He refers to lusts. “but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (James 1:14 KJV). Lust is understood to mean a strong longing, especially for what is forbidden. Whenever you have a lust, temptation is not far-fetched.
There is a world of difference between tempt and test. The objective of one is a fall, that of the other is an assessment of our grasp of divine lessons. God does not tempt us; rather He makes a way of escape for us in all temptations.
Fix your gaze on the crown of glory that is reserved for overcomers. If you have the crown in view, you can muster the strength to endure the difficulties of the moment.
They exceed expectations and human explanations. They also exceed what you will ever need. These capture the true riches of believers, even though they may be at lower end of the economic ladder.
God’s power to save, heal, and bless remains intact; but until we get rid of our unbelief the blessings will pass us by.
Though the way to wisdom is not directly addressed after this admonition, we have clues scattered in other parts of the book. For instance, we know that wisdom can be contacted through association.
So when you are going through tough times, know that you are at the same time growing inner resilience, and that a miracle may just be at your door.
Christianity without any form of persecution is suspect! Christianity is a call to live in the spirit, while the world left behind represents the flesh. These two cannot agree, the flesh must certainly seek ways to weigh down the spirit. Hence the persecution.
So when James describes himself as a bondservant of God, he is simply saying, “I am branded for God for life”. He made a final commitment, that even if there was a chance for him to go elsewhere, it came too late.
A true soldier has one thing on his mind; that is, winning the war and thereby pleasing his commander. To this might be added a lesson from the pamphlet cited earlier. Unless a soldier adds good personal conduct to endurance and focus, he would still be a poor specimen.
