Week 2 - James
There are two paths
of life that every individual must decide to walk: the path that leads to death
or the path that leads to life. This theme is repeated throughout the biblical
narrative. As we face trials and temptation in this life, the choice is still
ours to make: will we walk on the path leading to life or will we choose to
succumb to the ways of this world? James teaches us that everyone must decide
which path they will walk.
The Point:
Every
person must determine the path they will walk.
James
1:12-18
12 Blessed is the
man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will
receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let
no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be
tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted
when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has
conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth
death.
16 Do not be
deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no
variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by
the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), James 1:12-18.
Study
Notes
This week we’re
continuing our study in the book of James. Again, James challenges how we
handle trials and temptations. The temptation to sin has been present since the
fall of man, when Eve gave in to Satan’s temptation in the garden. However,
some of James’s readers were blaming God for the temptations they experienced.
James stated emphatically that believers are responsible for any pulls to evil
their trials bring. Temptations to evil don’t arise from God. No pull to evil
can touch Him because He has no vulnerability. The morally perfect God who is,
at heart, a loving Father doesn’t use temptations to evil to test His people.
James places the
responsibility for temptations on the individual. Temptations arise from within
the person but in themselves don’t constitute sin. Entertaining temptation,
however, can set in motion a tragic process. First, the person is drawn away
and enticed by his own evil desires. Then, joining one’s will with evil desire
produces sin, and full-blown, unrepented sin leads to spiritual death.
Path of
Death
The path of death
is depicted as a journey filled with temptation and deception. It begins with
desire, which, when conceived, gives birth to sin. Sin, once fully grown, leads
to death. James warns against being misled by the allure of temptation. Sin lies
to us. It promises good but never delivers. Instead of good, sin destroys the
very things God created for us to enjoy. It lures us by lying to us, creating
broken relationships with others and of course, with God. Our sinful nature
gives in to our own selfish desires. This process leads us down a path that
isn’t honoring to God. Oftentimes, the temptations that lead to sin create a
slow fade away from the God who loves us and into a self-centered life filled
with worldly desires, which ultimately leads to death.
Path of
Life
To the contrary,
the path of life is one that endures trials, resists temptation, and is
dependent on God. Those who chose to endure and trust in the Lord will be
rewarded with the crown of life promised by God. While walking with God we will
be tempted in the deceptive nature of desires. James provides hope by reminding
believers that every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of
lights. James highlights the importance of recognizing and embracing God’s
gifts, rather than being swayed by fleeting desires that lead us astray.
During
difficulties, God is good. His faithfulness is unwavering. His grace is
abundant. In essence, James depicts life as a battleground between perseverance
and temptation, urging readers to remain steadfast in their faith, trusting in
God’s provision and rejecting the allure of sin.
Questions
for Discussion
Is being tempted a sin? Does everyone experience
temptations to do the same things and in the same ways? Explain your answers.
If temptations
promise good but never deliver, why do we so often say yes to them?
Why do you think
people try to blame God for the temptations they face, as James’s readers
evidently were doing?
According to James
in 1:13-15, who is the real culprit we’re to blame for our sins?
When we can endure
the trials, what does James say God promises? What does the “crown of life”
mean?
Why do you think
some people choose to be deceived by sin and allow it to lead their life on the
path of death?
What are some
specific ways you’ve seen God’s power at work in your life when you’ve faced
temptations? What role did prayer play in those situations?
What would you say
are 3 important ways to help the believer endure temptation and trials?
END
Teacher's Notes
The Devil’s
Advocate
In the beginning of the movie, Keanu Reeves is defending a child molester who he knows is guilty, and he begins to question his morals. The judge announces a break in the middle of cross examination, and Kevin goes to the washroom and wrestles with his choice. This “washroom scene” becomes a crossroad in Kevin’s life – he has two choices to make. His good intentions are outweighed by his vanity to maintain his perfect win-streak and he goes back into the courtroom defends his guilty client and wins the case. Kevin chooses sin – and the movie goes on to show how his sin leads to - The Path of Death for his wife and himself. At the end of the movie Kevin takes his own life, in an act of free will and he wakes up back in the “washroom scene” where he’s given a second chance to make the right choice.
