The Alternative

Dr. Tony Evans: You and I sin because we choose to. All Satan did was set up the right play to produce the tendency that you already have.

Guest (Male): Dr. Tony Evans explains how Satan exploits the sinful tendencies already within us. This is The Alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans.

Trials and temptations are part of life, but the choices we make in those moments can have lasting consequences. Today Dr. Evans looks at the price of temptation and shows us how we can stand strong when facing the opportunity to give in. Let’s join him in James chapter one.

Dr. Tony Evans: We've discovered that when you enter a trial, you ought to count it joy. Not because you like what's happening, but because you know why it's happening, and that is that God is taking you to the next level of spiritual maturity.

So when you encounter trials, when life falls apart, God is up to something. And if you miss that, you will develop the wrong attitude toward trial. You will become bitter and angry; you will get mad at people rather than saying, "Lord, show me what You're up to that I might grow to the next level of spiritual maturity because of this experience."

The hinge verse is verse 12, where he said, "Blessed is everyone who perseveres under trials; when he is approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." When you respond properly to trial and when you pass the test, God will then give you the passing grade or the blessing that goes along with having passed the exam.

If you fail the test, you get to retake it. So as long as you rebel against testing, He will test you, and trust me, you will get tired before He does. Now, having said that love is God's goal of this testing, He then gives the flip side of the coin. "Let no one say," verse 13, "when he is tempted, I am tempted by God." He now introduces this concept of temptation. So let's first look at the substance of temptation.

When He uses it in the negative way in verse 13, as opposed to the positive way in verse 2, verse 2 dealing with your growth, verse 13 dealing with your destruction, He says when you are tempted to do something wrong. Even though you're in the midst of a trial, even though life is caving in on you, when you are tempted to do something wrong, He is now addressing your solicitation to evil.

Temptation in this negative sense refers to taking an opportunity to do something wrong. It can even be taking a good thing and using it in a bad way. It's good to pass a test; it's wrong to cheat on the test you're trying to pass. The test may be a trial, but your decision to cheat is a sin. And He wants to make a distinction between the trial that is to grow you and the test that is to destroy you.

Satan seeks, this is very important, to take the trials of God to grow you and turn them into the temptations of Satan to destroy you. And it may be the same event. God tests you to show His glory in you. Satan tempts you in order to show weakness in you and to bring you to defeat.

Having dealt with the substance of temptation, that is a solicitation to evil, He now addresses the source of temptation in verse 13. "Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself tempts no one." If you are sinning, don't blame God for your sin.

Don't say, "Well, if God didn't want me to do it, He wouldn't have put it in front of me." When you are tempted to do that which is outside of God's will, don't blame God. God does not lead people into sin, and that is because of His nature. You and I sin because we choose to. You cannot blame sin on Satan because the devil cannot make you sin.

But let me tell you what the devil can do: he can place things in front of you he knows you'll respond to. Sin is born out of our desire because, unlike God and unlike Jesus, we have something inside of us that is capable of responding to sin. And that is the flesh. The flesh was trained in sin. We were born in sin.

And even when you're saved, you do not eradicate the flesh. When you sin, that shows something is wrong with you. All Satan did was set up the right play to produce the tendency that you already have. And if you are sinning today, it is your fault.

What are the steps of sin? Verse 14: sin starts with desire. "Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust." Okay, that is when desire becomes bad. So desire is not bad. You don't sin because you have a certain desire. You only move toward sin when, notice his words, you are carried away and enticed.

That is, enticed to an illegitimate use of a very legitimate desire. Now let's talk about what that means. This is very picturesque language he uses here in verse 14. The word carried away and enticed is used in sportsmanship. The primary picture here is that of a fisherman, although there are other pictures here, that of a hunter who traps his prey.

Bears don't go hunting for bear traps. They get caught in them. And fish don't go hunting for hooks. They're responding to worms. When the fish sees its meal, it is carried away and enticed by that meal. But when it bites the meal, it bites more than the meal.

It bites the intention of the fisherman. And the fisherman does not have a good intent for the fish. That fish is going to be caught, sliced, cleaned, and fried. That fish is biting the meal of death. He doesn't get a worm; he gets a fisherman that doesn't care about how cute the fish looks.

Satan doesn't care about how cute you are. He doesn't care about your family, your mama, your daddy, your cousins, your aunties, or your uncles. He doesn't care. He's up in the boat hidden, and all he wants to do is reel you in. But he's not going to reel you in by letting you see a hook.

He's going to reel you in by letting you see the bait. And it is the bait that gets you. So a man sins when his desire, lust, becomes deception, and he is drawn away, not seeing the consequences. But the fisherman has the consequences in mind. Now I could use fish, but I know everybody in here isn't a fisherman.

So perhaps some of you cannot relate to this. But a bunch of you are in debt. MasterCard threw in the line. American Express threw out the line. And they sent the line out baiting it. "Buy now, pay later." "Buy now, don't worry about the consequences." "Your limit used to be 2,000; go up to 10,000. Spend, spend, spend."

