Where does temptation come from?

This week, we are asking and answering the questions “What is temptation?” and “Where does temptation come from?” Yesterday, we answered the first question, which is “What is temptation?” and discovered that temptation, simply put, is an enticement towards evil. Temptation is an enticement to take a God-given desire beyond its God-given design.

Today, with the definition of temptation in mind, we are ready to tackle the second question, which is “Where does temptation come from?” We discover the answer to that question in a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James. And it is in a section of this letter by James that we discover the timeless answer to the question “Where does temptation come from?” So let’s discover that answer together, beginning in James 1:13:

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God";

James begins this section of his letter to early followers of Jesus by commanding followers of Jesus “Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God". As we have already talked about, when James uses the word tempted here, this word means to entice someone into improper or evil behavior.

However, to fully understand what James is commanding here, we first need to understand the context in which James gives this command. In the opening section of the book of James, which occurs right before the section that we are looking at this morning, James called followers of Jesus to rejoice when they experience various trials in their lives. However, the word that James uses for trial, in that language that this letter was originally written in, was used to refer to both temptations and trials.

In addition, this word conveys the sense of something happening to someone. James was addressing something that comes upon us that reveals the nature and character of what is within us. You see, character is like toothpaste; you never really know what is inside until it is squeezed. James is referring to the temptations that we face when it comes to responding to the various circumstances we face.

James here is revealing the reality that the temptations that we face internally are the result of circumstances that we can experience externally. The issue that James is addressing here is the issue of our response to the temptation that we face as a result of the circumstances that we face, because while we are not necessarily responsible for the circumstances we face, we are responsible for our response to those circumstances.

And apparently, there were followers of Jesus who were claiming that God enticed followers of Jesus into circumstances where they could act in an improper or evil manner. There were followers of Jesus who were claiming that God tempted people by placing them into situations where they could respond to the temptation in a way that rebelled and went against the message and teachings of Jesus. James responded to that claim by commanding followers of Jesus not to make the claim that they were being enticed by God in a way that could result in them rebelling against God.

Now a natural question or objection that could arise here is “Well Dave how do we know that God does not tempt people? How do we know that God is not the source of temptation? We see James provide the answer to that question in what he has to say next, which is recorded for us in the second half of verse 13. Let’s look at it together:

            for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does

           not tempt anyone.

Here we see James reveal for us the reality that temptation does not come from God. When James states “for God cannot be tempted by evil”, this phrase, in the language that this letter was originally written in, literally means “God is incapable of being tempted”. James point is that temptation does not come from God because God is incapable of being tempted. God, in His very nature, is impervious to temptation. God, in His very nature, is impervious to being enticed towards evil. There is nothing that can tempt God to do something that is morally or socially reprehensible, because God is beyond temptation. God, in His perfection, makes any enticement towards evil impotent.

But not only is God incapable of being tempted. In addition, James explains that He Himself does not tempt anyone. James point here is that temptation does not come from God because God does not tempt others to rebel against Him. God does not sit up in Heaven and attempt to entice people into doing things that dishonor Him. God does not spend His time thinking of ways that He can place us in circumstances where we will respond in ways that rebel against Him.

Now a natural question that arises here is “Well Dave, if God is not the source of temptation, that what is the source of temptation? If God is not the One who is enticing us to do things that rebel against Him, then who is?” We see James provide the answer to that question in verse 14-15:

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Here we see James explain to followers of Jesus throughout history that instead of claiming “I am being tempted by God” the reality is that “each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust”. Now what is so interesting is that the phrase carried away, in the language that this letter was originally written in, is a word picture of someone being dragged away by something after displaying some initial reluctance.

In addition, when James uses the word enticed, this word literally means to arouse someone’s interest in something. James then explains that what drags us away after overcoming one’s initial reluctance; what arouses our interest, is his own lust. Now when James talks about lust here, James is referring to a desire for something that is forbidden.

James point here is that we are enticed into rebelling against God by our own selfish desires for something that goes against God’s desires for our lives. And after some initial resistance, these selfish desires drag us away from following God’s desires for our lives and toward fulfilling our own selfish desires that go against God’s desires for our lives.

