James 1:13-15 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Commentary:
One of Satan’s greatest tricks is to discourage us with our own temptations. A temptation, however, is a warning signal, not a sin. We need to see the process of how a sin is formed. First temptation, then we give into it and it builds within us. Fueled by our sinful nature, the temptation becomes a desire. Not long after that, bingo, we find ourselves discouraged because we have given in to sin. Use this verse to train yourself to look for warning signals. Just like knowing cloud formations can save you from getting caught out in a storm, recognizing our temptations can provide us a kind of early warning system.