Satan is the prince of the kingdom of darkness. (See Revelation 16:10.) He wins his battles in the dark. It was when the simple young man was lured by his lust to the harlot’s house “in the black and dark night” that she accosted him and led him as an ox to his slaughter (see Proverbs 7:6–10). Paul warns us to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11). On the other hand, God promises that:
“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin [including lust]” (I John 1:7).
The most powerful way to conquer lust with light is to expose our deeds to the light as explained in the following testimony given by a man named Paul.
“At the age of 8 I was introduced to pornography. By age 18, I was controlled by lust. Two weeks before marriage I shared all my past failures with my fiancée, except for a recent defeat. This set me up for years of failure.
“I knew it was wrong to hide my periodic defeat, but guilt, fear, and shame kept me bound. The more I hid the more I failed. No longer was it once a year, but many, many times. I was also having huge financial problems. I could not lead my family in any way. I was disconnecting from my wife, and our home life was in shambles. Yet, I wouldn’t believe it had anything to do with my secret lust.
“After several years, I purposed to confess my hidden sins. My wife was shocked and devastated. We set out to bring everything to light with no minimizing. For the next week, we slept very little and allowed the Lord to reveal every sin. We would confess it as sin to the Lord and each other and ask for forgiveness. Then we would renounce it and ask God to take back the ground we had given to the enemy.
“During these seven days, I also went to my children and confessed my sin and asked for their forgiveness. At that time I broke emotionally and wept like a baby. It was then that I learned that each of my children was also struggling with sexual temptations. We went through the same steps with them and there is now incredible freedom.”
The reason a man must tell his wife about his sins is that at marriage she is given authority over his body. (See I Corinthians 7:4.)
Paul’s testimony is one of many similar reports of how God is releasing men from deep-seated lust when they openly confess it. Scripture promises, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Let’s purpose now to conquer lust with light and ask God for grace, wisdom, and courage to do it.
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Conquering Lust
Conquering lust is one of the most serious matters a man will undertake. The wisest man who ever lived was defeated by lust. The world’s strongest man was also defeated by lust, as well as David, who was a “man after God’s own heart.” (See I Kings 11:1–4, Judges 16:1–4, and II Samuel 11:1–5.)
Paul’s description of the battle with sin, including lust, is painfully true to life. “The things that I want to do, I don’t do, and the things that I hate, I keep doing!” (See Romans 7:15.) Yet, standing out in Scripture like a victorious banner is this promise:
“Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
God uses the Law to expose the sinfulness of our lust, yet the Law does not give us the power to overcome it. (See Romans 7:7.) The power to overcome lust comes by exercising the gift of God’s grace through righteousness by yielding the members of our body. Thus, we are not to yield our members to unrighteousness, but “yield [surrender] yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments [weapons] of righteousness unto God. For [then] sin shall not have dominion over you …” (Romans 6:13–14).
This is explained in Romans 5:20–21, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Righteousness is the Greek word dikaiosune, which in the broader sense means “the condition acceptable to God; integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting.” “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11).
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
Scripture promises that if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (see Galatians 5:16). This means asking the Holy Spirit to forgive us for grieving Him by our lust and quenching His power in us. Then, it means surrendering ourselves to God and the members of our body as instruments of righteousness to overcome lust.
Paul’s description of the battle with sin, including lust, is painfully true to life. “The things that I want to do, I don’t do, and the things that I hate, I keep doing!” (See Romans 7:15.) Yet, standing out in Scripture like a victorious banner is this promise:
“Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
God uses the Law to expose the sinfulness of our lust, yet the Law does not give us the power to overcome it. (See Romans 7:7.) The power to overcome lust comes by exercising the gift of God’s grace through righteousness by yielding the members of our body. Thus, we are not to yield our members to unrighteousness, but “yield [surrender] yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments [weapons] of righteousness unto God. For [then] sin shall not have dominion over you …” (Romans 6:13–14).
This is explained in Romans 5:20–21, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Righteousness is the Greek word dikaiosune, which in the broader sense means “the condition acceptable to God; integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting.” “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11).
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
Scripture promises that if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (see Galatians 5:16). This means asking the Holy Spirit to forgive us for grieving Him by our lust and quenching His power in us. Then, it means surrendering ourselves to God and the members of our body as instruments of righteousness to overcome lust.
The Disciple And His Attitude Toward Lust
The story is told of an ancient wrestling match that was particularly gruesome. Adrenaline flowed, because each man knew that if he lost the contest, his opponent would put his foot on his neck and call for a sword. He would then poke that sharpened sword into the eyes of his conquered foe.
Thereafter, the weaker wrestler would grope in blindness throughout the city as a public display of his defeat. This is a sobering introduction to the tremendous importance of Christ’s next command.
“Whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out …” (Matthew 5:28–29).
It is unthinkable that a man would rip out his own eye. The intent of this command is that we make it equally unthinkable to lust after a woman. Satan would have us believe that what we secretly lust after in our hearts will have no real consequence to us or to anyone else. Yet, God Who created us is telling us that secret lust is so desperately serious that we must declare war on every lustful thought and take it captive.
Peter speaks of this war when he writes, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (I Peter 2:11).
James explains the seriousness of this war as he asks, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” (James 4:1). Paul describes the war within our members in very understandable terms:
“I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:23).
After explaining the war, Paul exclaims, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Then he praises God because there is a way to victory through Jesus Christ. (See Romans 7:25.)
Peter also relates lust to eyesight when he gives a list of qualities that, if developed, will conquer lust, but if missing, will cause us to be spiritually blind. (See II Peter 1:1–9.) The tragedy of Samson’s lust after women is also a sobering testimony. He lost the war on lust, his freedom, his leadership, and then he had his eyes gouged out! (See Judges 16:20–21.)
The wrestler in our story may have been on his back, but as long as he had at least one shoulder above the mat the fight was not over. If we are prone to surrender to lustful thoughts, now is the time to declare war against the giant of lust. He is one of our greatest adversaries against daily success!
Thereafter, the weaker wrestler would grope in blindness throughout the city as a public display of his defeat. This is a sobering introduction to the tremendous importance of Christ’s next command.
“Whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out …” (Matthew 5:28–29).
It is unthinkable that a man would rip out his own eye. The intent of this command is that we make it equally unthinkable to lust after a woman. Satan would have us believe that what we secretly lust after in our hearts will have no real consequence to us or to anyone else. Yet, God Who created us is telling us that secret lust is so desperately serious that we must declare war on every lustful thought and take it captive.
Peter speaks of this war when he writes, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (I Peter 2:11).
James explains the seriousness of this war as he asks, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” (James 4:1). Paul describes the war within our members in very understandable terms:
“I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:23).
After explaining the war, Paul exclaims, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Then he praises God because there is a way to victory through Jesus Christ. (See Romans 7:25.)
Peter also relates lust to eyesight when he gives a list of qualities that, if developed, will conquer lust, but if missing, will cause us to be spiritually blind. (See II Peter 1:1–9.) The tragedy of Samson’s lust after women is also a sobering testimony. He lost the war on lust, his freedom, his leadership, and then he had his eyes gouged out! (See Judges 16:20–21.)
The wrestler in our story may have been on his back, but as long as he had at least one shoulder above the mat the fight was not over. If we are prone to surrender to lustful thoughts, now is the time to declare war against the giant of lust. He is one of our greatest adversaries against daily success!
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