A Devil of a Decision
James 1:13-16 No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved. (NRSV)
When we succumb to temptation, it’s not a nice feeling. If only we could undo it, wind it back. But we can’t. So who’s to blame. You? Me? Surely not. Must be the devil. Why did God let him tempt us?
That blame game can be one of our coping mechanisms when we’ve fallen into temptation. Yep, the devil did it. And hey, God saw it coming, He allowed it, so He’s to blame too. But …
James 1:13-16 No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved. (NRSV)
Let’s get a few things straight here. First up, there’s no evil in God. It’s not in His nature so He Himself doesn’t tempt us. And whilst sometimes the devil is involved, in this particular passage, God lays it all squarely at our feet.
You want something that you don’t have – that’s the spark of desire. The more we think about it, the more we’re lured and enticed by it. And it’s that spark of desire, fanned by our thoughts. that turns into fully blown sin. The more we sin, the further we head down the road of eternal death.
Don’t be deceived, my beloved. Sometimes it’s not the devil, it’s the decision. So identify the desire that leads you, time and again, into sin. And lay it down at the foot of the cross.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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