Combating Trials and Temptations (Part 2)

James 5:12-20: Taking Each Circumstance and Respond Biblically

The close-out of our study in the book of James has led us through 2-steps which believers must take in order to combat trials and temptations (which support the others we’ve discussed throughout the study of James.)

Last week: We looked at step 1 in combating trials/temptations—biblical patience (fighting endurance)

Today-Is the 2nd step in combating trials/temptations—responding Biblically to every circumstance we encounter

—————-

No person in this life, whether or not they choose to acknowledge it, is void of facing trials and sufferings in this life. It has been a repeated focal point of James’ book.

How a person faces these trials/temptations, how they respond to the various and at times unrelenting circumstances in life, is a reflection of a person’s belief system—the what they say or do, who they turn to/who they depend on, and where they turn in order to deal with trials/circumstances indicate, “the what, the who, and the where” their heart is rooted. In other words, you are who you turn too.

Sadly there are those who’s hearts are set to depend on something other than Christ and promises which come from His Word. Tragically they turn either to ”self, sin, or the wisdom of a broken and fallen world; and just a sad, there are professed believers who often times find them selves depending on things, to get them through trials and circumstances—rather than Christ and His Word.

In self, people believe and depend on:

Self-sufficiency/Self-dependency/Reluctance to deal with their circumstances

Money/wealth/riches to deal with their circumstances

Their own strength and fortitude—which only lasts for a short time, before they are worn out emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually

Mere avoidance and denial

Blaming others, blaming situations, or anything else to avoid the hard look in the mirror (James 1:22-24 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” )

In sin, people turn to temporary and fleeting satisfactions of this world:

Drugs/alcohol

Pornography & sexual immorality

Gambling

Entertainment/Social media/Technology

Escapism—simply put, this is man’s inclination to intentionally seek distraction from the unpleasant circumstances

In the wisdom of a broken and fallen world, people buy in to the deceit of messages such as:

Trust your heart/follow your heart

You are possible

Compared to so-and-so, I’ve got it made

What is needed is the turn towards Christ and His Word. This is what James and other writers of Scripture have witnessed and written down for us—a biblical perspective and focus. In as much as James is writing to believers to give feet to their faith—what we must know , what gives feet to our faith is in how we recognize, approach, and combat trials/temptations from a Biblical perspective, a lens in which we see:

The joy that comes in enduring trials/temptations

The wisdom needed to fight/endure/overcome temptations

The source of trials and temptations

The various kinds and nature of trials/temptations

The source and solutions to overcoming them, and that

The foundation one must have in order to overcome and defeat them—salvation in and through Jesus Christ

There’s a saying (I don’t know how old it is) that says, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite a time. It may sound quirky and odd, but in battling our trials and enduring our circumstances, we must take each one and respond to them Biblically. This is how James closes out his letter:

FIVE CIRCUMSTANCES and HOW TO COMBAT THEM

I. (v.12) When heavily tried, do not curse or swear—(one might not have expected Scripture to start here, much less indicate, “But above all...”

James 5:12 “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.”

The acceptability of swearing or cursing is astonishing in today’s world; tragically it’s become the acceptable practice in most any arena of life

It is tragic b/c of what Scripture says about it—how about what swearing/cursing prove and what it reflects:

“But above all...”—this is an imperative (something of vital importance—that is crucial) for believers. Why? Of all the things and ways a man is to guard himself, why would Scripture put swearing/cursing a the top of things not to do?

Because swearing and cursing is either:

(1) taking the Lord’s name in vain, or

(2) show man’s worthlessness

It is tragic, in that what proceeds out of our mouths is a reflection of what lies in the heart.

What proceeds out our mouths shows whether or not a person is:

True or false

Trustworthy or undependable

Honest or deceitful

Matthew 15:16-18 “So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.”

(3 Points of Importance)

Six types of swearing

Swearing by oaths

Simply speaking—our word should be trustworthy in our day day speech—there ought to be no need to “swear” to do something; our character should speak for itself

Habitual/Frivolous swearing—evil speaking/foul language

Romans 3:10 “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;”

Romans 3:14 ““Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.””

Hypocritical swearing

These are those who bless God in one breath and turn around and curse others in the next breath

This is pharasitcal—how many professed believers talk with one language and then outside of the ears of other believers talk in another?

Off-colored jokes

Vulgarity

How we talk to and about our

spouse

children

siblings

friends

other church members

James 3:9 “With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.”