But watch what happens…
Sorry I can't play this clip - I modified it to take out some bad language and it won't let me post it.
What do we learn
about sin and the devil from this clip?
The path of death
is depicted as a journey filled with temptation and deception. It begins
with desire, which, when conceived, gives birth to sin. Sin, once fully grown, leads
to death. James warns against being misled by the allure of temptation. Sin lies to us.
It promises good but never delivers. Instead of good, sin destroys the very
things God created for us to enjoy. It lures us by lying to us, creating broken
relationships with others and of course, with God.
Would you say this
“temptation” is at play in our world today?
When does doing the
right thing become the wrong thing?
Vanity
excessive pride in
or admiration of one's own appearance or achievements.
There are two paths
of life that every individual must decide to walk: one leads to death, and one
leads to life. The Point in our lesson this morning is that every person must
determine the path they will walk.
James
1:12-18
12 Blessed is the
man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God
has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am
being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But
each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then
desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown
brings forth death.
Trials, Tests,
&
Temptations
Is Temptation a
Sin?
What is it then?
Does God
Ever Tempt Us to Sin?
Temptations to evil
don’t arise from God. No pull to evil can touch Him because He has no
vulnerability. The morally perfect God who is, at heart, a loving Father
doesn’t use temptations to evil to test His people.
Why do you think
people try to blame God for the temptations they face, as James’s readers
evidently were doing?
It’s easy to blame
others and make excuses for evil thoughts and wrong actions. (look at Adam
& Eve) A person who makes excuses is trying to shift the blame from himself
or herself to something or someone else. A Christian accepts responsibility for
their wrongs, confesses them, and asks God for forgiveness.
Trials,
Tests, Temptations
The Greek word for
”trials”, “tests”, and “temptations” is peirasmos.
Last week’s lesson:
James 1:2–4
“Count it all joy,
my brothers, when you meet trials
of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces
steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Now we
all agree that God tests us.
If the word for
‘temptation’ and the word for ‘test’ are the same in the Greek, peirasmos, how
are we to understand the differences in meaning of the two words in passages
where it talks about God testing us (James 1:3–4), and then in James 1:13,
where it says, ‘God does not tempt anyone’?
How do we
put these together?
If we step back and
ask the question of why the New Testament would use the same word for testing
and temptation, perhaps part of the answer is that every test really is a kind
of temptation. And every temptation really is a kind of test.
“Our faith in God
and our love for God are being tested
with every
temptation.”
According
to James, who is the real culprit to blame for our sins?
James places the responsibility for temptations on
the individual. Temptations arise from within the person but in themselves
don’t constitute sin. Entertaining temptation, however, can set in motion a
tragic process. First, the person is drawn away and enticed by his own evil
desires. Then, joining one’s will with evil desire produces sin, and
full-blown, unrepented sin leads to spiritual death.
Our sinful nature gives in to our own
selfish desires. This process leads us down a path that isn’t honoring to God. Oftentimes,
the temptations that lead to sin create a slow fade away from the God who loves
us and into a self-centered life filled with worldly desires, which ultimately
leads to death. James stated emphatically that believers are responsible for
any pulls to evil their trials bring.
If
temptation promises good but never delivers, why do we so often say yes to
them?
There is within us
all a strong desire for the forbidden fruit.
“Most
people want to be delivered from temptation, but they would like it to keep in
touch.”
What
would you say are 3 important ways to help the believer endure temptation and
trials?
The path of life is
one that endures trials, resists temptation, and is dependent on God.
I’m going to give
you 5 ways:
END
Bible
Notes:
The crown of life
is like a victory wreath given to winning athletes. God’s crown of life is not
glory and honor here on earth, but the reward of eternal life – living with God
forever. The way to be in God’s winner’s circle is by loving Him and staying
faithful even under pressure.
