Dont take the bait

James 1:13–15 CSB

No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since 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 desire. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

[INTRO – 3 MINUTES]

Alright, let me start with a question—and be honest here:

Have you ever done something you knew was wrong, but you still did it because it just felt right in the moment?

Like maybe…

You said something mean about someone, even though you knew it was wrong, but it made you feel powerful.

You watched something on your phone when nobody was around and thought, “What’s the big deal?”

You cheated on homework or a test, thinking, “I’m just trying to pass—it’s not that deep.”

We’ve all been there.

Here’s the thing: Temptation is real. And it doesn’t care how strong your faith is. It doesn’t care if you go to church. It doesn’t care if you have a Bible app.

Temptation will come for you. But here’s the good news: God gives us a way to recognize it and overcome it.

So tonight’s message is called: “Don’t Take the Bait.”

POINT 1: TEMPTATION ISN’T FROM GOD – IT’S A TRAP (5 MINUTES)

Let’s look again at James 1:13.

“No one undergoing a trial should say, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone.”

Right off the bat—James clears something up:

God doesn’t tempt you. God might test your faith, but He doesn’t tempt your heart toward sin.

Temptation is a trap. It comes from the enemy and from our own selfish desires.

Let me paint a picture for you.

Have you ever gone fishing? What do you do? You put bait on a hook.

Now listen—fish don’t bite the hook because they want to die. They bite it because the bait looks good.

That’s exactly how sin works.

The enemy doesn’t come at you like:

“Hey, wanna ruin your life?”

No—he comes at you with:

“Hey, this feels good. No one will know. You deserve this. Just one time.”

It looks good. It sounds good. But behind the bait… is a hook.

POINT 2: TEMPTATION GROWS IF YOU FEED IT (7 MINUTES)

James 1:14 says this:

“But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.”

Notice what it says: Drawn away. Enticed. Like a fish.

That word enticed in the Greek literally means “to bait a trap.”

Temptation doesn’t overpower you out of nowhere—it starts small.

Let’s say you're tempted to lie. You don’t usually lie—but you don’t want to look bad, and you figure, "It’s just one lie." You get away with it. Then the next time, it’s a little easier. And now it’s part of your routine.

What happened?

You fed the temptation.

Here’s how sin usually works:

Thought: “I want that.” “I deserve that.” “I can get away with this.”

2.

Desire: You start thinking about it more. You get curious. You imagine doing it.

3.

Action: You do the thing. You fall into the trap.

4.

Consequences: Guilt. Broken trust. Distance from God. Shame. Regret.

James says it this way in verse 15:

“Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.”

Sin always takes you farther than you wanted to go.

That little choice? It grows. And if you don’t cut it off—it kills stuff in your life.

It kills your peace.

It kills your friendships.

It kills your connection to God.

ILLUSTRATION: MOUSETRAP OR HOOK (3–4 MINUTES)

Let’s go back to the bait idea.

Hold up a mousetrap (or describe it if you’re not using props).

You ever seen one of these? You put a little cheese on there… the mouse thinks, “Yum! Free food!”

But then SNAP!

Game over.

That’s temptation.

It promises something sweet—but delivers something painful.

Or use a fishing hook. Bait on the hook looks harmless. But once that fish bites? It’s caught.

Temptation always comes dressed in something attractive. But the goal is always to trap you.

POINT 3: GOD ALWAYS GIVES A WAY OUT (5 MINUTES)

Now this is where it gets hopeful.

Because some of you might be thinking, “Okay… temptation is bad, sin grows, I get it—but I still mess up.”

Me too.

Here’s the good news: You’re not stuck.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says:

“No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it.”

God always gives a way out.

It might be:

Walking away from a conversation.

Turning off your phone.

Leaving that friend group.

Telling someone you trust before it gets worse.

Getting in His Word before the day starts.

You won’t always feel like running from temptation—but when you do, you’re running toward freedom.

APPLICATION – 4 PRACTICAL STEPS (3–4 MINUTES)

So what do we do with this?

Let me give you 4 steps to fight temptation in real life:

1. Recognize the bait. Ask: “What looks good right now but could lead to regret?”

2. Check your heart. Temptation grows in the dark. Ask God, “What am I craving more than You?”

3. Get honest with someone. Tell a leader, friend, or mentor. Confession kills sin before sin kills you.

4. Run toward God, not just away from sin. Fill your life with worship, Scripture, and people who push you closer to Jesus.

CLOSING CHALLENGE (2 MINUTES)

Here’s what I want to leave you with:

Temptation is going to happen. But it doesn’t have to win.

You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be wise enough to say:

“That’s bait. I’m not falling for it.”

The more time you spend with Jesus, the less appealing sin starts to look.

And when you mess up—and we all do—don’t run from God. Run to Him.

Because His grace is bigger than your worst mistake. And His strength is stronger than any temptation you’ll ever face.

RESPONSE / ALTAR MOMENT (2–3 MINUTES)

Let’s take a second right now. Heads bowed, eyes closed—just a quiet moment between you and God.

Ask yourself:

“Where am I being tempted?”

“What have I been feeding?”

“What bait do I keep falling for?”

If you’ve been caught up in something and you want freedom, ask Him for it tonight. If you need strength to resist temptation—ask for that too.

Leaders are here if you want to talk. But even in your seat—you can have a moment with God right now.

Because you don’t have to take the bait.

FINAL STICKY STATEMENT (Say This Slow & Clear):

Sin offers the bait—but Jesus offers the way out.