Blurred Lines Part II – Overcoming Five Deceptions of Lust

For me lust is not as big an issue until my faith for God’s plan for my sexuality feels threatened or unrealistic. Lust then becomes more attractive because it offers immediate relief without the requirement to have faith in God for something that you do not have, but would like to have.

I heard somewhere on a documentary that there are studies that men tend to view pornography because it provides an immediate gratification to their fantasy which is something that they would like to have but do not. It also expressed the same sentiment regarding women who read romantic novels saying because of a woman’s desire for romance that she doesn’t have at the present moment, she reads the novel which feeds that fantasy of hers.

Therefore, if lust is an issue of faith or the lack thereof in our lives then we need to work on increasing our faith. Just because something hasn’t happened right away doesn’t mean that it will never happen, we just need to have enough patience to wait until it does. The Bible says that the trying of our  faith works patience. It also says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Therefore, we need to be around people who are talking about the word of God. We need to be building our faith with scripture, and through prayer, and also with the things that we think about. Get away from people who sow seeds of doubt in your life saying things like you will never get married, you are going to struggle with lust all of your life or things will never change.

The second deception in my list of fighting lust is that you are the only one struggling. Everyone else in the house of the Lord is floating on clouds of holiness and righteousness except you of course. You alone battle the demon of lust and lack the secret ingredient of walking on a cloud of holiness in this area. Just know that the devil is a liar. You are not the only one who struggles with lust. That isolation that comes about by believing you are the only one can easily cause you to give up and give into lust’s every whim. The Bible lets us know in the book of Peter that the things that we are going through our brothers and sisters in Christ are also going through the same thing in the world.(1 Peter 5:9)

Therefore, don’t struggle in isolation. Expose your struggle. Confess, get prayer, talk about it with godly accountability partners that are mature and of the same sex. You will find strength and healing taking place. (James 5:16)  Also, don’t get discouraged if your healing doesn’t happen immediately. Struggle against your flesh and against sin until you get free.  

Thirdly on my list is the thought that you can handle anything. Someone, who thinks they can handle any situation leaves the door open for things that can and will trigger lust. You have to be honest and humble enough with yourself to realize when you cannot handle something. Sometimes, our hormones are high due to outside factors or triggers such as sexual conversation, sex scenes on television, music that sets the mood, a touch in the right place, or certain settings like a bedroom or a dark place. At other times your hormones may be high for no reason at all. For example, I could be sitting down reading my Bible and next thing you know, I’m like where in the world did this come from…I was reading about Jesus. Unfortunately, during those instances where you don’t do anything and your hormones are on ten, there is really nothing you can do, but endure and try

to distract yourself from your hormones in those moments. However, with the other things mentioned you can set boundaries on what you will allow yourself to watch on TV, talk about sexually with someone of the opposite sex, listen to on the radio, and so forth. The Bible gives us a reason to be extreme when dealing with things that cause us to sin saying if your eye offends you pluck it out, for it’s better for you to enter into heaven lame, then to go to hell with all of your limbs. (Matthew 5:29-30) That is a metaphor for dealing with sin. The word offend in the Greek means to cause to sin. God is saying if there is something in your life that is causing you to sin; you just may need to cut it off completely in order to be free in that area. I know guys who don’t watch TV at all, not because it is a sin to watch TV because it isn’t, but because it helps them in their struggle against sin.

Forth on my list is the company you keep especially as it pertains to those who are of the household of faith or who claim to be Christians. If a Christian is practicing sexual immorality openly and you begin hanging with him or her there is an opportunity for the temptation that says it isn’t that bad for a Christian to have sex outside of marriage or so & so is doing it and he or she is OK. That is why the Bible makes it clear that it isn’t a good idea to keep company with people who are openly professing Christ, and are still yet practicing the sin of pre-marital sex. (1 Corinthians 5:9-11)

Last but not least on my list is attempting to live holy and pure in your own strength. God tells us in Isaiah that even the young men will faint. The struggle with lust is an area where several young men and women faint. However, it doesn’t have to end there. God lets us know that he is able to renew our strength. Sometimes, as a Christian single waiting on the Lord, I honestly get tired. Lust revs up so strong at times where I literally feel like there is no hope period end of story. It’s a done deal God. I’m a goner. At that last moment, the Lord reminds me that it is him that renews my strength and that I don’t have to depend on myself and my own abilities. It gives me so much strength to go on that I forget about the struggle that I had until the next season of struggle comes up.

If we are honest, as Christian singles we go through various seasons where sometimes we are strong and feel like we can stand for the Lord forever, and other times when we are weak, and feel like what were we ever thinking.

Now, when you go to God for renewed strength in this area, don’t be talking about yeah Lord, I need you to take these unholy images out of my mind, but you know you don’t really mean it. You know a double-minded man is not going to receive anything from God. (James 1:6-8) You have to allow yourself to get to the place where you are tired of lust coming in between you and your relationship with God, then you can come to God in sincerity and watch him work on your behalf.

Coming to God in humility and sincerity increases your intimate walk with the Lord and your ability to see how we depend on him. I think it is a beautiful thing that God can use even our weaknesses as it pertains to our flesh to draw us nearer to him. So, don’t believe the lies of lust that it’s worth flirting with lust and casting off your faith for real-love because lust gives immediate gratification, we are alone, we can handle any situation because we are supermen and women in Christ, or that we can stand for God in our own strength. That’s why we need God’s grace, and his grace is enough for us no matter where we are in our struggle against lust. We are over-comers through Jesus Christ our Lord.