Temptation
comes from evil desires inside us, not from God. It begins with an
evil thought and becomes sin when we dwell on the thought and allow it to
become an action. Like a snowball rolling downhill, sin grows more destructive the
more we let it have its way. The best time to stop a temptation is before it is
too strong or moving too fast to control.
People who live for
God often wonder why they still have temptations. Does God tempt them? God
tests people, but He does not tempt them by trying to seduce them into sin. God
allows Satan to tempt people, however, to refine their faith and to help them
grow in their dependence on Christ. We can resist the temptation to sin by
turning to God for strength and choosing to obey His Word.
First-century Christians
were the first generation to believe in Jesus Christ as Messiah. James called
them “a kind of firstfruits of all He created.” In 1 Corinthians 15:20, Paul
refers to Christ as the firstfruits of those who have died.
Is being
tempted a sin?
(BG)
It is not a sin to
be tempted, for everyone is tempted. The devil tempts, but he can tempt you
only so far as God permits — and God always provides a way to escape (1
Corinthians 10:13). The sin is in yielding to temptation instead
of seeking God’s power to escape.
Temptation is the
same for us as it was for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. And Satan also
tempts us in the same way that he tempted Jesus — through “the lust of the flesh, the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Satan’s attempt failed.
When you face
temptation, follow Jesus’ example. Satan will say, “For a moment’s bowing of
your head to me, the money, the fame, the business, the success and the power
will be yours.” But do what Jesus did. Jesus didn’t argue with Satan; Jesus
didn’t debate with him; Jesus didn’t rationalize. Instead, He replied, “It is
written … ” Jesus responded to the enemy’s temptation with the simple but
strong truth of God’s Word, Scripture. Do the same today — and always.
The Bible tells us
to be on the alert, for Satan is always looking for a way to trap us. “Sin lies
at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Genesis 4:7).
How do we rule over it? By keeping our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. By
keeping our hearts free from the things that can lead to temptation. Don’t be trapped
but tap into the power that God grants to those whose hearts are bent toward
Him. “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God” (1 Chronicles
22:19).
What are
the keys to resisting temptation?
Nelson’s Bible
Dictionary defines temptation as “an enticement or invitation to sin, with the
implied promise of greater good to be derived from following the way of
disobedience.” Resisting temptation begins with knowing that
Satan is the supreme “tempter” (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5) who has
been tempting mankind since our Creator placed His first two children in the
Garden of Eden (Genesis 3; 1 John 3:8). Ultimately, however, we know that
Satan’s power over Christians has been effectively destroyed as the war has
already been won through our Savior’s death and resurrection which conquered
the power of sin and death forever. Nonetheless, Satan still prowls the earth
looking to drive a wedge between God and His children, and his temptations are
unfortunately a daily part of our lives (1 Peter 5:8). Yet with the power of
the Holy Spirit and the truth of God’s Word to help us, we will find ourselves
effectively resisting temptations.
The apostle Paul
encourages us with these words: “No temptation has seized you except what is
common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Indeed, every one of us faces temptations
of some kind; even Jesus was not immune as He was “tempted in every way, just
as we are” (Hebrews 4:15). Although Satan may be the dark force
ultimately behind the tempting, it is our fallen and corrupted human nature
that allows these temptations to take root and causes us to act on them,
thereby “giving birth to sin” (James 1:15). But it is the power of the Holy Spirit that
enables us to free ourselves from the sin and temptations we struggle with in
our daily lives. Thus, if we have the Spirit of Christ residing in our hearts,
we already have what it takes to resist the flaming arrows the devil sends our
way. As Paul told the Galatians, “Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify
the desires of the sinful nature” (Galatians 5:16).
The Word
of God has always been our best defense against Satan’s temptations, and the
better we know His Word, the easier it will be to claim victory over our daily
struggles.
