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James 1:16-18
James 1:16-18
The next time the devil tempts you, just remind yourself of the goodness of God. That’s right; the goodness of God is a wonderful weapon against the devil’s temptations. In fact James 1:17 puts it this way, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
You see he’s telling us here that God is a giving God. Now keep that in mind, the devil doesn’t want you to believe that. The devil came to our first parents and said, “Yeah has not God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” He was saying, “Oh God is holding out on you, if God really loved you he would give you much more.” Our God is a giving God. His very nature is the nature of giving. God is love and love always means giving. In fact God has given to us His very best, the Lord Jesus Christ. And if he gave us His very best, won’t he also give us anything else that we need? God is the giving God.
Secondly, God only gives good gifts. If you are offered something by somebody else it cannot be a good gift unless it comes from God. You better stay away from it; the devil never gives good gifts. The devil always gives that which ultimately leads to sorrow and shame and pain and death. God is the giving God, He gives only good gifts and He does not change. The devil is so changeable, he changes his bait, he changes his hooks; you can’t depend on what the devil says or does. With God, His Word stands, there has not failed one word of all His good promise. His nature does not change, He is the unchanging God. You always know how to relate to Him.
And so the next time you’re tempted just remember the goodness of God. What was it that brought the prodigal son back home from the pig pen? “How many of my Father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger.” He remembered the goodness of his father. Paul tells us in Romans it’s the goodness of God that leads us to repentance; it’s also the goodness of God that keeps us from sin. Remember when the devil tempts you; God has something better for you.
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By Back to the BibleJames 1:16-18
The next time the devil tempts you, just remind yourself of the goodness of God. That’s right; the goodness of God is a wonderful weapon against the devil’s temptations. In fact James 1:17 puts it this way, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
You see he’s telling us here that God is a giving God. Now keep that in mind, the devil doesn’t want you to believe that. The devil came to our first parents and said, “Yeah has not God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” He was saying, “Oh God is holding out on you, if God really loved you he would give you much more.” Our God is a giving God. His very nature is the nature of giving. God is love and love always means giving. In fact God has given to us His very best, the Lord Jesus Christ. And if he gave us His very best, won’t he also give us anything else that we need? God is the giving God.
Secondly, God only gives good gifts. If you are offered something by somebody else it cannot be a good gift unless it comes from God. You better stay away from it; the devil never gives good gifts. The devil always gives that which ultimately leads to sorrow and shame and pain and death. God is the giving God, He gives only good gifts and He does not change. The devil is so changeable, he changes his bait, he changes his hooks; you can’t depend on what the devil says or does. With God, His Word stands, there has not failed one word of all His good promise. His nature does not change, He is the unchanging God. You always know how to relate to Him.
And so the next time you’re tempted just remember the goodness of God. What was it that brought the prodigal son back home from the pig pen? “How many of my Father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger.” He remembered the goodness of his father. Paul tells us in Romans it’s the goodness of God that leads us to repentance; it’s also the goodness of God that keeps us from sin. Remember when the devil tempts you; God has something better for you.