“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).
Implications flow from this gem by the writer James as he promotes faithfulness to the Lord. He confirms the fact that temptations are part of the life of every Christian and that we have a choice—we may choose to “endure” by not giving in to Satan’s enticements or we may choose to indulge and lose the reward.
Being tempted, however, does not automatically mean we are “approved.” Patiently remaining faithful to the “calling to which we have been called” during times of temptation—that is, staying on course with our commitment to Jesus—gives us the spiritual victory we desire.
James calls this victory the “crown of life,” promised to all who “love” the Lord. Because of the teaching James does in this book, we know he is using this word in a comprehensive sense—loving the Lord includes both a firm belief in God’s existence and actions that demonstrate our love.