Month: July 2020

James 1:14 (NKJV) 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

Temptation is something that so many wrestle with.

We’ve written about temptation a lot over the years. It’s a subject that’s familiar to most of us, since we’re all human beings.

Because we’ve written about it and studied it so much, we’ve gotten a deeper understanding of it and what really causes it, so we want to make sure that we share that with others.

As we have often taught, temptation in and of itself isn’t necessarily wrong.

But we have learned that there are definitely factors that come into play for each of us that dictate how we react to temptation and how it comes about to begin with.

Temptation begins in us because we are drawn away by our own desires.

This makes it plain and clear that the temptation comes based on a desire that is within us.

When I first got revelation of that, it was extremely eye-opening.

So, if we look at this at its most basic root, the temptations that we wrestle with are largely caused by what’s inside of us.

Let me explain.

If we have a weakness for something, that thing will be what tempts us.

If we have a weakness in the area of lust, we will be most tempted by things that draw on that weakness.

If we have a weakness for drugs or alcohol, those will be the things that cause us to struggle the most.

And the same can go for anything that we desire. That will be what causes us to struggle and stumble, over and over again.

You might ask, “So, how can I ever expect to overcome temptation if the root of it lies within me?”.

Here’s the answer.

The temptation, and the weakness that causes us to give in to it, will go away when the desire for the sin goes away. And that desire will go away when we finally surrender ourselves fully to God.

You see, it’s when we surrender to God that our desires begin to change.

We will no longer desire sex that is impure or improper. We will no longer desire drunkenness or the use of drugs to “escape” reality and the troubles of life. We will no longer covet things that are not ours. We will no longer steal. We will no longer be greedy. And the list could go on infinitely.

Why? Because as we submit to God and surrender to Him, He will replace those impure, unholy desires with new ones; desires that are in alignment with what He wants for us.

And those old desires, the ones that cause us to be so easily tempted? They will fall away, as the old man is slowly washed away and the new man is raised up and groomed by the Holy Spirit for righteous living.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

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