James 1:12-15 – Victory in This Life – Bible study

James 1:12-15 Victory In This Life The book of James is an interesting Book. I call it a giant "Christian Living" bag. In this bag, James discusses many topics and their only commonality is that if we do right, we will be better Christians and will receive Gods blessings. Tonight, lets take just one of James topics and see what God would teach us temptation. I. Simple facts about temptation. A. What is temptation? 1. It is the allurement to do what is wrong. 2. In every situation, there is a right and a wrong. 3. The gravity that pulls us toward the wrong is temptation. B. Temptation is and always will be with us. 1. You will never out-grow temptation. 2. If you could, older Christians would have done it. 3. We have all met foolish old folks and wise youngsters. C. \#15\ Surrendering to temptation leads to death. 1. I dont say that so much because a single temptation will kill you, although it can. a. I read about the teenager who died, supposedly, the first time he tried drugs. b. The youth was alleged to have had a long and verifiable stand against drugs. Many had pressured him but he had always refused. c. Then, for some unknown reason, he relented, tried a drug, and died. d. Dont fool yourself. A single temptation can kill you. 2. I say surrendering to temptation leads to death because the temptation yielded to will always cost a great price. a. It could be your life. b. Or it could be your health, your marriage, your job, your ministry, your testimony, your own self respect. c. However, even if it doesnt cost you any of these things, surrendering to temptation always separates you from fellowship with God. d. And if none-of-these other things happens to you, you might not notice what sin is doing to you, but it is killing you and your walk before God and, for a true Christian, that is a great price to pay! D. Resisting temptation is tough. 1. Resisting temptation is tough because yielding to it is natural. a. The evolutionists says that we are all animals. When we become violent or do wrong, we are just acting on our primitive, basic instincts or needs. b. Their premise is wrong. We are not animals. c. However, their conclusion is almost right. When left to our own sinful nature, we act like animals or even worse because it is natural for us to do so. d. One can liken mans nature to water running downhill. It is as natural for water to run downhill has it is for man to do wrong. By the same token, it is as difficult for man to do good as it is for water to run uphill. 2. Resisting temptation is tough because there are so many wrongs to be done. a. Temptation to lose your temper, to lie, to envy, to lust, to gossip, to be proud, to steal, to covet, to curse, to be a gold-brick, to deceive, to boast, and to backbite. b. And you know what? (1) After you have done the worst in that small list, there is a whole other list of to deal with. (2) Those are some of the nicer temptations. (3) There is a bad list, a worse list, a terrible list, an evil list, and an unthinkable list. (4) But after you have done the worst in the unthinkable list, there is still more wrong that you can do. c. No matter how evil and wicked you are, there will always be another temptation. 3. Resisting temptation is tough because temptations can be set against you. a. I dont live up there with the elite of the world but there have been one or two times when I believe I was set up by others. b. I believe there have been many times when Satan has set me up. 1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1) Let me tell you who knows you better than anyone else. (2) God and Satan (3) God knows you because He knows all things. (4) Satan knows you because He has studied mankind in general, mans traits, his weaknesses, his flaws; and Satan has studied you in particular. (5) Satan has a file on you. He watches what you watch, listens to what you listen to, and he knows exactly how to trip you up. (6) Satan custom builds your temptations. c. It is tough to overcome a trap built with you in mind. (1) Its your size. (2) It has bait mean to appeal to you. (3) And out back he has a hole already dug and there is a tombstone with your name written on it. E. God knew how tough it is to endure temptation so He gave us some truths to encourage us. 1. It is the victory over temptation that James is referring to \#12\. a. Those who do are blessed. That means happy and approved of God. b. Those who do receive a reward. (1) \#12\ That reward is called the Crown of Life. (2) Some speculate there is no literal crown, but that the text means we are rewarded with some state of happiness in heaven. (3) I dont see why it cant be both, especially since James, Paul, John, and Peter (all the epistle writers) refer to it. c. Those who do really love God. 2. James and other writers give us some of these truths. II. What truths will help us have victory over temptation? A. Dont expose yourself needlessly. 1. This one is actually given by Paul. Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. 2. Its not the truths that are the deepest but the truths we hear the most that often help us. 3. The wise Christian is the one who places barriers between himself and potential sin! B. \#13\ Dont blame God. 1. God is not responsible for a single bad thing in this world. a. All bad is a direct result of mans sin. b. When God withdraws mercy and allows us to face the natural results of sin, He is not the heavy. 2. God doesnt tempt us. He tries us. a. Temptation and test are two sides of the same coin. (1) I was disappointed years ago to learn there were not two different words for these terms. (2) One Greek word is used for both. b. That doesnt mean there is not a difference. (1) Part of the difference is in the Source. (a) God sends tests or trials. (b) Satan sends temptations. (2) However, what Satan sends for a temptation, God will use as a test and what God sends as a test, Satan will use as a temptation. c. The remainder of the difference is determined by our reaction to it. (1) Satans purpose in sending temptation is always to make us do wrong. (2) If we do the wrong, we yielded to Satans temptation. (3) Gods purpose in sending trails is to strengthen and grow us. (4) If we resist the temptation and grow, we passed Gods test. d. So the bottom line is that you often cannot tell a temptation from a test. (1) If you let it grow you, it was God testing. (2) If you let it defeat you, it was Satan tempting. e. I dont know about you, but I have had my belly full of temptations. (1) From now on, all I am going to have are tests. (2) I am going to come out ahead on them! f. In order to be sure every temptation is defeated and every test is passed, God promises to control the situation so that we never have to fail. 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. C. \#13\ Dont think that your temptation is unusual. 1. In other words, dont waste time feeling sorry for yourself or trying to tell God that your sin is His fault. a. First, you are the one who will decide to sin or not. b. Second, you are not facing anything that thousands of others have not faced. c. Third, God is offering you the power to overcome it and grow in it. 2. If there is an oddity in the temptation you are facing it is likely in the way you are handling it. a. You may be seeing yourself as the poor victim. b. \#14\ tells us that it is our own weaknesses that makes us susceptible to a particular temptation. c. That means, when we are tempted, we are never the victim. d. We are the cause. 3. One of the best tools I have ever learned was to quit seeing what my problems were doing to hurt me and to start trying to see how God was using my problems to help me. D. Dont take temptation lightly. 1. Temptation isnt a joke or something to be blown off. Its serious. 2. \#14-15\ Its serious because temptation shows our weakness. a. All temptation is born out of lust. b. Temptation is the external trap but lust is the internal bait. 3. \#14-15\ Its serious because temptation is one step on a course of destruction. a. lust b. temptation c. sin d. death E. Replace carnal lusts with godly desire. Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 1. There are 2 kinds of lust. a. Carnal lust-Old man desiring wicked and carnal things. b. Godly desire-New man desiring good and godly things. 2. When temptation comes to you, select a spiritual desire and excite it. These are just a few of the things that we as Gods people can do to be victorious in our Christian life. Victory In Jesus I heard an old, old story, How a Savior came from glory, How He gave His life on Calvary To save a wretch like me; I heard about His groaning, Of His precious bloods atoning, Then I repented of my sins And won the victory. Chorus O victory in Jesus, My Savior, forever. He sought me and bought me With His redeeming blood; He loved me ere I knew Him And all my love is due Him, He plunged me to victory, Beneath the cleansing flood.