Jas 1:14 says, “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” Lust is a natural feature of our lives. Lust by itself is not sin or even necessarily a bad thing. Look at Deut 12:15, 20, 21 and 14:26. When lust, however, draws you away and then you are enticed, you’re going to be tempted to sin [Jas 1:15]. To be enticed is to be seduced or lured or led astray. There are a number of things in the Bible that can entice you. So, we want to discuss these today so that you will be aware of these potential problems. You can be enticed:
By lust – Jas 1:14 – often lust can draw you away to eat too much, to get drunk, or to fornicate. All of these are sins in the Bible. You must realize that you are to rule your body and mortify the deeds of your flesh by the Spirit [Rom 8:13]. You must control your appetite [Prov 23:2; Prov 23:21]. You must be filled with the Spirit rather than filled with alcohol [Eph 5:18]. You must control your eyes [Job 31:1, 9-12]. And if you lust for things that are abominable to God, you must obey his words and seek to be strengthened by his Spirit against those desires.
By a person – Ex 22:16 – a man can entice a maid. This is a very common problem among teenagers today. There is no stability in giving in to this lust. It is a momentary pleasure that often ends in heartache, unwanted pregnancy, and disease. Deut 13:6-8 shows you that you can be enticed by a family member to serve the wrong gods. This is a very common problem in religious families. Often family members are afraid to get saved because they have been enticed by a more influential member of the family to not receive Jesus Christ. In Jud 14:15, a spouse can entice a mate to do something detrimental. Spouses have such close relationships that one spouse may be inclined to go along with the other spouse even though what they’re doing is clearly wrong.
By sinners – Prov 1:10 – Solomon said, “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” The pressure applied by peer pressure can be intense. It can be very difficult to stand against “sinners” who are enticing you to do something. But if you will just remember that to entice is to lure you astray, then you can refuse on principle. Sinners are harmed by the consequences of sin [Prov 1:18]. According to Prov 23:17, sinners don’t have to make a direct appeal to lure you astray. You may envy what you see and desire it. Don’t envy sinners. Don’t let your own lust draw you away to do what you see them doing. Prov 23:18, says, “there is an end.” The end for the sinner is never good.
By words – 1 Cor 2:4 – Paul spoke of the “enticing words of man’s wisdom.” It is unbelievable to me how many children raised in Christian homes have turned away from the truth of God’s words because of what they heard college professors say. They were enticed by the words of scholarship into unbelief. Paul said that men can “beguile you with enticing words,” Col 2:4. Believe the Bible. If what another person says disagrees with or contradicts the words of God, always stick with the truth of God’s words.
By a sprit – 2 Chr 18:19-21 – a lying spirit enticed Ahab to go up to Ramothgilead and fight. He was killed in that battle. I have seen this kind of enticing spirit destroy men in the ministry. They get enticed by a lying spirit and they get drawn into doctrinal error from which few have ever recovered. They are completely convinced that they are right and that everyone else is wrong, just like Ahab was. And they get destroyed in the ministry just like Ahab was killed in the battle.
Conclusion: when you are enticed, the pressure to give in is very strong. Trust the Lord to strengthen you against being enticed particularly by any of these things we have discussed.