You don't have to dance with the devil.

The Word for today:
James 4

mark this: James 4:7
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.


We find out from biology books, or from the guy next to us on the school bus, how certain things come together to conceive physical life.

James is that book, and James is that guy, in a spiritual sense.  We learn from James how certain things come together to conceive sin.

First, James clears up some misconceptions about where sin comes from:

God did not make you do it.
When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.  (James 1:13)

Without your cooperation, the devil cannot make you do it.
But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  (James 1:14)

***

“Conceived”—How sin is born.
Conception is the union of two. The desire of the soul is joined to the outward temptation and we sin:
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:15)

Temptation is not sin.
The Lord Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. (Matthew 4)

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
Jesus resisted every one of the devil's temptations with the sword of the Spirit--the Word of God.

James teaches us that it takes two to tango.  If we resist the devil (per James' advice) with the sword of the Spirit (per Jesus' example) then sin cannot be conceived.

Jesus and James show and tell us that we don't have to dance with the devil.