James 1:12
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
The Grace New Testament Commentary - James 1:12
1:12 James here begins the second unit of his introduction. The one who takes the attitude prescribed for him by James in vv 2-11, endures temptation (peirasmos; the same word translated trials in v 2) and may anticipate reward. Enduring temptation (and trials) will cause believers to be proved. In using the word proved (dokimos), James is alluding to the character development he has referred to in vv 2-4 (cf. Rom 5:3-4). The Christian whose endurance through trials has cooperated to produce approved character (dokimēn) is indeed blessed of God.
The reason he should be considered blessed is that (since he has become approved) he will receive the crown of life. The question arises here as to whether the crown of life, to which James refers, is a present benefit or a future one. Either view is possible, but the life in question must not be confused with the free gift of life that James mentions shortly (vv James 1:17-18; cf. Rom 6:23; Rev 22:17, etc.). Clearly, v 12 refers to a reward for enduring trials.
If a future reward is in view, a parallel verse might be Gal 6:8, where the future "harvest" of a believer's deeds is presented as the reaping of everlasting life. Although eternal life must be received initially as a gift, the possibility of having it "more abundantly" (John 10:10) is held out to obedient Christians.
More likely James has in mind the way God enriches one's present experience of life, when testing has been successfully endured. This interpretation takes on a high probability in light of James's later statement in James 5:11. Obviously this statement picks up the themes of James 1:3-12, including the reference to being "blessed" (James 1:12) in the words "count.. blessed" (James 5:11). Every Jewish-Christian reader of James would know how God had crowned Job's life with blessings after his trials were over. Therefore it seems quite likely that it is the enrichment of temporal experience of life (spiritually always, materially sometimes) that James has in mind in the expression the crown of life.
Finally, this experience is for those who love Him. Only to these has God promised this crown of life. In fact, it may be stated that each of the believers' various trials in some way or other is a test of their love for God. With each test there comes the temptation to resist God's will in sending the trial at all or, at least, the temptation to resent it and thus refuse to allow God to do the character-building work He desires to perform. Only when they submit lovingly to God's mighty hand do they find the crown of life.