James 1:13 (DRB)

Passage

Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils: and he tempteth no man.

Nearby Context

James 1:11 For the sun rose with a burning heat and parched the grass: and the flower thereof fell off, and the beauty of the shape thereof perished. So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

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

James 1:13 Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils: and he tempteth no man.

James 1:14 But every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured.

James 1:15 Then, when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. But sin, when it is completed, begetteth death.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "tempted", "tempter", "evils", and "tempteth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "tempted" and "tempter", 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 every man is tempted by his...", so "tempted" and "tempter" 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 "tempter" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.