Overcoming Sexual Lust
There
is a continuous battle on earth among all human beings over what
habits will dominate them. The world is full of numerous desires
which can be divided into two main parts: Godly desires and
ungodly desires. Everyone comes into this life innocent not
knowing the difference between good and evil, so that even
though a baby goes on to do something wrong it is usually not
with a conscious desire to do evil.
There is a constant
battle going on, Satan is tenaciously seeking to take control
of the soul of as many people as possible, he wants to rule and
dominate man...The strategy he uses is to get into and influence
virtually everything available on the face of the earth. Even
though most things look not harmful, underlying them is a
dangerous scheme of Satan to take over the soul of man.
As
in the case of most advertisements, you will realize there is usually
another and stronger motive that is behind them.
The
dictionary defines lust as having an eager, passionate, and especially
inordinate or sinful desire for the gratification of sexual
appetite or of covetousness.
Sexual lust is sin, it robs
man of a passionate love for God. Your heart is made to either
love God or other things, you cannot do both wholeheartedly.
God wants you to have an intimate relationship with Him. He has given
His only Son so that you would realize how wholly committed He is
to you, and therefore invites you to give Him all of your
heart.
In the world, there are different lusts wanting to
take you over, sexual lust is one of them. Sexual lust can
quietly eat up a person on the inside.
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23 NKJV
God
says you should value and protect your spirit, your mind, your will
and your emotions. These are the most important parts of your
life. Let's have a look at what God has to say about lust, it
will help to know the consequences that come as a result of
these actions:
Lust Is Not Of God
But
I say unto you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has
already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28
Now
these things became our examples, to the intent that we should
not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become
idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people
sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." 1Cor 10:6,7
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality. 1Thes 4:3
Do
not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the
world -the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world 1John
2:15,16
We see from these scriptures that even though
lust is evil, lust is in the world and since we live in the
world we therefore need God's help not to submit to lust and
other wrong desires.
The Outcome of Lust
Lust
chokes the word of God of its power and ability to bring forth the
victories God wants for all His children. Lust will promote defeat
and God's anger. Lust makes the word of God unfruitful. Lust
will starve a person's live of success.
Now these
are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the
word, and the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and
the desires of other things entering in and choke the word, and it
becomes unfruitful. Mark 4:18,19
Lust wars
against the soul, it seeks to bring your soul into submission,
so that you become a slave to it, a person can get to the place where
sexual lust becomes his/her master. Such a person will shun every
consequence to fulfill the lust. When a person is willing to
pay any price at all just to satisfy a sexual desire, even to
the extent of disobeying God and bringing their family to shame
you know lust has taken over.
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lust which against the soul. 1Peter 2:11
There
is a fight going on for the soul of man, which is why evil and
sexual lust are some of the greatest enterprises now, through clubs,
magazines, Internet pornography and prostitution, even what we
call normal advert is full of lust.
Lust is a
strong desire, you need to know that you cannot pursue every
desire, and sexual lust is one of them, it will make you wrong God and
that is too expensive a price to pay.
God wants you for
Himself, He wants you totally sold out to Him, while the evil
one wants to have you to himself and seeks to do this through
sexual lust, he keeps deceiving and deceiving, replaying and emphasizing
wrong desires through everything around you so as to hold you
captive.
The Father Of Lust
Satan
is the father and source of all evil desires. He is doomed, hell
is his portion and final judgement. He is trying very hard to lure as
many people as possible through sexual lust to come with him
into eternal destruction.
You are of your father the
devil, and the desires of your father you want to do …he was a
murderer from the beginning, and does stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. John 8:44
Lust is very
deceptive, there is a note of pleasure attached to it, but
really it is destructive. It destroys lives, families and marriages.
The
devil is seriously looking for ways to do his work on the earth to
kill, steal and to destroy. Lust kills, steals and destroys. This
is something you definitely want to run away from.
The Dangers Of Sexual Lust
- Sexual lust will make a person turn his/her back against God.
- It will make a person turn their back on their spouse and children.
- It will bring shame and dishonor.
- It leads to lose of fellowship with God and man.
