How Do We Fight Temptation? | James 1:13-18

James 1:13–18 — The Anatomy of Temptation (Rough Transcript)

I’m not sure your experience with preachers talking about sin and temptation. Maybe you’ve been at some places where they just beat you over the head with the Bible. Maybe you’ve been some places where they don’t really mention sin, and if they do, it is not ever talked about in any depth.

Maybe even right now, you’re kind of on the edge of your seat because you aren’t really sure how this is about to go. Sin… temptation…

When I was a teenager and was really starting to explore my faith and try to draw closer to Jesus, sin and temptation was something I thought deeply about.

I thought a lot about it because I ran into a wall. I was becoming aware of how deeply sinful I was, and I didn’t know how to stop sinning.

I remember going to a conference and hearing a testimony of someone who struggled with an addiction, and then he “found Jesus,” and that addiction totally went away in an instant. And praise God, He can instantaneously and miraculously heal our sin problems. But that wasn’t my story.

I was really trying to follow Jesus, and I was really trying to kill my sin. But nothing seemed to be working. What do you do when you feel stuck in sin and you’ve tried everything to fix the issue?

Often shame, guilt, and hopelessness settle in.

We want to do two things: help the struggler but also help the self-righteous.

And while we want to talk honestly about the damages of sin today, I want us to leave with hope that God is actually able to help us as we work to kill our sins. Through Christ, where you are today with lingering sins does not have to be where you are forever.

Scripture Reading — James 1:13–18

No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone.

But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

The Weight of Sin

Sin is our actions and desires that go against the design of God. Sin separates us from God, harms others, and brings chaos into the world.

Anytime you sin, from the smallest to the largest, you are going against the design and will of God. That separates you from God, harms others, and brings chaos into the world.

James talks about this progression of sin, and the word of this downward spiral is “death.”

Sin, of all kinds and degrees, brings death.

It brings spiritual death, separation from God.
It brings damage to others.
It brings chaos to our world.

The gospel of grace isn’t good news if you don’t see your depravity and need for healing.

The Progression of Temptation

Each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.

Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

Do you see the progression?

Desire → Sin → Death

You have evil desire within you, and it is enticing you, whispering to you everything you want to hear.

You want to feel justified? Explode in anger.
You want to feel accepted and loved without work? Lust and pornography.
You want to feel better than? Judge.
You want to increase your popularity? Gossip.
You want to be served, always, never serving? Be harsh.

Sin always overpromises and underdelivers.

Pay attention to the temptation in your heart. What is it promising you?

It is drawing you away from goodness and from God. This isn’t usually one big moment, but subtle, small drifts.

Desire → Sin → Death / Destruction

Fighting at the Root

Where do most people try to fight sin?

They try to change the action.

But that doesn’t work. It’s like weeds growing up and you just mow over them and then wonder why they continue to grow back. You have to get to the roots, to the heart.

And how do you change at the desire level of the heart?

New Birth and New Desires

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth.

James contrasts the ways of sin, how it gives birth to death, and how God, who gives good gifts and is good and loving, by his own desire, has given us new birth by Christ.

So that we would become new creations. Rather than abiding in sin with chaos and harm coming out of us, we would abide in Christ and goodness and light would come out of us. We need new desires. We need to be made new. And you cannot do that on your own.

He gave us birth by the word of truth.

Through Christ, coming down to earth and living a sinless life and becoming our sacrifice, our sins were placed upon him, and he took the death we deserve. He has washed us clean and given us a new heart.

Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. If we try to deal with our sins and evil desires on our own, simply modifying our behavior, we are not getting deep enough.

The Hope of the Gospel

Are you sinful this morning? We all are.

Sin is no small thing. It is harming you and others and drawing you away from God.

But the word of truth, the good news of Jesus Christ, is that Christ died for you to free you from sin, yes, but also give you new desires.