Lust in this context is the desire to do, have, or be something apart from the will of God. Lust is covert, but sometimes it manifests itself overtly. If we do not check lust, it will lead to sin, and if we do not confess and forsake sin, it will lead to death (Rom. 6:23).
"Sin is the result of the surrender of the will to the soliciting of epithymia[lust] instead of the guidance of reason."53
Lust can lead to physical death in a believer (1 John 5:16), and it can lead to physical and spiritual death in a non-believer. James' vivid illustration of the childbearing process graphically describes the cause and effect relationship of lust, sin, and death. God desires to lead us into the fullness of life (v. 12), but if we respond improperly and give in to temptations we will not obtain the crown of life but death. "Death"in verse 15 is the opposite of "life"in verse 12. The ultimate outcome of capitulating to temptation is death, but the ultimate outcome of resisting it is the fullness of life (cf. John 10:10).
"This attention-getting imagery is designed to stop sinners in their tracks, seeing that death is the natural and terrible end of a life of sin, not just an occasional result for some sinners."54