Television commercials come on: "Sale, sale, sale." Everything today is on sale. You ever notice that? You go out and buy everything that's on sale, you never pay it off. And many of us will be paying for the next 25 years because we were baited by plastic that never talked about the consequences.

It only talked about what you can get now. That is it; it is enticement. Enticement so that hunger becomes evil when it's gluttony. Sex becomes evil when it's immorality. Sleep becomes evil when it's laziness. The very things that God gives in desire, we lose when we are deceived to apply it illegitimately by hiding the consequences.

Satan said, "Bite the fruit of the tree." He didn't say anything about your one son is going to kill another. He didn't say anything about being kicked out of the garden. He didn't say anything about pain in pregnancy. He didn't say anything about your husband will have to work by the sweat of his brow. He didn't say anything about a world being destroyed. All he said was, "Isn't this tree cute?"

Guest (Male): When Dr. Evans returns in a moment, he'll outline the process by which sin works its way into our lives. Don't go away.

Bible study is like gold mining. The deeper you dig, the more treasure you'll unearth. If you're ready to tap into the motherlode, explore the kingdom anytime, anywhere through the growing list of online courses waiting for you now in the Tony Evans Training Center. Take your time with each online module that'll take you verse by verse through the text with exclusive in-depth content from Dr. Evans, probing discussion questions, access to full-length messages, and an online discussion forum where you can ask specific questions and get detailed answers.

The focus is on understanding and application, equipping you to put God's word to work in the real world. The Tony Evans Training Center, a world of discovery anytime, anywhere. You can learn more and access the Tony Evans Training Center directly at tonyevanstraining.org.

Now, before we return to our message, I want to tell you about a special resource package designed to help you grow stronger in your faith when life gets difficult. It includes all 16 full-length messages from Tony's two-volume series, James: Time to Grow Up, along with his 30-day devotional, Trusting God in Turbulent Times. Together, these resources will give you biblical wisdom and practical encouragement for standing firm when trials, temptations, and uncertainty put your faith to the test.

We'd like to send you this complete package as our thank-you gift when you make a contribution to support Tony's ministry. You can get the audio series on CD, USB flash drive, or as instantly available digital downloads. Get the details today at tonyevans.org or call 1-800-800-3222. That's tonyevans.org or by phone at 1-800-800-3222. Well, let's get back to Dr. Evans now as he outlines the process by which sin works its way into our lives.

Dr. Tony Evans: And so we start with desire and we go to deception. But then when we go to deception, we go to disobedience. Notice what he says. "When lust has conceived, it has a baby." Notice the language: "gives birth". This is when your desire, having been deceived, deceived to apply it illegitimately, gets a life of its own because you take the bait.

Sin does not happen because you have the desire. That's not sin; that's a desire, and a desire may be thoroughly legitimate. Sin does not happen even when you've been deceived about your desire. Sin only happens when you disobey with your desire. That is when your will connects with your desire to apply it illegitimately; then that desire becomes sin.

Christian living is a matter of the will; it is not a matter of the emotions. Now don't get me wrong. Emotions are very important in the Christian life. But emotions are not the standard for the decisions. Emotions must be the result of the decision, not the standard for the decision, although emotions are legitimate.

There are times in your Christian life when to please God and to grow in your faith, you simply say "no" because "no" is the right answer, not because you feel "no". God is not dealing with your feelings; He is dealing with your choices. Finally, let's look at the solution to temptation. He wants you to remember or think about or contemplate three things. One: remember God's character.

He goes to theology. Look at what he says, and it is deep. "Every good thing," verse 17, in fact, verse 16 he says, "Don't be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing bestowed and every gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." Now that sounds a little bit confusing. Let's sort of just lay it out. God, he says, is good. Everything from God is good. Anything that is not good did not come from God.

He says it comes down from the Father of lights. Now what does he mean by light? Sun, moon, stars, the luminaries in the heavens. Those are the lights. Now let's talk about those luminaries. Is the sun good? Do we not benefit from the sun's light? Do we not see during the day because of the sun and have some light at night because of the stars?

How consistent is the sun's goodness in giving lights? Very consistent, because it's been consistent this way for thousands upon thousands upon thousands of years, and nobody in this room wonders whether we're going to have sunlight the next day. Because even on a cloudy day, the sun is shining.

And when you go outside and say, "Isn't this a beautiful day?" God says, "Let's don't get into the day that much; I made the day because I made the light that's getting you excited about the day." So rather than get so high on mother nature, let's talk about Father God. I am responsible for the total consistent goodness of the Father of light.

You say, "Okay, but what's that got to do with temptation? What's that got to do with God being good? What's that got to do with my problem? What's that got to do with my problem that I'm now facing?" He is saying, "Everything." Why? Because of the end of the verse. He says with Him there is no variation or shifting shadow.

