Evil Desires

“No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone. But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.” 

~James 1:13-15 HCSB

James the brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church reminds us God does not tempt us to sin.  Many think that Satan tempts us and its true Satan can tempt us but there is one Satan and seven billion people on the planet.  You might say then it’s one of his demons, but there are only so many of them also.  So what does tempt us, because we all sin and something is happening!  James tells right here.  We are tempted when we are drawn away and enticed by our OWN evil desires.  

These desires our in us, it’s part of the fall. Each of us have inherited a sin nature and can only be fixed by receiving a new nature.  This can only be done through Christ.  When we believe in Christ he gives us a new birth, a new heart, a new nature.  He fills us with the Holy Spirit and as we learn to yield to him he changes our desires.  So as we mature these temptations become less, because our evil desires become less.  Desires have less time to mature and sin cannot grow.  Yielding to Christ in you is the key.  As we yield to reading his word and allowing the Holy Spirit to shape your mind and heart.  As you yield in prayer, as you yield in service to others, as you yield in worship, God grows you into maturity.  Until we reach full maturity in Christ.  Then we can fully understand what Paul says in Romans 6:11, “So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  

Lord help us today to grow in you.  Lord change our desires.  Change them to be more like yours.  Help us to yield to the Holy Spirit in us.  Bend us and break us so that we may become mature Christians to better serve you and bring you glory!  Amen