Temptation : Why Can’t I Say No?

Scripture: James 1:12-21

INTRODUCTION 

I love spy, detective, and medical dramas. What do they have in common? They uncover the truth behind the mystery of a crime or a disease. We will do some lab work and dissect this thing called temptation and see what is at its root. 

WHY DOES TEMPTATION COME? 

You may be wondering about this: why do I fall into the trap of temptation over and over again?

I turned away from my sinful past and gave my life to Jesus. I am a Christ follower who is supposed to live a victorious life. Then why does this happen?

CREATION FALLEN 

We need to go back to the beginning. Was there absolute freedom in the Garden? From God’s perspective, yes. The world and the devil would like to tell us otherwise and therein lies the problem. This is what the devil tempted the first couple with and that is to believe that they were not truly free as long as they obeyed God and lived within the boundaries, He gave them. Satan tempted them with independent thinking outside of God’s instructions and got them to change their belief that God could be trusted and had indeed given them true freedom. What they did not see is, the boundary around the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was a boundary of love. Adam and Eve fell for the lie Satan fed them and instead of experiencing freedom, they fell into bondage. This is how sin entered the world and fractured our relationship with God, one another, and His creation. 

True freedom is not without boundaries. Those boundaries keep us from pain, sadness, and misery. When we live by God’s will we are free. People who have cast off all restraints are the ones who are unhappiest, and some have even landed in jail because of their choices. Thank God the story does not end there.

REFLECTIONS

Have you thought of God’s commands as restrictive or loving?

Scriptures: 1 Peter 2:24, Colossians 2:13-14

CHRIST SETS US FREE 

God always had a plan of redemption which was to set us free from this trap once and for all. He sent His son Jesus who did not fall for the tree of temptation, rather he took all our sins on a tree on which he was crucified so that we could know freedom. The cross sets us free from the penalty and the power of sin. This is why Jesus’ resurrection is so pivotal to our faith. Just as sin could not control Jesus, so it is powerless to control those who’ve placed their faith in Him. 

What did Jesus die to set us free from? He died to set us free from old sinful habits, unrenewed thought patterns, a broken identity, and the requirement to live under the law.

We know that our old nature was crucified on the cross along with Jesus. We were made alive and new in Jesus and our old self was not raised to life. We are Born again – a new creation in Christ. The old is gone! Yet we find this struggle in our hearts. We need to realize that while we are new creations and our desires are changing, we still need to deal with sinful habits. Many believe that once we are saved, freedom from sinful habits should be automatic as if a magic wand is waved over our heads. That is why we get disillusioned when we find those old habits are still around and they have not magically disappeared. As Christ-followers we now go through a process of renewal or sanctification.

What we know by faith we must act upon. As new creations, we are called to live by the Spirit that Christ has put in our hearts. We do not have to fight on our own. We still live in a world that is not redeemed. James tells us to count it as joy when we are faced with trials and temptations of many kinds. We also do not struggle against just our flesh but also against principalities and powers. Satan still has some power, and He uses it to torment us. 

We need to distinguish between temptation and sinful habits that we form because of giving in to temptation repeatedly. James shows us that there is a pattern of temptation that Satan uses against us repeatedly. Then he shows us the defenses that the gospel gives us against temptation. 

REFLECTIONS

Have you ever blamed God for the temptations you face? 

How have you dealt with temptations in the past?

Scriptures: James 1:14, James 1:16, Genesis 3:6, 2 Samuel 11:12

WHY DO I STILL GET TEMPTED?

Even as a Christ follower, there are behaviours, sinful habits, lifestyles, and thought patterns that we need to work on. This process is called sanctification. Our behaviour is influenced by how we think, which is influenced by what we believe. It is a constant cycle of being renewed through repentance and faith. I’d like to pause and ask a question. What are your core beliefs? Those beliefs guide your thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. These core beliefs are in your subconscious and develop in childhood through what you hear at home, what you are taught, and your life experiences. 

WHERE DOES TEMPTATION COME FROM? 

Firstly, understand that God does not tempt us nor make us sin. (James 1:13). God may allow us to be exposed to temptation as Jesus told us that in this world you will have many troubles.

FIVE ELEMENTS TO THE PATTERN OF TEMPTATION 

James shows us the structure so that we can slow down and examine what is happening in our hearts. We need to slow down our thoughts to examine what may appear to be happening in an instant. You must have seen this while watching cricket/football on TV. They do a replay in slow motion to show you how the wicket was taken or how the goal was scored. So, we are doing a slow motion to the process of temptation. This will help us detect the presence of the evil one, resist, stand firm, or flee. 

1 ATTRACTION

We see things or experience things through our senses, we are then lured by “our own evil desires” (James 1:14a) which lead us into temptation. As one preacher put it so well, we need to see everything through our ears!! This is true from the beginning of scripture. The devil got Eve to rely on what she saw rather than what God said. David saw Bathsheba and the rest followed. Both failed to interpret their realities in terms of God’s Word. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was good to look at just like the Tree of Life. All God wanted of them was for them to show that they loved Him by obeying Him. 