It is the movement of the earth that tonight will cast a shadow over Dallas, Texas, and over the western hemisphere while it's daytime on another side of the world. Now guess what? As consistent as the sun is, and as faithful as the sun is, the sun cannot keep darkness from hitting where we live. Not because the sun moves, but because the earth moves.

So that if you want to stay daytime all the time, you've got to keep the earth from moving in a wrong direction so that its back is to the sun to keep the light shining. Now look at this. God is saying if you're not experiencing His goodness, if you're not experiencing His presence, if you're not experiencing His greatness, it's not because the sun stopped shining.

It's not because He stopped being good; it's because you keep turning. You keep going in circles. You keep turning around and around. In Him there is no shifting shadow. So if you have a shadow on your life, stop turning. Keep facing the sun, and you'll keep enjoying the sunshine of the goodness of God.

See, here we want to love God on Sunday and be our own man on Monday; you just turned. Then we want to love God on Tuesday but get sick on Wednesday; you just turned. We want to love God on Thursday and be carnal on Friday; you just turned. And every time you turn, there's a shadow over your life, but the sun is still shining.

If you want to enjoy the goodness of God, keep facing Him. Stop turning. Stop being inconsistent. Start looking at God through even the trials of your life because in Him there is no shadow casting. There is no shadow casting. His goodness just keeps coming and coming and coming. He says focus on God's character.

Secondly, James says, "Remember God's word." Verse 18: "In the exercise of His will, He brought us forth by the word of truth so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures." The word of God, he says, is powerful. In fact, he says you're saved because of the word of God. You're not saved because of relatives, you're not saved because of resolutions, and you're not saved because of religion.

You're saved because the word of God was placed in your heart, you placed faith in the revelation of God, and He gave birth to life. What is he saying this for? God uses His word to give birth to life. Satan uses temptations to give birth to death. He says the same word that caught you and brought you to spiritual life also gave you a new nature so that that same word that gave you birth can keep you going.

Now let me ask you this. When is the last time when you and I were tempted to sin that we quoted the word to the devil? You didn't even remember there was a word, right? Because sin can make you forget. If you use this word that gives life, the same life that saved you, if you use that same word to the devil, what did Jesus say when He was tempted? "It is written. It is written. It is written."

And what does the Bible say the devil did? The devil fled from Him. Because the devil is allergic to the word. He can't handle that spiritual pollen in the air. You start quoting the word and the devil has to flee because he just gets jerky all over. He loses it because he can't handle the environment of the word. Quote the word.

If you don't know the quote, pick it up and read it to him. "Hey, Satan, have you ever read this verse? Let me read this verse to you. God in His goodness, First Corinthians 10:13, will supply your way of escape." Satan can't handle the word. Remember God's character, then remember God's word.

Jesus says in Matthew 4:4, "You shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." That's what gives you life, he says: the use of the word. And that's why you study the Bible. You may not need what you're studying right now, but if you learn it, you're going to one day need it. And if you ever use it, Satan can't hang around you with it.

And then finally, remember God's plan. That we are the first fruits of His creatures. First fruits meant the first part. When people gave offerings to God, they gave the first fruits, that is, the first part that came out from the ground. Bible says when we give to God, we shouldn't give God leftovers but the first fruits.

It is a way of putting Him first and honoring Him as God. He says Christians are the first part of His creation. In other words, nothing comes before Christians in His renovation of creation. Now why is he telling us that? He says given that I've placed all this importance on you, if you are the cream of the spiritual crop, then what he is saying is it is beneath our dignity to accept Satan's bait.

A higher birth means a higher life. What he is simply saying to you: if I've made you cream of the crop, then walk around like the somebody that you are. Get up out of the gutter because you've been made a king. Get up out of the gutter because you've been made a queen. Think in terms of My plan, which was to make you somebody special.

Some of us have forgotten who we are. We've lost our identity in Christ. And when you forget who you are, that you are somebody special—royal blood is flowing through your veins—why do we walk like paupers when we've been saved to be princesses and queens and kings? He says, "I've made you first fruits; I've made you more special than anybody else." Lift up your head. "I am somebody." Use the word. This is what God says. Look for God's goodness and sin can't hang out in that kind of environment.

Guest (Male): Dr. Tony Evans talking today about the ultimate antidote for temptation. Now there’s still quite a bit more to come in our series in the book of James. But you can continue the study anytime with Tony’s complete two-volume, 16-message collection, James: Time to Grow Up.

And as I mentioned earlier, when you make a contribution to support the ministry, we’ll send you the entire audio series along with Dr. Evans’ 30-day devotional, Trusting God in Turbulent Times. Together, these resources will help you build a stronger, more mature faith and learn to trust God through both the trials and triumphs of life.

You can request the series on CD, USB flash drive, or digital download. Visit tonyevans.org or call our resource center at 1-800-800-3222. That’s tonyevans.org or by phone at 1-800-800-3222. There’s plenty to be found in the pages of the Bible, but Dr. Evans says if you don’t connect it with your own life, all you’re doing is recreational reading. Be sure to join us next time as he shows how to make God’s word come alive.