Silent/Universal Swearing

Ecclesiastes 7:22 “For many times, also, your own heart has known That even you have cursed others.”

This is best described as what one might think about when passing by another, or when a person’s name is brought up

Evasive Swearing--

These are the “substitute words” which people use instead of the actual word which is foul, dirty, ugly, or binding

These are those people who would never use God’s name in vain, choose everyday words which wouldn’t be considered swearing

These are those who would “rank” dirty, foul, ugly, or evil words” and then justify using the “lesser” ranking ones

These are those, who in using these words—attempt to make themselves appear less guilty-

1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.””

Jeremiah 17:9 ““The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (God can and does)

Ego Swearing

These are those who use language to “look cool,” “fit in,” and “feel accepted”

These are those who use cursing/swearing to establish an identity with the crowd or with others

James 4:4 “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

We are not to swear by oaths (not by heaven or earth, nor by any other oath)

Do not swear by heaven—it is where God’s glory is manifested

To swear by heaven is to swear by God and to curse God

Isaiah 66:1 “Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?”

Do not swear by earth, for the earth is God’s footstool: He governs and looks over it

To swear by earth, is to swear by God and to curse God

Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.”

Do not swear by any other oath—all power belongs to God

We are to let our word be so true, it is our guarantee

Your word alone is to stand alone

Your word should not require other words to validate them—especially words of swearing/cursing

Our lives should reflect a character which allows our, “yes to be yes, and our no to be no.”

***One last note before we move on: Swearing/Cursing do make a matter or person more believable, they make a matter or person more suspicious***

II. (v.13) Whether the experience is affliction or cheerfulness—pray and praise

James 5:13 “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”

When there are seasons/circumstances/moments of affliction, trial/temptation—we are to pray

When there are seasons/circumstances/moments we are free of afflictions, trials/temptations—we are to praise

CAUTION—This by no means, teaches we shouldn’t praise God in the midst of affliction, or neglect prayer in times of no trouble—believers need to people characterized by praise and prayer in any and all seasons.

1 Thessalonian 5:16-17 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,”

Nehemia 1:4-5 “So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,”

James point—God desires that we primarily seek Him as we endure and walk through life:

For deliverance and courage in times of trouble; yet so often times we fail to, or take for granted that He knows

Taking for granted that He knows and not crying out, praying to Him doesn’t draw out a person’s faith

John 5:6 “When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?””

For rejoicing and praising in times of no trouble; yet so often times we put it in neutral and cruise control

(To this verse, v.13) When afflictions/trials strike…our weapon is prayer, we combat these things with seeking God’s strength

Ephesians 6:10-17 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”

The armour of god is designed/designated to be the believer’s means of defense and offense in the daily battles, in times of attacks, trials, and afflictions

The critical point to understand is the armour belongs to God and has to come from God—we have no strength and armour in ourselves to fight, overcome, and conquer the spiritual battles in our lives, hence Paul’s leading into the amor of God with the, “Therefore...” Paul knew he and we are no match of them

The enemy knows the greatest weapon he can use against us, is our own flesh, our own heart—the enemy knows that if he can divert and distract from depending on Christ—he has us right where he wants us

The armor of God is not something with which we arm the outside of us, but we arm our hearts and minds with—b/c this is where the battle is fought.

Ephesians 6:18 “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—”

What “activates,” or what “puts on,” the armor? PRAYER

In the believer’s honest/earnest/transparent/surrendered prayer

We seek God’s truth (belt)

We depend on His righteous (breastplate)

We seek His protection/provision through the trial so we are a witness of Him (sandals)

We pray/ask God to renew, protect, and reassure our minds (helmet)

Renew our minds about salvation and His promises

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

To take thoughts and turn them to obedience

2 Corinthians 10:5 “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

We pray/ask/seek God to give us bold faith, active faith, courageous faith (shield)

We pray His Word, we use His Word, we yield to His Word

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Ephesians 6:18 “being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—”

In James’ letter, he is about to remind believers to pray for each other, confess sins to one another, and to seek out our brothers/sisters in Christ who are in sin, so there’s one last point to see here about the armor of God-- look again at the last part of v.18: (READ)

*** WE ARE TO PRAY THE ARMOR FOR ALL BELIEVERS***

When there are times we are free of trials/temptations—we are to be people who praise and rejoice in Him

This does not mean we walk around boasting through life, that we are free of trouble/trials

