According to verse 14, where do our temptations come from? In what way(s) should this reality challenge our habit of pointing the blame away from ourselves?
Sam Alberry says, “We like to think that giving into sin is a way of getting it out of our system, that if we just indulge it, it will go away and leave us alone. James shows us just how mistaken that thinking is. Acting on it is never the end of it; it takes on a life of its own.” Discuss how verse 15 proves that statement to be true.
James is hoping to convince us that God isn’t in the business of tricking or tripping up his people. He’s in a different line of work. Take a look at verses 17 and 18 and reflect on who God really is, and what difference that can make in our temptations.