Grace for the Tempted

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death (James 1:13–15).

We are often skilled and proficient at playing the blame game when faced with temptation—especially when we give in to sin. We often blame other people or external circumstances rather than looking honestly at what’s going on within us. That instinct doesn’t just reveal a lack of self-awareness—it reveals a deeper spiritual problem: we fail to see our desperate need for Jesus.

While the lure of external temptations may be strong, we cannot play the “blame game” to soothe our guilty consciences. Nothing outside of us causes us to sin. Temptations may come from the outside, but sin is conceived on the inside.

Here’s the reality: the sooner we take responsibility for our sins, the sooner we can receive grace and begin resisting the unhealthy desires that still live in our hearts. When we’re overwhelmed by temptation, we’ve failed to believe that Jesus is enough. And when Jesus isn’t enough, temptation gives way to sin. The internal collapses under the weight of the external.

Each of us has a deceitful heart. Jesus made that clear when He said: For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander (Matthew 15:19). Unless our hearts are aligned with the grace and love of Jesus, they will pursue—and indulge—sinful desires. As John Owen warned, “The seed of every sin is in every heart.” That’s why surface-level solutions won’t work. We need heart-level transformation—only Christ can do that.

So, how do we fight back? How do we align ourselves with Christ?

Here are four thoughts:

1. Know yourself. What tempts you? Are you aware of the sinful desires that wage war in your heart?

2. Take drastic measures. Don’t minimize sin or try to manage it. Acknowledge it, repent of it, and continually surrender it to Jesus.

3. Confront temptation immediately. Don’t toy with it. If certain websites, books, or streaming content pull your heart away from holiness, cut them out. If a particular relationship or conversation regularly draws you toward compromise, create distance and set boundaries. Be proactive, not reactive.

4. Fix your focus on Jesus. Pray. Read Scripture. Preach the Gospel to yourself. Surround yourself with a Gospel-centered community. Worship weekly with the body of Christ. These means of grace are not optional—they’re essential for guarding your heart.

John Owen gives us this encouragement, “Set faith at work on Christ for the killing of thy sin. His blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls. Live in this, and thou wilt die a conqueror; yea, thou wilt, through the good providence of God, live to see thy lust dead at thy feet.”

Ultimately, only Jesus can cause external temptations to collapse under the pressure of a redeemed, Spirit-filled heart.

So don’t fight alone. Don’t rationalize sin. Run to Christ.