Boasting when others are hurting does more harm than good; it does not lift them up and encourage them, rather it has the potential to put them down and discourage them; our boasting merely takes makes their minds focus their minds that much more on their hardships/struggles

This does mean we are to be cheerful in the Lord and allow our joy to be a witness to others and the world

Those who are enduring/battling/struggling through the circumstances/trials of life, need to know there is a hope; they need to know there is an assurance; they need to know there is a confidence in which they can walk

It is a confidence which is rooted in salvation—of being born again

And our joy is to be reflection of that. When we walk in cheerfulness and joy—it is to be witness to a lost and dying world—there is a hope, an assurance, a promise and a confidence that comes in being born again, in salvation which is offered through Jesus Christ

III.(v.14-15) When sick, seek out prayer from church leaders

James 5:14-15 “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

Four facts about this passage:

“Is any sick among you?”

The sick referenced here are those who are unable to get out and go to the ministers/leaders of the church—they are shut-ins

“Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders (ministers/leaders) of the church”

The sick referenced here are to be so concerned over their welfare and trusting in the Lord, that he knows God can heal Him

The sick referenced here are to be so concerned over their welfare and trusting in the Lord, they know not to engage in the struggle alone and call on those within leadership to pray for them

“Let them (the elders) pray over him, anointing him with oil, in the name of the Lord.”

Elders (leaders) within the church body have a responsibility:

They pray for the sick shut-in

They anoint him with oil

Picture the scene in this passage

Again, while we should always be in prayer for those who are sick and ill—this verse’s context refers to those who are so sick and bedridden, that if they are ever to leave their bed—it will require God alone to heal them. These are those who may be

Cancer stricken

Some other form of being so sick and infirm—they cannot get out of bed or their home

What’s the command and call to action here:

The sick are not to give in to the hopelessness of their situation, but remain faithful and steadfast

Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.””

The elders should not sit idly by or back and merely encourage the afflicted and suffering, to just lie there and accept it without hope

Note the instruction to anoint with oil

What does oil represent?

Oil is symbol of the Holy Spirit

Oil is a symbol of God’s care, comfort, and His mercy towards us

What is the purpose?

It is often difficult for a sick, those who are hurting/suffering, dealing with excruciating pain; or webn with jerky/short attention spans, to focus and concentrate : two things

As a symbol (and symbol only) the oil, as placed on the body, is to serve as a reminder to the sick and hurting believer of the Holy Spirits presence and purpose in his/her life—it is to help them focus and concentrate on

As a symbol (and symbol only) the oil, as placed on the body, is to serve as a reminder to the sick and hurting believer of God’s desire to fill us with His mercy and goodness

What are two cautions here:

Note the phrase in these verses, “in the name of the Lord.”

What this does not mean?

We are not healed by our prayers, by oil, or in the belief that our laying of hands heals a person

We are not healed of our sins by oil, by the laying of hands on another, nor are our sins are not forgiven us by any man, priest, elder, minister, “father,” etc.

What this does mean?

It is the Lord ALONE who heals sickness

It is the Lord ALONE who forgives and absolves us of our sins

Note the type of prayer this is, “a prayer of faith,”

That God hears, cares, responds, and acts to the glory of His great name

That God is the One who heals, restores, forgives, saves, and sustains

What type of faith do we need (either as the sick or the one’s praying)?

Mark 2:1-5 “And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.””

***NOTE—believers, leaders in the church, lay-leaders in the church—we are called to pray and intercede for the well-being of other believers, both physically and spiritually—but we are to leave the results to the Lord ALONE!

IV. (v.16-18) When you sin—confess your sins to one another and pray for one another

James 5:16-18 “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

“Confess your trespasses to one another...”

The meaning behind this verse is not that we go around confessing all of our sins/intimacies/ugliness to any or all people

The context refers to when our sin effects, harms, or hurts another person;

When we have misled or lied to a person

When we have offended someone with our words/actions/assumptions

When our sin causes them to stumble and sin themselves

When restitution must be made

“…and pray for one another, that you may be healed

The aim of confession is restoration—that as we repent of and confess:

At salvation the bondage of—the wages of—the condemnation of our sin is removed

In sanctification, our sins are continually washed and cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Forgive and cleanse are present tense words—indicating that as we walk in daily confession—our sins are constantly being cleansed

In confessing of sin to others, to those we’ve wronged

First, to the one who’s done the wrong:

Confession must begin with realizing Who the sin is ultimately against

Psalm 51:4a “Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight...”

