In 1970, comedian Flip Wilson and his show ‘The Flip Wilson Show’ debuted on NBC. His most popular character, was Geraldine Jones, a flirty women whose most famous line,   “The devil made me do it” became a national catchphrase. ¹. James, in this portion of his letter, addresses just who makes a person sin. Only one choice qualifies and its not God and its not the devil.

Epistle of James: Chapter One

PARAGRAPH SUMMARY: James 1:9-18

James begins his letter with instructions on tests and trials encouraging the ‘scattered’ of the Diaspora to ‘hang in there’ and respect the journey understanding that blessings in development and heavenly rewards await the victorious. In the second part of this theme found in verses nine through eighteen, the author addresses tests and trials as seen by the rich and poor. He informs us about the reward for enduring temptations making sure, at the same time, that we understand the source of temptations. James concludes with the ultimate tool given by the Ultimate Giver in the fight against temptation, the Word of God.

James 1:13–15 (KJV)– 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

DEFINITIONS:

• tempted/πειράζω/peirazō
  • Same word ‘temptation’ in James 1:12 discussed above but here with the second meaning – temptation (to sin). The word ‘evil’ qualifies this double meaning word here as ‘temptation’.
• of/ἀπό/apo
  • To indicate cause, means, or outcome ² . Suggesting the cause or means of temptation had the Lord’s handprint.
• cannot be tempted/ἀπείραστός ἐστιν/apeirastos eimi
  • Literally ‘is un-pressure-able’, ‘is un-tempt-able’. ‘Immune to temptation’ or ‘incapable of being tempted’ would bear equivalence. It simply cannot take place.
• drawn away/ἐξέλκω/exelkō
  • To drag away reluctantly, lured away, to cause a change of belief so as to agree more with the beliefs of the person or factor causing the change ³.
• enticed/δελεάζω/deleazō
  • Lure; entice; catch or lure by bait.
• own/ἴδιος/idios
  • One’s own; peculiar to an individual.
• lust/ἐπιθυμία/epithymia
  • Desire, craving, lust, appetite for something forbidden.
  • Craving would be more fitting than simple desire. Lust carries the idea of the word here. The word also has positive force. Jesus used the word with a double impact when He stated ‘I have earnestly (epithymia) desired (epithymeo) to eat this Passover with you before I suffer (Luke 22:15).
• conceived/συλλαμβάνω/syllambanō
  • Seize or grasp; conceive or become pregnant. The word is used both ways in the New Testament. Jesus was ‘syllambano’ – seized by the Roman soldiers (Matthew 26:55). Mary conceived – ‘syllanbano’ and gave birth to Jesus. The word here uses the second idea, of conception as the word ‘brings forth’ fixes it. The definition ‘seized’ could fit in this context with the thought, of lust ‘seizing’ someone. When seized, you bring forth sin. In human terms, conceiving is a joyous occasion that introduces life. Here the opposite occurs; no cause for joy exists as the only child brought forth by created lust, sin, produces only misery and eventual death.
• bringeth forth/τίκτω/tiktō
  • Give birth, bear. Each of the eighteen New Testament examples of this word reference bringing forth a child except this verse in James and Hebrews 6:7.
• finished/ἀποτελέω/apoteleō
  • Finished; bring to completion; consummate; perform.
• bringeth forth/ἀποκυέω/apokyeō
  • Give birth to. This is now the second Greek word in this sentence used in reference to ‘giving birth’. No essential difference exists between the two words.

COMMENTS:

