Summary

Here is a summary of this article, which shows how a person can overcome lust through Jesus Christ.

Sexual immorality is a sin which causes spiritual death even for believers.

In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. Jude 1:7 (NIV)

God made us for special, holy purposes, and this helps us understand that some things not mentioned in the Bible, such as masturbation, are still wrong.

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (ESV)

Modern Western society is full of great temptation, but we are still responsible for our own sins.

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:13-15 (ESV)

To be God's children and go to Heaven, we have to give up lust. In this article there are six Biblical elements involved in being able to defeat it.

1. Jesus Christ, through God and the Holy Spirit, is the only One Who is able to free us.

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Romans 3:21-22a (NIV)

We must rely on Christ thoroughly, asking God for help and trusting that He will deliver us. He will.

And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Luke 11:9-10 (ESV)

2. We must repent and confess our sins sincerely.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. James 4:8-10 (NASB^®)

3. We must remove temptations from our lives, strictly and completely. Doing so is difficult, but amazingly helpful.

And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. Matthew 18:9 (NIV)

4. We must resist temptation always by focusing on God and living in Him constantly. Ways to do this include living by the Spirit, dwelling on holy things, and reading the Bible.

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. John 15:4 (NASB^®)

Having a daily plan of tasks such as Bible reading and praying may assist in this.

5. We must resist temptation at the time it strikes, by doing such things as asking for help, fleeing from danger, resisting Satan and using Scripture.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (ESV)

Jesus was also tempted, but He didn't bow down to it. He is our example and our helper.

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18 (NIV)

If we resist temptation in the ways mentioned in 4 and 5 above, God will enable us to stand against temptation.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

6. Having a human helper in the fight, through Christ, is an excellent thing. They can be your confidante, adviser, prayer partner, someone you are accountable to, and your friend.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed James 5:16a (NASB^®)

Through Jesus the problem of sexual immorality can be defeated. Then we will be God's children in Heaven for eternity.

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4 (NIV)

It's important not to give up. Persevere in Christ and you'll be victorious.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB^®)

To read about these things in more detail, continue on through the article.