“Beating Temptation”

James 1:13-18

“The thing that makes men and rivers crooked is following the line of least resistance.”

To have victory over sin, go to the source.

1.  The source of temptation is my heart (1:13)

            Luke 6:45; Proverbs 4:23

2.  The source of unhappiness is my gullibility (1:14-15)

·       desire lures and entices

·       desire conceives

·       desire gives birth to sin

·       sin gives birth to death

Proverbs 5:3-5; 7:21-23

3.  The source of true joy is God (1:16-18)

            Don’t be deceived!

- joy through God’s gift of salvation

- strength through God’s word

Misunderstandings regarding temptation:

Temptation itself is sin

We fall into temptation

God is disappointed and displeased when we are tempted

To be strongly tempted means we are as guilty as if we had actually committed sin

We overcome all temptation by separation from it

When I am spiritually mature I will no longer be harassed by temptation

                                                                                    Charles Stanley

Philippians 4:6,7