Where does temptation come from?

So where does temptation come from if not from God? (James 1:13).  Not all trials originate from outside sources. James points out that we bring some trials on ourselves through our own bad decisions. So instead of pointing the finger at God (or the devil) as the source of all our immoral desires, James says we need to consider our own responsibility in the matter. Are our evil desires the real root of the problem?

To help us understand how our desires operate, James personifies them as a pied piper, dragging and enticing us away, luring us to follow along and give in. The process that James describes in verses 14–15 has huge implications for how we conceptualize and combat sin. Why? Just think about how we talk about sin. We talk about “falling into sin” or committing a sin, depicting sin as though it is an event—something that just happens all of a sudden—rather than as a multistep process.

Recognizing this distinction has huge implications for how we combat our sinful desires! The first battle in the war against sin is with the evil desires that try to entice us and drag us away. Our response? We must turn away from these desires and not give in to them. In and of themselves, the desires are not sinful; instead, our choice to dwell on and feed them causes the problem. So what happens if we lose the first battle and give in to the desires? What if we allow ourselves to be dragged away?

In verse 15, James declares it means we have given birth to a bouncing baby sin. Now instead of just facing a desire, we must do battle with its offspring—sin. We face a second battle, a critical choice: Do we care for it and nurture it, providing everything it needs to grow and mature? If we do, then there is only one outcome we should expect: death. And it won’t be the sin that dies—it will be us! It will destroy our relationship with God and with those around us.