• ‘Let no man say when he is tempted’
  • A saying among the Dispersed.
    • James stresses this point. What does it mean? It reveals this thinking was floating around among the scattered. People were spiritualizing their sin failures. They were saying their holy God was tempting them to unholy living. No way? Yes way.
• ‘I am tempted of God:’
  • Words that Should Never Be Uttered by Any Man
    • There are words that should remain unspoken. They should never enter the forums of men. Never means nonnegotiable. The words, ‘I am tempted of God’ should never take a nasty fall from anyone’s lips on planet earth. Mixing good and evil? Oil and water come to mind. God does not deal in evil. He does not trade in it. He will not dump the dirt of evil onto your driveway to see if you will play in it. Temptation has only one source, devils, demons and evil spirits.
• ‘for God cannot be tempted with evil,’
  • God the Father Cannot Be Tempted to Sin
    • God the Father is not susceptible to sin. Jesus, in his earth suit, was. Temptation pitched its deal of the moment to Jesus because of his ministry of identification among men (Hebrews 4:15). Since no evil lives in God,  He cannot lead people into temptation. You cannot lead where you have never been. You cannot scatter what you do not own. Possession comes before dispersion. So, He never uses evil in any form because He does not have it to begin with.
• ‘neither tempteth he any man:’
  • Restated for Emphasis
    • James restates the proposition that God does not tempt men. He means to drill the thought into your head. Get the job descriptions straight. God’s title is not ‘Tempter’, that portrait is of Satan. For God to tempt His children to commit wrongs stands contrary to the love nature of God. Confusing friend with foe is harmful in any friendship.
• ‘But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away’
  • The Battle Against  ‘Sin Opportunities’
    • Drawn away means to lure or drag away reluctantly. ‘Drawn away’ paints a picture of  struggle. It projects onto canvas what happens when you face a sin opportunity. The temptation presents itself. The battle begins. You know you should not entertain this area. Your heart broadcasts that signal. The check in your spirit is clear, ‘Don’t do it.’ Something in your flesh disagrees. It pulls on you. It wants you to consider the notion. Your principles come into play. If you refuse compromise, you turn the wrong desire aside with force. If you roll the idea around like sweet candy in your mouth, you weaken. If you try to figure out how you can taste temptation and still enjoy God’s best, you  collapse. Drawn away to spiritual death.
• ‘of his own lust, and enticed.’
  • ‘ Own’ Puts The Responsibility Where It Belongs
    • The word ‘own’ puts the responsibility for your actions where it belongs. What entices you? Is it your friends lust or your own? Did the devil force you to do it? There’s plenty to pin on demons. Finding fault with demons over lust isn’t one of them. Blaming the wine, blaming the moonlight, even blaming heaven are all useless. Sin, travels in the company of ones own lust. It’s time to man up.
  • The Deceptiveness of Sin’s Allurement
    
    • Sin throbs with sensory pleasure. Alluring like stink bait to a catfish. Have you ever seen this? Have you watched a fish drool and fixate over a piece of dead meat? Look as the fish sits motionless. Studying, analyzing, trying to not to break the circle of life. What a serious piece of liver! A simple piece of protein camouflaging death. The deception works. The fish snaps to his demise. You must know enticement smells of deception. The stink of it rises from the word. But what a pleasing aroma to the sin nature. How many souls it captures. James warns us. The words he uses, ‘drawn away’ and ‘enticed’, describe how temptation works. Understanding it helps guard against the deceit. As Solomon said, “There is a way that appears right but the end is death” (Prov. 16:25).
  • Lust: The Superhighway of Wickedness
    • Finally, James addresses the last of the three companions of temptation, lust. X-rated lust paralyzes faith. But, lust is more than sex. Ask the credit strapped shopper who forges ahead anyway. You can feel the heat of her passion for a pair of shoes. Modern translations like the English Standard Version fall flat expressing lust as desire. It needs adjectives to get the sense. Try hot-blooded, forbidden or burning desire and you get closer to the meaning. Heart pounding lust severs the contact between you and God. It chokes off God’s Word, Jesus said (Mark 4:19). What can we do? Paul tells us, ‘Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). It takes a distinctive walk to stay out of the fast lane. What kind? A Spirit led life. A protect God’s Word in your heart life. Only this will keep you off the superhighway of wickedness.
• ‘Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.’
  • Temptation Does Not Equal Sin
    • Experiencing temptation is not sinful. Jesus proved it. He faced temptation many times (Luke 4:1). Don’t let the voices in your head tell you you’ve sinned. Temptation is an opportunity to sin, nothing more. Refuse the chance and you grow stronger. Recognition gets you far down the road. Hebrews 6:14 says the skill to separate good and evil comes by the constant use of God’s Word.
• ‘when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin’
  
  • The Parents of Sin
    • In verse 14, James describes sin’s unfolding using a hunting and fishing example. Here in verse 15, he uses a reproduction image. Lust produces a child named sin. Sin also bears a child, death. It’s all biology. The family is a crusty old bird, as old as Adam. It consists of lust the parent, sin the child, and death the grandchild. See Job 15:35 and Psalm 7:14 for similar pictures. Every sin committed on planet earth, has the same common ancestry. If no conception takes place, lust dies stillborn.