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how do I resist temptation?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

James 1:13-15

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is drawn away by his own evil desire and enticed. Then the desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death.

This letter, likely written by James, Jesus's brother, around the mid-1st century CE, is addressed to Jewish Christians scattered outside of Palestine. It offers practical wisdom for living out their faith in the midst of trials and temptations, emphasizing endurance and active obedience.

What part of this process of temptation feels most familiar to your own experience?

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Read alongside it

  • 1 Corinthians 10:13

    This passage assures that God provides a way out of temptation.

  • Matthew 26:41

    Jesus instructs his disciples to watch and pray to avoid falling into temptation.

  • Proverbs 4:23

    This wisdom literature emphasizes guarding one's heart, from which desires spring.

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