The psalmist tells us, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I
might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). When Christ was tempted by Satan in
the desert, the first thing He did was to quote Scripture (Matthew 4:4–10),
which eventually caused the devil to leave Him. Indeed, Christians need to be
diligent in studying God’s Word. “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it
all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies” (Psalm 119:97–98).
In
addition to God’s Word, prayer can help us to resist temptation. The night He was
betrayed, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He told Peter to pray
“so that you will not fall into temptation” (Mark 14:38). Also, in the “Lord’s
Prayer,” Jesus taught us to pray that we would not be led into temptation
(Matthew 6:13; Luke 11:4). Yet, when we do fall into temptation, we know that
“God is faithful; He will not let us be tempted beyond what [we] can bear,” and
that He will provide us with a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). This is a promise
from God, and like Abraham, Christians should be “fully persuaded” that God has
the power to do what He has promised (Romans 4:21).
Another way to help
us resist temptation is to remember what Jesus Christ did for us. Even though He
never committed a sin, He willingly endured the torture of the cross for us
while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). Every sin we’ve ever committed, or
will commit, played a part in nailing our Savior to the cross. How we respond
to Satan’s worldly allurements is a great indicator as to just how much the
love of Jesus Christ occupies our hearts.
Now, even though
Christians already have the tools necessary for victory, we need to use our
common sense and not place ourselves in situations that prey upon, or
stimulate, our weaknesses. We are already bombarded every day with images and
messages that tantalize our sinful lusts. We don’t need to make it more
difficult than it already is. Even though Christ’s Spirit resides in our
hearts, our flesh can be very weak at times (Matthew 26:41). When we know
something is or can be sinful, Paul warns us to “flee from it.” Remember, the
“tempter” is also the master of rationalization, and there is no limit to the
arguments the devil can offer us to justify our sinful behavior.
Armed with God’s
Spirit and the truth of His Word, we are well equipped to overcome Satan’s
assaults (Ephesians 6). No matter what trials and temptations come
our way, God’s Word and Spirit are infinitely more powerful than any of Satan’s
schemes. When
we walk with the Spirit we can look at temptations as opportunities for us to
show God that He is indeed the Master of our lives.
What does
it mean that God cannot be tempted
(James
1:13)?
James 1:13 says,
“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be
tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.” James then goes on to explain where
the temptation to sin comes from: “Each person is tempted when they are dragged
away by their own evil desire and enticed” (verse 14).
Earlier in this
passage, James explains to believers the purpose for “trials of many kinds” and
“the testing of your faith” (James 1:2–3). Trials are an inevitable part of
living in a sin-cursed world (John 16:33), and we should welcome tests because
they produce perseverance (James 1:3), which can make us “mature and complete,
not lacking anything” (verse 4).
The way we respond
to trials determines their effect upon us. “Blessed is the one who perseveres
under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown
of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). James is
not saying that remaining steadfast under trials will result in the crown of
life; rather, he is assuring those who have received the crown of life through
faith in Christ that they will not be so overwhelmed by trials that they blame
God for tempting them to sin. God, who cannot be tempted, tempts no one.
If the trial we
face involves an inducement to sin, James says that we should not regard the
inducement to sin as coming from God. God does not will anyone to sin, and He
does not tempt us to sin. The trial, not the sin, is His aim. Trials are
designed to refine us as gold is refined by fire: “In all this you greatly
rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all
kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your
faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by
fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1
Peter 1:6–7).
Unlike human
beings, God cannot be tempted to sin because everything about God is the exact
opposite of sin. Human beings are born with a sin nature inherited from Adam,
and that nature is part of what entices us and drags us away from what is good.
God has no sin nature; His nature is holy and righteous. He cannot sin or even
be tempted to sin. The enticements that cause us to sin have no effect on God.
There is absolutely
nothing in God’s nature that would make Him tend to do wrong, and there can be
absolutely nothing offered to Him that would cause Him to do wrong. Internally
and externally, God is immune to temptation. It follows, then, that God would
not tempt any person to sin and thus make Himself the author of sin. The Holy
One will not justify sin or excuse it, and He will not prompt it.
