WHEN TEMPTED, NO ONE SHOULD SAY, ‘GOD IS TEMPTING ME.’ FOR GOD CANNOT BE TEMPTED BY EVIL, NOR DOES HE TEMPT ANYONE
(James 1:13).

 God does not tempt you.  Your temptations are not coming from God.  They have another origin.

BUT EACH ONE IS TEMPTED WHEN, BY HIS OWN EVIL DESIRE, HE IS DRAGGED AWAY AND ENTICED
(James 1:14).

I bless you to understand that, today, you are being tempted by the same shame—I fall short—that the father-of-lies had embedded in your mind, since childhood.  Grasp that, presently, you are being tempted by the same condemnation—I am bad—that the father-of-lies had infused in your mind as a child.  Know that, every day, you are being tempted by the same abandonment and rejection—I have been pushed aside—that the father-of-lies had lodged in your mind, in the past.

Realize that the father-of-lies tempts you, over and over, with these same painful childhood conclusions, so he could lure you into his sinful solutions: to hide from the shame, run from the condemnation, and blame others for abandoning and rejecting you.

THEN, AFTER DESIRE HAS CONCEIVED, IT GIVES BIRTH TO SIN; AND SIN, WHEN IT IS FULL-GROWN, GIVES BIRTH TO DEATH
(James 1:15).

Capture that if you accept and believe the painful beliefs of shame, condemnation, rejection, and abandonment that the father-of-lies had injected in your mind, as a child, you will be tempted to react to these beliefs and give birth to sin.  And after you have followed the father-of-lies into the sinful solutions that cover the pain of these negative childhood beliefs, sin will give birth to death, every day of your life, here on earth.

BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO PERSEVERES UNDER TRIAL, BECAUSE WHEN HE HAS STOOD THE TEST, HE WILL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE THAT GOD HAS PROMISED TO THOSE WHO LOVE HIM
(James 1:12).

Have you ever wondered why you run to harmful habits? What negative childhood beliefs sit underneath the pain that drives you to hurt yourself or others? Why do you believe these beliefs? Did you know that they come from the father-of-lies, and are meant to draw you into his sinful solutions?

You have a choice: to accept your negative childhood conclusions as the truth and run to sinful solutions to still the pain they cause you…or to yield them to God’s Truth and be delivered from them. Thus, when you have stood the test, you will receive Life…every day, here on this earth.

PRAYER: Lord God, I come to You to receive the crown of Life which You have promised to those who persevere under trial—to those who do not follow the father-of-lies into sinful solutions to cover their pain of shame, abandonment, rejection, and condemnation.