2. DECEPTION

V16. Don’t be deceived. Satan deceives us by blurring our vision. When we repeatedly rationalize our behaviour, the reasons we give ourselves to justify that behaviour become truth rather than ‘THE TRUTH’. 

3. PREOCCUPATION

Each person is tempted when he is lured or enticed by his own desire. What does enticement do? It draws you in. It is like holding something so close to your eyes that you cannot see anything else (tunnel vision) and it fills up your mind. It clouds your judgment. 

4. CONCEPTION

This is the real clue to what James is thinking. Then desire when it is conceived gives “birth to sin”. Sin begins in the thoughts before we act upon it. When we are not tempted actively our sin lies dormant and sometimes our sin is aroused but there is no opportunity. But when opportunity meets desire sin is conceived. This happened with King David and in the story of Adam and Eve. Both resulted in death. 

5. ENTRAPMENT

Ironically the very freedom that you chased eludes you. You become a prisoner of your sin and the consequences thereof. Sin results in bondage to that very sin. 

REFLECTIONS

Have you rationalized your sin away?

Have you caught yourself thinking too much about doing something that is wrong and before you know it you have acted upon it?

Scriptures: John 8:31-32, Proverbs 23:7, Jeremiah 17:9, Luke 11:28, Romans 12:2

HOW ARE WE SET FREE? DEBUGGING THE BRAIN 

Let us see in slow motion what seems to happen in an instant. All our actions or behaviours are driven by core beliefs. 

BELIEFS 

We must get rid of old beliefs and thought patterns and replace them with new ones. You need to change what you believe about God, yourself, and how you ought to live. What do we replace them with? We replace them with the truth found in the Bible. In John 8:31-32 we are told that we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. 

You might say that you read your Bible day in and out, yet do not experience freedom. Why? This knowing is not head knowledge. It is not information. Information that challenges us to change our beliefs and thoughts will lead to transformation. This knowing will set us free. Do not try to change behaviour without changing your beliefs. It will be a temporary change that will not last, and you will get frustrated. Jesus is always interested in our hearts. 

Do not try it on your own because you will give up. We need His empowering enabling Grace in our lives that comes by being immersed in the Holy Spirit. This new life is not about behaviour modification but heart transformation. Change your beliefs and your behaviour with automatically change e.g.) Covid changed how we live because we believe it can kill us. 

THOUGHTS

What you believe about God, yourself, the world, etc will affect how you think. Beliefs are like the filter or lens through which we perceive life. If you believe you are unloved it will be the filter through which you experience the world, and it will color your thoughts. The Bible tells us as a man thinks so he is. What this means is that your thought life dictates how you live and respond to your environment. In Philippians, we are encouraged to think about Godward thoughts, things that are love and noble. If I keep thinking angry thoughts, I will begin to feel anger toward people and situations. We are also commanded to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. 

FEELINGS

What the mind is preoccupied with will preoccupy the emotions. Feeling can only respond to thoughts and through what lens we experience our world. If my thoughts about a situation change, my feelings will soon follow. For example, if someone bumped into me and caused me to drop my bag I could scowl at the person and get angry for their callous behaviour. But what if I knew that the person who bumped into me was blind? Won’t that information change the way I think about the situation and therefore how I feel toward that person? Feelings are very subjective, and we can control them by what we feed our minds on. 

BEHAVIOUR

Our behaviour is a sum of what we believe, think, and feel. The former three are the drivers of our behaviour. That is why it is so important to renew our minds. James clearly shows this progression in his text. 

REFLECTIONS

Have you tried to just change behaviour without understanding its roots? How successful were you? 

Can you recall a time when your feelings were misguided because you perceived a situation wrongly?

Scriptures: James 1:21, 1 Samuel 15:24, 1 Samuel 15:30, Romans 4:19-21

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THOUGHT PATTERNS I NEED TO BE SET FREE FROM? 

The battle for freedom from wrong beliefs that lead to wrong behaviours is one of the biggest battles we face as Christ-followers. This affects our holiness, and how we view God and relate to Him. It also affects us daily in how we relate with others. 

Let us look at only three patterns or idols of the heart that become strongholds of thinking. An idol is, anything we over-desire and desire more than God. 

LOOK GOOD

This is all about keeping up appearances. You live life pretending to be someone else. This happens when we do not live out of our identity in Christ. You lie, cheat, deceive, and create false impressions. Because you want people’s approval, you find it difficult to say “NO” because you want to maintain the image of the ‘nice guy’. This idol will mask itself in good works. Also, I indulge in comparison and unhealthy competition, because I want to feel good about myself. 

FEEL GOOD

We live in a very sensual world. You can make some harmful lifestyle choices if everything is about making you feel good. You can’t always feel good. God has given us a lot of emotions. We feel angry, grieved, jealous, sad, happy, joyful, etc. So, while we are NOT ruled by our emotions, they are markers about how we are experiencing the world around us. 

Our feelings are a response to our thoughts which are dictated by our beliefs. If we believe that all negative emotions are from the devil or an indication that we do not have faith; the result will be that we deny those emotions and live with unreality. I suppress my true feelings masking it with religious mumbo jumbo. There is a place for the right confession. While we declare the truth we do not deny the fact. E.g.) I am sad that my daughter is unwell (FACT) but I know God can and will heal her (TRUTH). I am sad I lost my job (FACT) but I know God is my provider (TRUTH). 