Because of this
truth about God — that He cannot be tempted to sin — we can have confidence
that the universe is in good hands. God cannot be persuaded, bribed, or in any
way swayed from His perfect purpose and plan. He does not vacillate. No matter
what, He remains Perfection.
Does God
Ever Tempt Us to Sin?
We end our week
together talking about trials and temptations. It’s a sobering topic, but one
relevant to each of us at some point, maybe with some of you right now. We
start with what we know for sure. God tests us. He does. That’s clear in texts
like James 1:3–4 and 1 Peter 1:7. But then comes the question: Does God ever
tempt us? James 1:13 says no, God never tempts us. But what really is the
difference between being tested and being tempted? Here’s a sharp Bible
question from a listener named Mike: “Dear Pastor John, in APJ 694 you said
that the word for ‘temptation’ and the word for ‘test’ are the same word in the
Greek, peirasmos. So how are we to understand the differences in meaning of the
two words in passages where it talks about God testing us (James 1:3–4; 1 Peter
1:7), and then in James 1:13, where it says, ‘God does not tempt anyone’? How
do we put those together?”
That is an utterly
crucial question. We so need to get that clear, for God’s honor and for our own
peace of mind. So let me set the stage as best I can so that everybody can get
on board with what the problem really is as Mike has presented it here.
Trials,
Tests, Temptations
In 1 Peter 1:6–7,
it says, “Now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by
various trials [and the word there, peirasmos in Greek, could be translated
‘temptations’ or ‘testings’], so that the tested genuineness of your faith —
more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire — may be
found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus
Christ.”
And then,
similarly, in James 1:2–4, it says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you
meet [testings or temptations or] trials of various kinds, for you know that
the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have
its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
And then in James
1:12, he adds this amazing promise about the outcome of tested faith. He says,
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial [same word], for when he
has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to
those who love him.”
Now, all these
testings are merciful trials from the hand of God in the way he disciplines and
purifies and stabilizes and preserves his children. We know that Jesus tested
his disciples (John 6:6). We know that God tested Abraham (Hebrews 11:17). So,
we set the stage for this problem first by establishing from 1 Peter and James
that God does indeed test people. He does. He “tests” people — and the word
there, peirasmos or peirazō, is the same as the word for “tempt.” There’s the
problem. He puts us through trials.
Double
Problem
Now, the second
part of setting the stage for the problem is to observe that in James 1:13,
James uses the same word for testing, peirazomai, and we translate it “tempt.”
He says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for
God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” It’s the same
word as the word for “test.” So, that’s the setting of the stage.
Here’s the double
problem: When James says, “God tempts no one,” the word tempt is the very same
word in Greek for test, and we know God does test people.
He says that God
cannot be tempted, and yet we know that Jesus was tempted (same word) in the
Gospels in the wilderness. In Matthew 4:1, the Holy Spirit drove him out to be
tempted. And Jesus is God in the flesh.
So, James expects
us to make a distinction in the meaning between the testing that God in fact
does bring into our lives righteously, and the tempting that God never does,
even though he uses the same word for both. He expects us to make that same
distinction to show that God is never tempted Himself and yet Jesus, who was
God, was in some sense tempted.
Now that’s the
challenge that Mike sees in these verses and is asking about, and he’s right to
see them. I’ve seen them for years and wrestled repeatedly with how to
understand this. James is not tripping up here. He knows exactly what he’s
doing, since he puts the two words together back-to-back in two sentences. It’s
not like he forgot that ten years ago he used the word one way.
Four
Steps of Temptation
I think the key to
solving both problems is found in the next two verses (James 1:14–15) and the
way James carefully defines temptation. It’s probably the nearest thing we have
to an analysis of temptation in the Bible. He is talking about our experience
of it and how God doesn’t experience it and doesn’t perform it. Here’s what he
says in James 1:14–15: “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by
his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin
when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
So, there are four
steps in this process of what James is calling temptation.
