by Satan in the wilderness.[1] The father of lies tried to trip up the Prince of Peace, but Jesus refutes Satan by quoting three different verses from Deuteronomy. When we are tempted, we can remember that Jesus has been there, and if we turn to Him and His Word, He will make a way for us to steer clear of the evil enticing us and to stay in step with God.
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide a way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
In James 1:14, the Greek verb for the phrase “dragged away” is exelko, and this is the only place it’s found in the New Testament. The Blue Letter Bible explains that it metaphorically means to “lure out: in hunting and fishing as game is lured from its hiding place, so man is allured from the safety of self-restraint to sin.”[2]
Now, let’s couple that with the word “enticed,” which we see at the end of verse 14. It’s the Greek word deleazo, which means “to bait, catch by a bait.”[3] Looking at the original language, we see that we are lured away from God and trapped by our sin. It’s the ultimate bait and switch. We think that by following our own wants and desires, we will find freedom, but in the end, it brings death. However, when we are aligned with God by the blood of Christ and the indwelling of His Spirit, it is then we find true freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Until we go home to be with Jesus, we will continue to battle our sin nature… Paul aptly describes this struggle in Romans 7. In addition, the world is constantly trying to distract us from walking in step with God. And finally, the tempter, Satan, is also trying to hunt us down. As declared in 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV), we are to “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Even once we are saved, the enemy of our souls is continually trying to coax and beguile us out of the peace and safety we have in the arms of Jesus. The next verse, 1 Peter 5:9, continues, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
We can stand firm against Satan because God has equipped us to do so. He has given us both defensive protection and offensive weapons to battle against our own sinful desires, the world around us, and Satan. But we must choose daily to put on the armor He has provided.
Ephesians 6:10-13
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Today and every day, we are called to take a stand against temptation and sin. As Ephesians 6 elaborates, we have His truth, righteousness, gospel of peace and the Word, as well as prayer and our faith and salvation to serve as armor against our flesh, the world and the devil. So, let’s stand in His power. Stand in His promises. Stand in the mighty name of Jesus.
[1] G3985 – peirazō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (nasb20). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3985/nasb20/mgnt/0-1/
[2] G1828 – exelkō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (nasb20). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1828/nasb20/mgnt/0-1/
[3] G1185 – deleazō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (nasb20). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1185/nasb20/mgnt/0-1/
Heather L. Myers 