Overcome Temptation And Endure The Trials Of Life

Wouldn’t you like to overcome every temptation that entices you? I would. Temptations try to stump us. God, however, sends us tests and trials so we can grow closer to Him.

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

James tells us of one way that God wants to bless us. It comes when we patiently endure or overcome testing and temptation. Plus, we will also receive the crown of life.

Let’s take a look at how James set this conversation up. After a short greeting, he immediately addressed a problem that plagued the early church. We also deal with the same problem today.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. James 1:2

I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually use the words troubles and joy in the same sentence. To James, it didn’t matter about the severity of our trouble because he said troubles of any kind.

Maybe the words to your song go something like this, “Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen.” God knows all about them and wants you to consider them an opportunity for joy.

So, why would God want us to think of joy when faced with troubles? James developed his reasoning in the next verse.

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:3-4

Let Your Endurance Grow

He implied that troubles come our way to test our faith so our endurance will grow. The biblical definition of endurance means the ability to persevere through hardship, adversity, or stress.

Many of us want to avoid troubles of any kind. Instead of having to overcome a temptation, we would rather not have one. But James says, let the troubles come so our endurance will grow.

What he said next will take a lifetime. We will continually develop our endurance as we work towards its perfection and completion. So, what if our troubles become too much for us?

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5

We often use that verse when trying to figure things out, and there is nothing wrong with that. But in its context, James points to asking God to help us through the difficult testing of our faith.

When I pick up my eleven-year-old granddaughter from school, I often ask how her day went. She’ll give me a rundown of how her classes went and her day’s activities.

One day, she said, “…and in that class, we had a really easy test.” I asked if she knew why the test was so easy. She looked at me and I told her because she had prepared for it.

That’s how I view the growth of our endurance. As it develops, it prepares us for the next test. But if we need tutored, ask God for His wisdom. Asking for it, though, comes with a condition.

Ask God For Wisdom

But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:6

If you can’t overcome a temptation or a difficult test, God becomes your only means of help. Will you put your total trust in Him and believe that He will see you through your dilemma?

If you can’t make that commitment, then don’t expect God to give you the wisdom you need.

Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. James 1:7-8

James began by using the generic term “any kind of trouble” we find ourselves in. Then, in verse twelve, he specified our trouble as coming from testing and temptation.

And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. James 1:13

Testing and temptation come from two different directions. No temptation ever comes from God, but we still must overcome them. God tests us. He doesn’t tempt us. But we can grow from both.

God will bring a variety of tests our way to help us depend on the Lord. On the other hand, temptation will always lead us towards sin if we can’t overcome it.

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. James 1:14

Maybe you’ve never realized, but all temptations are custom-made. What works for me might not work for you, and vice versa. Then Satan dangles those custom temptations to entice each of us.

Overcome that Dangling Temptation

When people can’t overcome that dangling temptation, it slowly drags them away from God. Instead of overcoming the temptation, they allow it to overcome them.

So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:16-7

Just imagine James looking you right in the eye saying, brother or sister, don’t be misled! He told us how to know the difference between a test and a temptation.

A test draws us towards God, and if patiently endured, we will receive a good and perfect gift. A temptation will pull us towards sin and away from God therefore, we must overcome it.

God has given us a way to develop our endurance, and when needed, we can tap into His wisdom. Living a victorious life of righteousness means receiving from God the crown of life.

Lord, help me overcome the sinful desires that open me up to temptation. As overcomers, thank you for your promise of the crown of life.