Confession must be done with the right heart purpose—the right aim

Psalm 32:3-4 “When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah”

Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Confession must always begin with getting right with God, so that we live rightly with others—how God intends us to live

Second, the one who’s been wronged/offended:

We must first understand the grace and mercy God has given us in our own lives, so that our response to others’ sin is grace and mercy and not judgment, anger, bitterness

Ephesians 4:2 “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,”

Colossians 3:13 “bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

Second we must understand what Jesus says about forgiveness

Matthew 6:14-15 ““For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Matthew 18:21-22 “Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

A heart which is surrendered to Christ, who recognizes what Christ has done for them in turns shows grace, mercy, and prays for the hearts of those who have wronged them.

And these are prayers of the spiritually mature, are prayers which accomplish much:

It intercedes for the one who is in sin

It protects the one wronged from bitterness and sinful anger—softening their hearts/leaning their hearts towards forgiveness—prevents hesitation in being obedient to forgive

It reminds and recalls God’s grace and mercy

It surrenders and relinquishes control of feelings/emotions which lie and deceive

V. (v.19-20) When believers are backslidden—go after them (seek them out)

James 5:19-20 “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”

“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth...”

James is dealing directly with believers here:

Every believer, no matter what the say, or the mask at times they put on—at times will

Stray away from the truth

Walk in some manner of sin/error

Miss the mark

“…and someone turns him back...”

This carries the truth that believers in the church (the body of believers) are to

seek him/her out with the purpose to lead them to repentance

the goal in seeking out the wayward believer, whose go astray from the truth is always reconciliation

1 Corinthians 12:26 “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”

“Convert” means to turn (this is what repentance is)

The believer—who is Christian love, confronts, admonishes and encourages a fallen believer to repent has this ONE goal in mind

O/T example:

2 Samuel 12:1-7 “Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.” Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘…”

2 Samuel 12:13 “So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

N/T example

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

What a different place the world and the church would be if we loved each other in this manner—where we actually did this.

Think of the marriages that would be restored, the addictions that could be broken, the strongholds of pride, greed, self-sufficiency, and religion would be shaken and loosed.

(WORSHIP TEAM)

As we close out our study of James, we need to think back on the purpose of James’ letter. To call believers to engage in and yield to sanctification. We must be believers to live in demonstrative faith, who recognize that in order to look more like Jesus, we must look less like the world; we must allow God, through the Holy Spirit, to purge us of those things which entangle and ensnare us—we must take a hard look in the mirror and face up to the truth of who we are and Who we really need.

The greatest battle we face is not a battle against those things outside of us—rather the greatest battle we face is what lies inside—a battle for our heart and mind.

We need a biblical perspective—a Biblical lens with which to operate from:

As we end our time in James, look back with me at Psalm 18 for a moment and hear from David a Biblical perspective:

David’s commitment (listen to what David commits to and why)

Psalm 18:1-3 “I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.”

I will love

I will trust

I will call upon

David’s understanding (listen to what David understood)

Psalm 18:16-19 “He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the Lord was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.”

It is God who delivers

It is God who supports

It is God who brings us out

It is God who delights in him (us)

David’s focus (listen to what David focused on)

Psalm 18:28-39 “For You will light my lamp; The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop, By my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places. He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me, So my feet did not slip. I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them; Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed. I have wounded them, So that they could not rise; They have fallen under my feet. For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.”

The Lord my God

The way of the Lord (it’s perfect)

The Word of the Lord (it’s proven)

It was (is) God who arms with strength, makes his path straight, and sets him on his way

It was (is) the salvation of the Lord that protects him (us)

David’s resolution (listen to David’s resolve)

Psalm 18:46-50 “The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God who avenges me, And subdues the peoples under me; He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name. Great deliverance He gives to His king, And shows mercy to His anointed, To David and his descendants forevermore.”

How are you fighting your battles?

Are you fighting from a place of uncertainty?

Are you fighting with the wisdom of self or of this world?

Are you fighting from a place of victory and assurance?

Do you need reminding that as a believer—who you were was left at the altar?

Do you need reminding of who you are in the eyes of the Father? (Precious, His wonderful creation)

Do you need to know that you can leave yourself at the altar

Do you need to know of that through the cross you don’t have to be a casualty of sin---rather that in Christ, b/c He conquered sin and conquered death, you can be a child of the King!