The Lion (Satan) That Roams The Streets (Sermon On Temptation)

One man who was popular on radio was Rush Limbaugh. He died February 17, 2021.

Whether you agreed with his opinions or not…millions listened to him daily because as he spoke his views on politics his listeners felt he was speaking on their views on political issues.

It takes a special person to be able to speak for others.

But in this sermon we want to turn our attention to the very special person that wrote the book of James.

James had the ability to make his readers feel he was dealing with the issues where WE ALL LIVE.

For example we all have to deal with temptation.

Look how he speaks to his readers.

James 1:13-15, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death”.

James uses the word TEMPTATION in two ways.

First he uses the word TEMPTATION…

(1) SATAN TEMPS US TO SIN.

Satan is very good at it!!! He has had thousands of years of experience knowing how to tempt us Christians to sin.

Illus: For example, suppose the doctor tells a man, for health reasons, he must quit smoking.

But that person can see a person smoking a cigarette and that little cigarette becomes the most important thing in his/her life.

It becomes like a magnet drawing him/her to it.

This is one way James uses the word TEMPTATION…SATAN TEMPTS US TO SIN.

The devil is the biggest hooker in the world walking the streets everyday tempting people to sin.

He knows how to sell sin.

Illus: A man went to a store to get some salt. The store clerk said, “How much salt do you want? He carried him to the basement of the store. It was full of salt.

• The customer said to the store clerk…”YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO SELL SALT?”

• The store clerk said, “No! But that man who sold me all this salt knows how to sells salt!!!”

The devil knows how to sell sin!!!

The second way the word TEMPTATION IS USED…

(2) GOD TRYS US

Some temptations are tests that come from the Lord. These temptations are not inducements to do evil.

• The temptation to sin is sent to us by Satan to DRAG US DOWN!

• The temptation to try us by the Lord Jesus is to BUILD US UP!

Did you know the temptations God sends to us are for our benefit?

How is the temptation for our benefit?

God allows temptation to come into our lives, NOT FOR GOD’S PURPOSE. The Lord is Omniscient. He knows before we are tempted how we are going to react to the temptation.

So the temptation is not for His benefit, it is for our benefit.

If temptation of sin is in the heart when it is tested it will reveal itself.

God’s temptation is to strengthen us, not to weaken us.

Christians and sinners sin, but the difference between a Christian and a sinner sinning is that a Christians falls into sin.

Illus: You see if I go outside we have a pond in front of this beautiful church.

As I go out there it is possible that I might fall into that pond if I am not careful

Now here is the difference between a Christian and a sinner.

Illus: A Christian may FALL INTO SIN, repent and get out, BUT A SINNER “SWIMS” IN SIN!!! He enjoys sin!

If you enjoy swimming in sin, you have a problem and that is you have never been born again.

Three things I want us to notice this morning. I WANT TO SHOW YOU… WHEN IT COMES TO TEMPTATION THERE IS…

I. A POSIBILITY

Look at verse 13. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God…”

Look at the word “When”.

The Word of God doesn’t say if he is tempted. It says, “…when he is tempted…”

Many people think that if you are a Christian, and especially if you’re a good Christian, you’re not going to have any temptations. That is not scriptural!!

Illus: Listen, before we were saved we had some horrible sinful thoughts. After we are saved the devil will tempt us with those same horrible thoughts of sin.

And then the devil will say, “You are not saved, if you were saved you would not have these SINFUL THOUGHTS”.

Illus: Someone said, we can not stop a bird from flying over our head but we can stop him from building a nest there.

We can not stop the horrible thoughts of sin that the devil puts in our minds but we do not have to allow him to build a nest with these sinful sins.