Feeling driven people don’t like to move out of their comfort zone. Comfort and pleasure are idols. The need to feel good can also result in self-medicating addictive behaviours that give you that constant “high”. This is seen with the overconsumption of social media, movies, gaming, and porn. 

BE RIGHT

This behaviour is fuelled by the belief that I need to be perfect. Perfectionism drives what I do and how I relate with people. It keeps me from being who I truly am because I cannot show any weakness. So, we need to be right at any cost. This leads to lying, cover-up, deceitful behaviour, rationalizing our faults, blaming others, and inability to take responsibility for our behaviour. Apologizing and owning up is the hardest thing for one to do because their identity and self-worth are attached to what they do and not to who they are in Christ. 

All of us have elements of all 3 of these wrong belief systems. But as we renew our minds, we will get healthier and learn to walk in true freedom. 

REFLECTIONS

With which of the three idols of the heart can you relate?

Scriptures: Psalms 119:11, 2 Corinthians 12:9, 2 Corinthians 12:10, Philippians 4:13, James 5:16, 1 John 1:9

HOW DO I FIX THIS PROBLEM? 

God has given us several means of Grace via His Word, His Grace, and His people. 

GOD’S WORD: Knowing God’s word is critical because it changes our thought patterns. People need to know that the Word does its work through the Word. We are transformed by the renewing of the mind. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Through the mind (beliefs/thoughts) we reach the affections of our heart, instincts, and emotions, and that in turn will reshape our thinking. So, it is not human striving but allowing the Word of God to reshape our beliefs and thoughts which influence how we feel and behave.

GOD’S GRACE is always sufficient. He will not allow us to be tempted more than we are able to resist. His grace is empowering and gives us the strength to say no to sin and yes to godly living. Titus tells us that the Grace of God that has appeared to all men teaches us to say no to ungodliness. Those who call this legalism have not understood grace. 

GOD’S PEOPLE. We are not called to live in isolation but in community. There are so many ‘one-another’ verses in the New Testament. We are told to confess our sins one to another so that we might experience healing. Having someone you can be accountable to can help keep you on the straight and narrow. 

GODLY DESIRES. We also need to change our appetites. If you have eaten junk food all your life you will not know how good gourmet food is till you have experienced it. When I decided to give up sugar in my tea and coffee it took several months before I began to enjoy it. Now I dislike coffee or tea with sugar in it because my appetite or my taste has changed. It is the same with habits. We do enjoy our sin till we begin to cultivate a new appetite and then the old sin will not be enjoyable anymore.

So it is quite simple. What we feed our minds with will fuel our behaviour. Is it the world or the Word?

FROM REPENTANCE TO RENEWAL – WHAT DOES RENEWING THE MIND LOOK LIKE? 

Renewing involves removing and replacing. 

RECOGNIZE – First, we need to recognize or acknowledge the area of sin we are struggling with. What beliefs have helped the sin stay in my life? 

REPENT– Realize that your sin breaks the heart of God. Seek His forgiveness and decide to change what you believe and do. 

REPLACE – You cannot leave that space in a vacuum. Replace your beliefs and thoughts with the Word of God and find new patterns of behaviour or responses to situations. It will take time and you might slip into old habits but don’t worry. A step each day is 365 steps in a year! If you read James carefully, he gives you the clue in v21. God speaks to us and saves us through His Word. The Holy Spirit may remind you of His word while you pray. In Ephesians we are told that we attack every flaming dart of the evil one with the Sword of the Spirit, the word of God. In Romans, we are told to renew our minds by soaking them in the WORD. 

RENEW – When you replace your beliefs and thoughts a renewed cycle of behaviour will be easier to follow. 

REFLECTIONS

Do you have a community of Christ followers with whom you can be transparent about your struggles? If not pray and ask God to lead you to a few people that you can be close friends with and who will stand with you in your trials and temptations.

Scriptures: Psalms 32:5, Revelation 21:4, James 1:2-8

WHAT IS MY RESPONSE? 

I respond by changing my beliefs by identifying the patterns. 

Here are two samples of how you can track what you believe, think, feel, and do. You can do this exercise for any temptation. Just ask the Holy Spirit to shine His light into your heart.

I love how it is said in Psalm 32:5 in the Amplified version: I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord [continually unfolding the past till all is told]—then You [instantly] forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

God will slowly reveal your heart to you as you endeavor to fight temptation and grow stronger in your faith and in becoming more Christlike. Remember, we will never reach perfection on this side of eternity, but we can get healthier. One day when Christ returns, or we go to be with Him we will never have to fight temptation ever again. Till then, fight the good fight of faith for God is also at work in you. 

Be blessed in your journey of faith. 

REFLECTIONS

Now try this exercise with any other sinful habits you are struggling with eg) grumbling, lying, overeating, substance abuse, unforgiveness, manipulative behaviours, etc. This will help you take captive those sinful beliefs and thought patterns. Bring them to God and allow His Holy Spirit to rearrange your heart and transform your mind.