1.
There’s desire, which may at
first be innocent. In fact, I think, at first, most of them are innocent.
2.
There’s the desire becoming an
enticement and an allurement across a line into sinfulness and sinful craving and
sinful desire: like the desire of hunger, which is innocent, crossing the line
into gluttony; or the desire of natural sexual appetite, which is innocent,
crossing the line into lust; or the desire of your paycheck — it’s not wrong to
want to be paid so you can pay your bill — crossing the line into greed. That’s
the second step.
3.
Then there’s the act of
sinning itself, in which
the sinful desire is put into action.
4.
And then finally, when that pattern of sin goes on without repentance, it results in eternal death.
God Is
Not Tempted
Now, I think the
reason that James says God is not tempted, even though Jesus was tempted, is
that the innocent desires like hunger, or the desire for sex, or the desire for
our paycheck are the beginnings of being drawn toward what could be a sinful
desire of gluttony, lust, or greed. And in that sense, the awakening of that
desire is a kind of temptation, but it has not become a full-blown temptation.
For example, in the life of Jesus, he hungered (an objective allurement toward
bread) when he was fasting, but it didn’t cross the line into an evil desire of
rebellion or disobedience or undue craving for what God had told him not to
have. In fact, none of Jesus’s desires in his whole life ever crosses the line
into evil desire, and therefore never gives birth to sin.
“None of Jesus’s
desires in his whole life ever crosses the line into evil desire, and therefore
never gives birth to sin.”
So, we can speak of
him being tested or tempted in the sense that he’s presented with objective
allurements, like bread when he is hungry, so that he experiences hunger or
desire, and in that sense, temptation, but it’s never taking him captive by
allurements and enticements that cross the line into sinful desires.
God Does
Not Tempt
And in the same
way, I would say, God does not tempt, because — now this is really delicate, so
listen carefully — at that point in the human life where we cross the line from
experiencing objective allurements (say, like food: you smell a steak or see an
ice cream cone), at that point of a legitimate desire crossing the line into
sinful desire (like the second helping, or something the doctor told you
shouldn’t have, or something that’s really part of gluttony or lust), at the
point of crossing that line, the Bible ordinarily describes God’s action as
handing us over or giving us up (Romans 1:24, 26, 28) — giving us up to our
lust, giving us up to a debased mind.
In other words, God
is not described as the positive, creative, active agent at the point where our
desires become sinful. If you’re going to involve God by providence here, which
I do, his action is a negative action, in the sense that he hands us over, he
lets us go, he gives us up to our sinning at that point.
Crucial
Distinction
So, I don’t think
James is contradicting himself. I think he expects us to make a distinction
between temptation understood, on the one hand, as objective allurement that
need not involve sin, and temptation understood, on the other hand, as the
movement of that allurement across a line so that the desire becomes sinful.
And the line between desire as a thankful, God-dependent desire and desire as
an assertive, self-indulgent desire is crossed when the temptation happens,
which he is saying God never experiences and God never performs.
“Our faith in God
and our love for God are being tested with every temptation.”
And if we step back
and ask the question of why the New Testament would use the same word for
testing and temptation, perhaps part of the answer is that every test really is
a kind of temptation. And every temptation really is a kind of test. Our faith
in God and our love for God are being tested with every temptation. And every
test, if we do not act in faith, can result in our falling into temptation. So,
when James says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for
when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life” (James 1:12),
that same promise applies to resisting every temptation as well.
John Piper
(@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of
Bethlehem College & Seminary.
Why did
Jesus need to be led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted (Matthew
4:1)?
The idea that Jesus
was intentionally directed by the Spirit of God into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil is a theologically challenging concept. Yet that is
precisely what the Gospels indicate: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the
wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1; cp. Mark 1:12–13; Luke
4:1–2).
It doesn’t take
long in the Christian Walk to discover that temptations frequently come. We
might wonder, does God deliberately orchestrate such tests, or was the
wilderness temptation of Jesus an exclusive experience only for the Son of Man?
