But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. — James 1:14 – 15
I love going to the hardware store. Big box store, local hardware store, discount hardware store, you name it and I’m excited to visit. It isn’t that I always need something. In fact, I probably do as few projects around the house as I can get by with. But there are so many things in these stores that I think would be awesome to have.
As I walk around, I often find myself looking at items, trying to figure out if there is any way I could find a use for them. Even though I know good and well that I probably don’t need them. But the temptation is there to just buy the items anyway. They catch my attention.
While the hardware store is a simple example, we all have things that tempt us. It is human nature to be tempted and everyone deals with temptation, as James says here. How we respond to that temptation is the important part. Do we chase the temptation, or do we let it go?
As Satan goes about working evil in the world, he knows the very things that tempt us the most. It is no coincidence that if we are most tempted by one thing, that seems to be the thing that we see the most. These are the things that catch our attention. Satan loves nothing more than for us to be tempted and enticed into action and sin.
But we have an example from Jesus in how to deal with temptation. Jesus was tempted but didn’t sin. Instead, He withstood those temptations with the word of God. Don’t try to fight the temptations of this world alone. Instead, turn to God’s word and God in prayer. Whatever may be catching your attention, He can help you against the temptation.
Across the world, there are Christians that need encouragement and strength that only God’s word can provide. We are focused on helping Christians find encouragement, develop stronger relationships with God, and help non-Christians come to accept Jesus Christ as Savior. As a non-profit ministry, Another Well Ministries relies on donations to continue our work. You can find out more about us and ways to support us here.
If you enjoy our devotionals, subscribe for free to receive them daily in your email!