James 1:14-15
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Lust has its focus on pleasing oneself, and it often leads to unwholesome actions to fulfill one’s desires with no regard to the consequences. Some define lust as “passion gone wrong” and it is deadlier than any other terminal disease. It starts from the soul and spreads to the body. Lust is about possession and greed, which the devil always use against believers. It could be money, power, sex, materialism and it is one of the major temptations facing many today. The world today is filled with all sorts of profane, vain activities and uncontrolled emotions such as lust.
The craving for that which is forbidden is highly deceitful. It may appear beautiful but it is the highway to disaster. The sweet apple may look ripe but inside it may be rotten. The truth is, the flesh will pose to you the immediate and temporary gratification and cover up the ultimate, gigantic and massive loss that has no recovery. Many people are drawn by their own lustful thoughts leading them into further sin and death. Some have lost their destiny because of lust. Esau loved good food, he loved eating so much that the devil decided to use food to secure the loss of his destiny, and he fell for it (Genesis 25:29–35). Samson because of his lust for women lost his strength and eventually died(Judges 16:1-30). David lusted after Bathsheba and she ended up getting pregnant, that was the beginning of David’s problems. In order to cover up his sin of adultery David commits murder by sending Uriah to his death and then takes Uriah’s wife as his own. David paid dearly for what he did(2 Samuel 11). If you secretly admire the opposite sex, the devil will find out about it someday, and before long, you will be battling with sexual lust or some other form of immorality. If you lust after money, before long, you will find yourself in a situation where you will be tempted to sell out on your salvation or betray someone who is close to you in exchange for money, like Judas Iscariot. Matthew 5:28 says “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” There is a saying “if you know that eating something is dangerous, then why will you bring it to your nose to see how it smells like?” The story of Amnon and Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1-39) shows the destruction that follows yielding to lust. Rather than flee, he had his way with his sister and he faced the consequence of his actions.
Beloved, do everything possible to avoid lust because before you know it, it will bring you into the pit of sin. Bible make us to understand in 1 John 2:16 that the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life comes not from God but from the devil. Don’t allow anything to move from thought to lust. Never fall into the trap of lustful desires because it will lead you to sin. Flee from all appearances of evil, or simply put lustful desires. BE CAREFUL AND WISE. Repent of any manifestation of lustful character in your life. Run to Jesus now before lust destroys you. Romans 13:14 says “But put ye on the LORD Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Today, take on Christ’s identity, clothing yourself in His character. Make up your mind to follow the steps of Jesus and be more like Him, growing in godliness, love, obedience, turning your back on the sins that once enslaved you. Let the Holy Spirit work in you, as you desire to be closer to Him through study of the Word, prayer, and time spent in fellowship with other Christians.
O Lord, deliver me from every spirit of lust and clothe me with the garment of holiness and purity in Jesus’ Name.