By Andrew Williams
Opening Prayer:
Lord, give us wisdom to recognize the schemes of the enemy and the strength in You to overcome temptation.
Today’s Scripture: James 1:14-15(NLT)
“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”
We often view temptation as a simple test of our willpower. But in the context of spiritual warfare, it’s much more than that. Temptation is one of the enemy’s primary strategies—it’s a calculated scheme to pull you away from God. This passage in James uncovers the playbook for us.
First, the enemy doesn’t create the desire; he targets the “own desires” that are already in our hearts. He knows our weaknesses. Second, he uses that desire to “entice us and drag us away.” The goal isn’t just the sin itself, but the separation it causes. It drags us away from fellowship with God and with others.
Third, if we give in, the desire “gives birth to sinful actions.” And finally, when that sin “is allowed to grow,” meaning it goes unconfessed and unrepented, it “gives birth to death”—not necessarily physical death, but spiritual death: brokenness, shame, and distance from God. Seeing this four-step process is crucial. The enemy isn’t just tempting you to lose your temper or to look at something you shouldn’t; he is trying to initiate a chain reaction that ends in your spiritual isolation and defeat.
Disciple’s Life Tip:
The next time you face a recurring temptation, don’t just focus on resisting the act. Ask a strategic question: “What is the enemy trying to accomplish with this? Is he trying to get me to doubt God’s goodness? Is he trying to fill me with shame so I’ll hide?” Identifying the strategy behind the temptation exposes it and robs it of its power.
Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, You defeated temptation in the wilderness. Help us to stand firm in Your victory and see temptation for the deceptive scheme that it is. Like You, we will resist all the enemy’s temptation and defeat the devil in Your Name. Amen.
