Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Just like the physical world is governed by laws of nature, the spiritual world is also governed by laws of the spirit. In our study today, James tells us that the law of sin and death begins with the bait of temptation.

Before we engage in this study of temptation, James reminds us of this very important point in verse 13, Let no man say when he is tempted (to commit sin), I am tempted of God (to commit sin): for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

Believe it or not, there are 3 things that God cannot do. (1) God cannot lie (2) God cannot be tempted with evil (3) God cannot fail to keep His promises. And one of those precious promises is given to us in 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. "

Sin would be helpless if there was nothing in man to which it could appeal. This means that Adam was created innocent, not perfect. You and I are not born innocent. Psalm 51:5 "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." All mankind after Adam is born with a flesh nature that is prone to evil desires, whether you are a Christian or not.

Beloved, listen carefully…temptation in itself is not sin. We do not sin until we conceive the bait into our minds and carry the temptation out. If you follow the context of Hebrews 4:14–16, God’s way out of temptation is found in fleeing to our great high priest, The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who will give us grace to help in time of need. Praise God for that!

When, not if, we are being tempted, we need to remember that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. We also need to remember that 1 Cor 10:13 tells us that there is a way out. Thus, whenever you are being tempted today (to lie, to gossip, to lust, to brag), agree with God’s Word and look for God’s exit sign!

James is writing to believers like you and me about the reality of the source and root cause of all temptation and sin. This evil desire that resides in each and every one of us here today is something that will either be nourished or resisted. In Romans 6, God tells us that our bodily members are to be reckoned dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God. The Spirit of God is telling us this evening that when we understand the source of temptation and the enemy’s objective in baiting us with it, we can walk in victory as we yield ourselves to God and resist the temptation.

May we hear what God says to us today, and may we see how we can walk in victory, not sinless perfection, by grace, through faith in The Lord Jesus Christ. SELAH