But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that temptation isn't a foreign force forcing its way in, but rather an active pulling and luring by our own inner desire. This "lust" isn't just a passive inclination; it's a dynamic power that, when yielded to, actively draws us out of our rightful place and entices us into sin.
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
English Standard Version (ESV)
James just explained that God doesn't tempt anyone to do evil. Now he pinpoints the real source: our own inner desires. These aren't just passive feelings; they actively lure and trap us, like a fisherman using bait or a hunter setting a snare, pulling us away from what's right and into sin.
Ever felt like you're battling an invisible enemy, a force outside yourself pushing you to do wrong? James cuts through that idea with a sharp truth.
James 1:14 makes it clear: the real power behind temptation isn't an external force, but something deeply internal. The verse states, 'each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.'
Temptation often feels like a sudden ambush. But James shows us it's more like a carefully planned hunt.
James uses vivid imagery to describe how desire leads us into sin. He says we are 'lured and enticed.' These aren't just passive states; they describe an active, predatory process.
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Together, these words show that sin doesn't usually happen in a single step. It's a process of being drawn away from safety and security by the deceptive appeal of our own desires.
Understand the original words
epithymia · Greek Noun
An intense, often sinful craving or longing for that which is forbidden or contrary to the will of God. It is the root of internal temptation and the catalyst for sinful actions.
hamartia · Greek Noun
To miss the mark of God's standard; an act of rebellion, transgression, or failure to love God and neighbor as commanded. It is both a state of corruption and an action that violates God's law.
thanatos · Greek Noun
The ultimate consequence of sin and the state of separation from God. It encompasses physical, spiritual, and eternal separation from the source of life.
This passage shows the very first temptation, where Eve sees that the fruit is good for food, a delight to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom, illustrating how desire ('lust' in James' terms) arises from observing an object and seeing its perceived benefits.
Proverbs 7:6-23This vivid account of a harlot seducing a young man paints a picture of 'desire' as a seductive force, using 'bait' and 'allurements' to draw him away from wisdom and into ruin, directly paralleling James' imagery of being 'drawn away' and 'enticed'.
Romans 7:7-11Paul's reflection on the law revealing sin demonstrates how 'lust' (desire) is dormant until provoked by a commandment, showing that it's the internal desire, when activated, that becomes the engine of temptation and leads to sin and death.
Galatians 5:16-17This passage contrasts the 'desires of the flesh' with the 'Spirit,' highlighting the ongoing internal conflict where desires war against one's will, aligning with James' point that temptation originates from within our own desires.
vincentJames 1:14: "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."
Drawn away (ἐξελκόμενος)Only here in New Testament. This and the following word are metaphors from hunting and fishing. Drawn away, as beasts are enticed from a safecovert into a place beset with snares. Note the present participle, as indicating the progress of the temptation: "is being drawn away."Enticed (δελεαζόμενος)As a fish with bait. Also the present participle. See on 2 Peter 2:14.
clarkeJames 1:14: "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."
But every man is tempted - Successfully solicited to sin, when he is drawn away of his own lust - when, giving way to the evil propensity of his own heart, he does that to which he is solicited by the enemy of his soul. Among the rabbins we find some fine sayings on this subject. In Midrash hanaalam, fol. 20, and Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 17, it is said: "This is the custom of evil concupiscence, יצר הרע yets…
The verse highlights that temptation isn't a foreign force forcing its way in, but rather an active pulling and luring by our own inner desire. This "lust" isn't just a passive inclination; it's a dynamic power that, when yielded to, actively draws us out of our rightful place and entices us into sin.
James just explained that God doesn't tempt anyone to do evil. Now he pinpoints the real source: our own inner desires. These aren't just passive feelings; they actively lure and trap us, like a fisherman using bait or a hunter setting a snare, pulling us away from what's right and into sin.
James just explained that God doesn't tempt anyone to do evil. Now he pinpoints the real source: our own inner desires. These aren't just passive feelings; they actively lure and trap us, like a fisherman using bait or a hunter setting a snare, pulling us away from what's right and into sin.
"But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." — The verse highlights that temptation isn't a foreign force forcing its way in, but rather an active pulling and luring by our own inner desire. This "lust" isn't just a passive inclination; it's a…
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Last reviewed October 2026