- It will cost a person beyond what they can imagine.
- If unrepentant, eternal doom.
Victory Over Sexual Lust
Run to Jesus
Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
God
is a compassionate and loving Father. He wants to see His children
free and whole. He is willing to set the captive free and not watch
them bound to sin. God loves man dearly, He knows about the
captivity of sexual sin, which is why He sent Jesus. Rather
than struggle along, live in shame and defeat run to Jesus.
Don't
pretend to Him, nothing is hidden from Him, He knows about your
every weakness, and beyond that He wants to forgive you, cleanse you,
set you free and empower you to stand strong against all the
tricks of the enemy. Don't run from God He wants your good, He
desires to see you free.
He is not as angry as you think
God
is not as angry as you have been made to think. His heart is yearning
and hungering for every person who has strayed away into sexual
lust to come back into His presence. The parable of the lost
son in Matthew chapter 15 gives a true picture of what God
would do to anyone who will humbly come back to Him.
As
you realize yourself, no matter what has been lost, it is never too
late to come back to Jesus. Do not suffer in silence and shame.
Jesus is waiting with open arms to receive you, He wants you
back home where you belong.
If we say that we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, the truth is not in us. If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1John 1:8,9
God
will heal your heart of unfaithfulness, as you trust Him, He will
give you a brand new start. No matter what you've done He will
forgive, heal and cleanse you.
Victory Over Lust
You have been saved from sexual lust.
For
we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving
various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy and hating
one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our
Saviour toward God appeared, not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us,
through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy
Spirit. Titus 3:3-5
Jesus died so that you may obtain
and walk in victory over sexual lust. God wants to deliver you
from the enemy that is stronger than you and who is seeking to
destroy.
Stop Feeding Your Lust/Start Renewing Your Mind
Lust
is gratified as you feed on things pertaining to lust. Prayerfully
begin to resist those desires. Replace those desires with a desire
after the word of God. Spend more time reading, listening and
meditating on the word of God. The word of God is no ordinary
thing, it is full of the Almighty power of God, which is able
to save your soul from bondage to habits and vices. As you
spend time in the word, your heart will be strengthened by the
truth and when another day of temptation comes you will be able
to fight for your soul.
I beseech you therefore
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is
that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1,2
Renewing
your mind is a process, you won't get there overnight, all you
need is to be willing to walk with God to victory.
Look For A mature Person To Stand By You
As
you submit your heart and desires to God, the next step involves you
resisting the devil. You will need to fight, Satan will come back
to tempt you in the areas you used to serve him. This is the
time to fight and resist him.
The prayerful support of mature Christians and their encouragement are some the ways God equips you to win.
Take
advantage of this. Go to your Pastor, don't be shy, you will
be glad you did. The Bible says, with good advice make war. He
will show you how to use your weapons of warfare such as the
Name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, the covenant truth of righteousness.
Set New Boundaries
The fear of the Lord is beginning of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
Do
not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.
Proverbs 3:7,8
You will need to stop
watching some types of films and TV program mes, you know what
defiles you so stay away from them.
It might be helpful to
make a list of things you would need to stay away from and
prayerfully plan to keep away from them.
Invite the Spirit
of the fear of the Lord into your heart, begin to practice
reverencing God and allow the fear of God to guide you in every step you
take. Be obedient to the word of God and the voice of God in
your heart. Joy will flood your life and God will restore all
you have lost as you faithfully seek Him.
Forgive Yourself
Guilt
is a joy stealer, it will want to rob you of the wonderful future
God has ahead of you. Use the Name of Jesus to defeat guilt, plead
the blood of Jesus over every remembrance of your past that
seeks to haunt you. Settle it in your heart that God has
forgiven you and would never refer to it again under any
circumstance.
The word of God declares in Romans chapter 8 and verse 1:
There
is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ
Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to
the Spirit.
You have no cause to regret as long as you are
learning how to yield to the leading of the Spirit of God
inside of you and you are practicing a life of obedience to God
daily.
Help Others
The stronger you get, you will
come across people who are suffering as a result of bondage to
sexual lust, help them or direct them to where you found help,
JESUS.