And it is here that we see James reveal for us the reality that temptation comes from our selfish desires. It is theses selfish desires that drag us away from God. It is these selfish desires that arouse within us a desire for something that is forbidden by God. And as James explains in verse 15, it is these selfish desires place us on the path of death.

James paints a powerful word picture of pregnancy and birth to reveal the reality that the true source of temptation is not from without but from within. When James uses the phrase “then when lust has conceived", he is revealing for us the reality that when we become pregnant with selfish desires for what has been forbidden by God, eventually we will give birth to something.

James then explains that what those selfish desires for what is forbidden by God give birth to is sin. When James uses the word sin, this word refers to acts of omission or commission that hurt God and others and that flow from our selfishness and rebellion against God and the word of God. James point here is that our selfish desires within us give birth to, or produce, our actions or inactions of rebellion against God. 

James then explains that “when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” But what does that mean? As we have talked about previously, when we see the word death in the Bible, the word death conveys the sense of separation. As a result of sin’s entrance into the world we experience physical death, which is the separation of our soul from our body. But not only do we experience physical death as a result of sin; we also experience spiritual death, which is the separation of us from God. Now if we physically die while being spiritually dead, we experience eternal death, or eternal separation from God. James point here is that as these selfish desires cause sin to come into being in our lives; and as sin runs its course in our lives; as we act on those selfish desires; the result is separation from God.

You see, so often we live out our day to day lives in a way that attempts to manage our selfish and rebellious desires. So often, we live out our day to day lives as though we can tame those selfish and rebellious desires in the same way we tame a pet.

Instead of trying to manage our sin; instead of trying to tame those selfish desires within our lives, we need to do what had to be done with that lion; we need to kill that sin; we need to take out a gun and kill those selfish desires within us. We need to kill those selfish desires because those selfish desires are the true source of temptation. We need to kill those selfish desires because those selfish desires give birth to acts of selfishness and rebellion against God and others. We need to kill those selfish desires because those selfish desires produce selfishness and rebellion that separate us from God.

After revealing the reality that temptation does not come from God but instead comes from our own selfish desires, we see James hammer his point home in James 1:16-17. Let’s look at it together:

 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

Now to fully understand what James is communicating here, we fist need to understand a few things. First, when James commands followers of Jesus throughout history to “Do not be deceived” this command refers to being mistaken in one’s own judgment so as to deceive oneself. So this command, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: My fellow followers of Jesus whom I love, make no mistake in your thinking so as to deceive yourself.

James then corrects their possible mistake in judgment in verse 17 by explaining that “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above,” In other words, every good thing that we are given that is of a high standard of quality, every gift that we have received that is perfect, has its ultimate source in God. James is revealing for us the reality that God is our perfect provider.

James then paints a powerful word picture about the nature and character of God as our perfect provider: “coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” When James uses the phrase coming down from the Father of lights, this phrase refers to God as “the Father, or Creator, of the Heavenly bodies”. This phrase refers to God as the Creator and Caretaker of all that exists.

And as the Creator and Caretaker of all that exists, James explains that with whom there is no variation of shifting shadow. Now the word variation simply means to change. In addition, the phrase shifting shadow was a phrase that was used in the first century to describe the process of darkening that occurs on the earth as a result of the turning of the sun, moon and stars. James paints this word picture to reveal for us the reality that God has not changed and God does not change. Unlike the shadows that are ever changing on earth as a result of the rotation of the sun, moon, and stars, God is constant and never changing. And because God is constant and never changing, God never has been and never will be the source of temptation. Instead of blaming God for enticing us to evil, we are to recognize that the temptations that entice us toward evil come from our own selfish desires.

However, while the temptations that entice us towards evil come from our own selfish desires, as James has pointed out, there are external circumstances or forces that provoke those internal desires. The temptations, the enticement towards evil that we face internally are the result of circumstances that we can experience externally.

Friday, we will look at those external forces together…