“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” (James 1:13-15 NASB1995)

Now, whenever I read this passage of Scripture, what immediately comes to mind is the story of Jesus being tempted by Satan in the wilderness. How does that fit with what James teaches on temptation? I cannot reconcile that, for Jesus was not carried away and enticed by his own lust, for he was not born with a sin nature as we are, and he never once sinned all the time that he lived on the earth. For not only was he a man, but he was also God – God incarnate, made flesh, who lived among the people of the world.

Therefore, when Satan attempts to tempt us into doing wrong, or to going the wrong direction, or to giving up, it doesn’t necessitate that we are being tempted of Satan because we are carried away and enticed by our own lust. It could be that we have no such desires as what Satan is trying to convince us to do, like he did with Jesus. So, perhaps there is a difference between Satan’s attempts to tempt us and us actually engaging in and considering doing what he is trying to get us to do, because that is what our flesh wants.

For Jesus Christ did not engage with Satan and with his attempts to tempt him, but he immediately countered him with the word of God, which is what we should also do when Satan tries as he might to convince us to NOT do what God has called us to do but to do what the devil wants us to do. There was no sense here at all that Jesus was considering Satan’s temptations, for he immediately responded in opposition to what the devil was trying to get him to do. He cut him off immediately, which is how we should do, too.

So, I believe, based off Jesus’ experience, that being tempted can be solely on the side of the devil who is trying to persuade us to doing what is wrong, but we choose to respond to him in the same way in which Jesus did, with the truth of the Scriptures. Or, for some (or many) people, they are in the habit of being persuaded of Satan to do evil, and so they are carried away and enticed by their own lust, because that is really what is in their hearts, and it is what their wicked hearts desire, and that is why they blame God.

For, those who are taken captive by the lusts of their flesh are often also those who like to cast the blame on anyone else but themselves, and that includes blaming God. They do not want to give up their sinful habits, and so they try to make it someone else’s fault but their own. There is most always an excuse for why they sinned, or for why they were unfaithful, or for why they lied and deceived and committed adultery against their spouses. Even if they know the truth of the Scriptures by heart, they will choose sin, instead.

So, just because the devil tries to convince you to do wrong and to not do right, it doesn’t mean that is what is in your heart, and that is what you lust after, unless you do, in fact, lust over those things, by habit, and that is the desire of your heart, in practice, and so that makes you an easy target. For Satan is going to try to get us who are following the Lord with our lives to disobey God, because that is what he does. For he doesn’t want anyone serving the Lord with their lives, and so he will try as he might to stop us.

And that is why we must put on the full armor of God daily with which to fight against him and his evil schemes against us. And this is why we must walk by faith in walks of surrender to the will of God in obedience to his commands, living to please our Lord in all that we are and do and say – all in the power of God. And righteousness and speaking and living the truth of God’s word, and sharing the truth of the gospel with others, as led by the Spirit of God, must be our practice (Ephesians 6:10-20; Matthew 4:1-11).

What the Lord Says

Based off Isaiah 43:1-44:5
An Original Work / February 24, 2014
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

This is what the Lord says to you:
Fear not, for I have chosen you.
I have summoned you by your name.
You are mine. I died, you to save.

When you go through your trials, so deep,
I will be with you; you will not sink.
You are so precious always to me.
Trust in your Lord, Savior and King.

This is what the Lord says to you:
He who gave salvation to you;
Who delivered you from your sin;
Takes your burdens now upon Him:

Forget the former things of your life.
Give of your heart not now up to strife.
See all the new things I have for you.
Walk in vict’ry. Trust in what’s true.

This is what the Lord says to you:
He who made you; who will help you:
Do not fear what humans may do.
Walk in freedom. Follow what’s true.

Drink of my Spirit given for you.
Trust in my mercy, for I love you.
I have a plan for all of your life.
Follow my ways. Do what is right.

Tempted of Satan
An Original Work / January 23, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love