Is temptation sin?

No! temptation itself is not sin. If it is sin, then (we say it reverently) Jesus committed sin when he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness and Jesus never committed sin (Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Peter 2:22). Temptation is the work of the devil. When we listen to temptation and obey it, we commit sin. If you open your Bible and read James 1:12-15 you will know what to do with temptation:

1. You can withstand temptation and overcome it – verse 12.

2. God tempts nobody – so no temptation is evil in itself but it affects you only when you yield to it – verse 13.

3. See the effects when you yield to temptation – verses 14-15.

Read 1 John 2:16.

Martin Luther said: I cannot stop the birds flying over my head, but I can stop them from building their nests in my hair. So it is with temptation. You can, by the power of the Lord which is at your disposal, have victory over temptation.

God’s Word promises in 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”