Putting feet to our faith-Endurance (Pt.2)

(Part 2 of 2)

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”-James 1:13-18

Spiritual endurance is not built on testing alone, but it is built each time we withstand temptation. Temptation is a strong urge or desire to have or do something, especially something wrong or unwise. Listen to how James describes temptation: 

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”-James 1:14-15

Where testing is something we contend with outwardly, temptation is an inward battle and although the tests we face may come from the Lord, temptation never does. God is holy, and therefore will not solicit us to sin when it comes to temptation.

If we sin, it is because we choose it. James declares that we are drawn away by our own desires. Satan and this world may provide the outward enticement, however we choose whether or not we will pursue it. Satan doesn’t plant or create desire in us for that which is sinful, he simply entices what is already there. That means we alone have the power to choose to do what is right. 

Endurance, however, is not simply about doing the right things, but it is also important not to do the wrong things. You can choose to exercise your body to stay healthy, but if you don’t eat right too, then you will never achieve the ultimate goal. We must choose do the right, while resisting doing wrong. It’s spiritual resistance training. Resisting temptation builds endurance. Each time we resist the desire to pursue that which is sinful, we build our spiritual endurance. Each time we suppress our desire, that desire begins to have less and less of a hold on us. However, suppressing desire all at once could prove difficult, so initially we may have to put boundaries in place to avoid sinful actions. 

Ultimately, temptation is another avenue by which to divide our loyalty. We can choose to sin or we can choose God. We can pursue our own desires, or we can pursue righteousness. That is why the passage describes it as being: drawn away. Temptation is designed to misdirect us from God’s path onto another path.

When it comes to building endurance: testings are to be endured and temptations resisted. Together they have the potential to build the kind of spiritual endurance in us that will carry us to the end. 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church