What Temptation Will Do To You

Tunde Mabinuori 

James 1: 14-15 “but each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin; when it is fully grown gives birth to death.”

a.       It drags away and entices: ‘but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desires he is dragged away and enticed”. Drag away could mean draw away, baited. Often these evil desires can be the actual sources of the temptations we face. (Matthew 15: 18-19). Let us consider this example concerning the love of money from I Timothy 6:9-10 NIV: “People fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Note how the “foolish and harmful” desires led the people away from the faith and plunged them into ruin, destruction and many griefs. In addition to the evil desires within us, the devil and his servants may also be sources of temptation. Paul explained that these forces are real and primarily spiritual: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

These forces are skilled at introducing tempting thoughts to us which appeal to our natural and/ or evil desires.  Since they can’t make us sin, they hope to arouse our evil desires enough so that we will pursue the temptation and sin. The Bible gives several accounts of Satan tempting people with things that appealed to their desires.

When Joshua led the people of Israel into the Promised Land, the first city they conquered was Jericho. God told the people that they were to keep none of the captured goods for themselves, but a man named Achan disobeyed and was later caught with the stolen things. Look up Achan’s confession in Joshua 7: 20-22.

b.      Conception:  James mentions that our evil desire is capable of conceiving. The Greek word used there for conceive is “Sullambano” (Vine’s Greek New Testament Dictionary) which means “to clasp, i.e. seize (arrest, capture ); specially, to conceive (literally or figuratively); by implication, to aid: catch, conceive, help, take.”

Applying these definitions, conception occurs when our evil desires clasp or seize our minds in order to engage a temptation. It is the point when we open the door of our mind to the temptation instead of rejecting it; when we give the temptation a place in our heart instead of treating it like an enemy. Conception can happen as quickly as within a few seconds of the temptation. 

c.       It gives birth to sin: After our evil desires conceive, they birth sinful thoughts and/or actions. Usually, sin occurs in our thoughts before we act it out physically. “Thought sin” occurs when we respond to a temptation by using our imaginations to dwell on, embellish or fantasize about doing the act. For example, sexual sin occurs when we respond to the temptation by using our imaginations to speculate about sexual activity based on the temptation source (e.g what it would be like, what it would feel like etc.). That is why Paul stated that our responsibility as Christians includes “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV). 

d.      It brings death: Our sin always causes something to die, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual. God’s word tells us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). It is inescapable, yet people continue to believe the lies that the consequences of their sin won’t be that bad. For example, back  in Eden, Satan told Eve that she wouldn’t actually die like God said and that the forbidden fruit would actually help her be more like God. When eve sinned, her innocence died, her marital harmony died, her relationship with God died and her peace died (Genesis 3:12-16). Likewise, Satan and his forces of evil continue to downplay the death that will occur in our lives if we sin.

Take some time right now to consider whether there are some weak spots in your life – an old habit, a wrong pattern of activity or a desire for something that requires disobedience to God in order to get. If you identify any weakness, ask the Lord now to give you strength and to deliver you from the temptations of the evil one.

Pastor Tunde Mabinuori is the Minister-in-Charge of Rhema Chapel International Churches, Oluyole Estate, Ibadan

e-mail: tundemabinuori@gmail.com