James 1:13 (ASV)

Passage

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man:

Nearby Context

James 1:11 For the sun ariseth with the scorching wind, and withereth the grass: and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his goings.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which [the Lord] promised to them that love him.

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man:

James 1:14 but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

James 1:15 Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "tempted", "evil", "himself", and "tempteth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "tempted" and "evil", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation..." into verse 14's "but each man is tempted when he...", so "tempted" and "evil" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "tempted" and "evil" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.