As we consider these questions, we’ll see that God allows His followers to be tested for a
good purpose. Christ’s experience in the wilderness serves as an example for Christian
disciples. But as we study the account, an even deeper meaning is revealed. The
Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted because God wanted His Son
and His followers to understand the Lord’s messianic mission clearly — that
Christ had not come to earth as Israel’s Conquering King but as her Suffering
Servant.
Temptation itself
is not a sin. Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not
sin” (Hebrews. 4:15; see also 2 Corinthians 5:21). The Lord was not tested to
see if He would fail. Jesus was led into the wilderness by the
Spirit to be tempted to demonstrate how we can resist the temptation to sin,
and how, through Christ’s power, we, too, can overcome (Hebrews 2:18).
Many Bible scholars
suggest that the specific temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness represent
three main categories of all human temptation. The apostle John labeled these
as “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John
2:16).
With the first
test, Jesus was tempted to depend on His own independent provision of food
rather than rely on God. After forty days of fasting, Christ was hungry, so
Satan tried to persuade Him to turn desert rocks into bread. But Jesus was
determined to do His Father’s will alone (John 4:34; 5:30; Luke 22:42; Hebrews
10:5–7). It was not the Father telling Jesus to transform the rocks, and so our
Lord resisted the temptation with the truth of God’s Word (Matthew 4:4). Our
Lord’s example shows us that the Word of God is our best defense against
Satan’s schemes. At the same time, Jesus affirmed His messianic mission,
submissively entrusting Himself to the Father’s plan rather than forcefully
paving His own way and meeting His own needs.
The second
temptation involved performing a miracle that would show off Christ’s
supernatural power and draw attention to Himself. It was the temptation to
abuse His power for His own benefit. Again, Jesus voiced God’s Word in response
to the temptation (Matthew 4:7). Satan deceptively portrays sin as acceptable
and desirable. The solution is to counter his lies with the truth.
In the third test,
Jesus was tempted to secure an earthly crown and bypass the suffering and
sacrifice He would endure on the cross. Satan offered “all the kingdoms of the
world and their splendor” (Matthew 4:8). It was the kingship that Christ was
ultimately destined for, minus the suffering. “All this I will give you,” Satan
told Jesus, “if you will bow down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9). The tempter
repeatedly offers what seems like a better plan or an easy way out. But the
liar fled when Jesus stabbed him with “the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God” (Ephesians 6:17), declaring that only the Lord God is to be
worshiped and served (Matthew 4:10).
The fact that the
Spirit led the Son of Man into the wilderness to be tempted creates an
interesting contrast with another event in Scripture. Adam, the first man, was
in a lush and fruitful garden when he was tempted. He failed the test, plunging
all of humanity into sin and death (see Romans 5:12). In contrast, Jesus, the
Second Adam, was tempted in a dry and barren wilderness—our paradise having
been lost. Jesus passed the test, thrice over, and it is in Him that the Adamic
curse is reversed and we have eternal life. “For if, by the trespass of the one
man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive
God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in
life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:17).
The backdrop to
Jesus being led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted is found in
Deuteronomy 8:1–5. Moses remembered how the Lord God led the people of Israel
in the wilderness for forty years “to humble and test you in order to know what
was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you,
causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor
your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone
but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
It’s important to
understand that God does not tempt anyone to sin (James 1:13). But He does
allow us to be tested and evaluated (Hebrews 11:17–19; 2 Corinthians 13:5;
James 1:12; Psalm 17:3; 139:23; Malachi 3:3). God tested our Savior’s character
through adversity in the wilderness, and He applies the same initiative in our
lives today. Through trials and temptations, we grow in faith and understanding
of our mission as servants of His kingdom (Deuteronomy 13:3; 2 Chronicles
32:31; James 1:3; 1 Peter 1:6–7). Through every test, we develop spiritual
muscle memory, helping us to depend on Him and His Word to overcome life’s
difficulties and challenges.
End of Notes
