Lust: A downward spiral

A study on lust to help believers on how to overcome it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.

The Lord gives us a promise that He will help us overcome when we are in the midst of a strong temptation.

Psalm 119:9-11

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping Your word. 10 I have sought You with all my heart; don’t let me wander from Your commands. 11 I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You.

The Lord gives us strength to overcome sin or sexual temptation through His Word. The Word of God must be read everyday and applied to one’s life in order to be effective.

Colossians 3:5

5 Therefore, put to death what belongs to your worldly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry

As believers in Jesus Christ, we must put to death sin that easily ensnares us. The Greek word for death is Nek-ro-o which means to deprive of power, destroy the strength of or subdue. One way to put to death sexual sin is to starve the flesh by filling your mind and heart with God’s Word and meditating on it so your inner man is strengthened instead of your outer man.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

3 For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality,4 so that each of you knows how to control his own body in sanctification and honor,5 not with lustful desires, like the Gentiles who don’t know God.

The word sanctification means holiness which basically is to imitate God’s character here on earth so that He alone would receive glory from our lives. Sanctification is God’s will for all believers so that we can be effective for His kingdom.

1 Corinthians 6:18

18 Run from sexual immorality! “Every sin a person can commit is outside the body.”On the contrary, the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.

The Greek word for “Run” is “Fyoo-go” which means to flee away, seek safety by flight. Metaph, (to shun or avoid by flight), to be saved by flight, to escape safely out of danger. God will always give you an open door so you may run out of your temptation and into His loving and protecting arms. Not only must one flee from sin mentally but also physically which is against the body, which can possibly lead to a deadly disease.

Jude 1:7

7 In the same way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them committed sexual immorality and practiced perversions, just as angels did, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

We see a strong warning how the Lord takes sexual sin seriously. In turn we also must take it seriously and strive to live in holiness according to God’s standards which is found in the Bible.

Hebrews 13:4

4 Marriage must be respected by all, and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge immoral people and adulterers.

We should never forget this verse so when sexual temptation presents itself, we will remember that God’s eyes are on us and we will not escape punishment if we give in to the temptation. Having this mindset will help us to flee.

Ephesians 5:3

3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints.

The Greek word for “Proper” is “Prep-o” which means to stand out, to be conspicuous. As Christians, we must live a life that shows God’s character and holiness and not like the world which is immersed in sin. We should stand out not because of our sins but because our life reflects Christ in us. As we try to lead lives in purity (the Holy Spirit being made evident in us) our light shine so we stand out in a good way.

Philippians 4:8

8 Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.

Always fill your mind with things that are pleasing to the Lord and desire to accomplish His will which is revealed in the Bible. Make a habit that when impure thoughts enter your mind, immediately thwart it by thinking about something else that’s not sinful.

2 Corinthians 12:21

21 I fear that when I come my God will again humiliate me in your presence, and I will grieve for many who sinned before and have not repented of the moral impurity, sexual immorality, and promiscuity they practiced.

Remember to always immediately repent and ask Jesus for forgiveness and to help you not to fall into that sin again.

Titus 2:11-13

11 For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Greek word for “Grace” is “Khar-ece which means “favor and especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the person’s life. God has shown us favor by giving us His Words (the Bible) to help us live a life that would bring Him glory and we would benefit from it highly.

Job 31:1

31 I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I look at a young woman?

Another way you can run or flee from any type of sin is to make a decision not to gaze for any period of time on any temptation that’s calling you. Quickly look away so that the image will not be seared in your mind to be a temptation and trap at a later time.

In the end, our dependency is in the Lord’s strength through prayer and reading His Word faithfully. If you drift away from these two, your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ will get cold. It’s like being in a small boat close to shore and falling asleep without you being aware the current has taken you into deep waters where all the sharks (demons) are at, ready to devour you.

Don’t fall asleep. Always make your relationship with Jesus a priority or else you will drift away from Christ and put yourself in danger.

 

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Facing the Wilderness with Jesus

Psalm 23:1-4

1 The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake. 4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.

Like Peter when he was walking on water and saw the winds blowing on the waves, waves looking like walls, Peter lost sight of Christ’s strength (Matthew 14:22-33). When he called to the Lord for help, Jesus immediately picked him up with His mighty right hand. Likewise He will do the same for us when we find ourselves trapped in a stormy maze not knowing how to get out of it. Let us stop, look up to heaven and call on the name of the Lord who sees the way and directs us the way we should take to get us out of our maze of trouble. Jesus is our Shepherd who leads us in the way of righteousness. No other religion can do that but Jesus alone so trust Him today in the midst of your storm and you shall find safety, comfort, and hope.

As believers when we face massive problems

Isaiah 41:10

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.

When you are in Jesus’ hand through faith in Him, He is a God of indescribable power, wisdom, knowledge, beauty, splendor, strength, love, and compassion. Through His Word, He created the heavens and earth out of nothing into what we see today, but in the beginning, it was perfect, for sin did not enter His creation yet so everything that God did was good. Why fear in times of trouble knowing that the God with indescribable qualities and infinite possibilities loves you and will be with you always?

Joshua 1:9 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Sometimes when our tribulation becomes so massive, we tend to stop looking at Jesus for strength, but it is during that time we come to realize how small and fragile we truly are in our own strength to overcome it. We cannot overcome such big obstacles and the reason why God allows what seems to be insurmountable circumstances to invade our lives is to show us how weak we really are and to learn that nothing is impossible with God, that we may learn to rely on His strength. By doing so, we exercise our faith. How can silver and gold be purified unless it is thrown into the fire to take out the dross (impurities) so that it can be molded into what it is intended for? In the same way, we will only grow and mature in the faith by being tossed into the fires of tribulation, to wean us from self-dependency and self-sufficiency and fully learn to depend upon the Lord, that He may receive all the glory and praise in our lives. Don’t fear or worry of the unknown because the Lord is omniscient and you are in His mighty right hand. He only allows things in your life for your good even though you might not understand it for the purpose of maturing you to live a life of righteousness and to be a great tool in His hand. Resolve to put your trust in a loving God who wants only the best for you.