James 1:13 (ESV):
“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.”
This verse clearly teaches that God cannot be tested or tempted by evil. In fact, the opposite is true: God is tested by good. What does this mean? When we do good — acts of righteousness and obedience to God’s Word — we are in a sense putting God to the test, expecting Him to bless us for our faithfulness. God, in His covenant faithfulness, must then release His blessings upon us.
However, if we rebel against God’s Word and seek blessings while engaging in evil, then we are testing God by evil. A prime example is the children of Israel in the wilderness. They demanded miraculous provision from the Lord while simultaneously turning away from Him in their hearts. They became proud, complaining, disrespectful, and shameless before God — all of which led them into judgment (Hebrews 3:7–11, NIV):
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors tested and tried me,
though for forty years they saw what I did…
As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The warnings He gave thousands of years ago still stand. He cannot be tempted by evil, but He is tested by good — meaning, when we offer Him perfect sacrifices according to His Word and with sincere hearts, we are essentially putting God to the test to bless us. This is a righteous testing rooted in faith.
For example, when you bring God a sacrifice without blemish — that is, an offering that aligns perfectly with His Word and done with a pure heart — you are testing God to bless you. Malachi 3:8–11 (NIV) says:
“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
‘In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.
Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty,
‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven
and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.’”
Any good deeds we perform that align with God’s Word become a “trap” for Him in the sense that He cannot withhold His blessings from us. These righteous acts draw down His favor and speak to us with His voice of grace.
But if in your heart you have forsaken the Lord and yet seek His voice through prophets or other means to find out what He says about you, you are testing God in a way that displeases Him, leading to judgment rather than blessing. Ezekiel 14:4–8 (NIV) explains:
“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
When anyone of the house of Israel sets up idols in their heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before their face and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself according to their many idols,
so that I may seize the house of Israel by their hearts because they have strayed from me…
Therefore say to the house of Israel, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Repent! Turn away from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!”’
…
If a person is unfaithful and rebels against me by setting up idols in their heart, putting wicked stumbling blocks before their faces, and then comes to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself.”
In summary, God is not tempted or tested by evil; He is tested by our good works — our faithful obedience and sincere worship according to His Word. When we offer Him genuine sacrifices and righteous living, we place Him in a position to fulfill His promises of blessing. But if we turn away from Him and seek Him with unfaithful hearts or by wrongful means, we bring judgment upon ourselves.
May the Lord Jesus help us to walk in faithfulness and receive His abundant blessings.
Maranatha!