The Enemy

Lust is a problem that many believers in Christ struggle with. It's not just young people or men. Most Christians know it's wrong, but we can still be caught in it. A believing person can be trapped in lust, feeling utterly hopeless and unable to get free. It can mean shame, loneliness, fear, secrets and paranoia. They know it's wrong; they just don't really know what to do about it, or how.

If you're fighting this tough battle, don't despair. Even if you can't see how, there is hope. The proof lies in the fact that many before you have been trapped in sexual sin, and then come out of it. It's even possible today. The Bible doesn't just say that lust is wrong, it also says what to do about it. God has given us practical instructions on how to be free of lust.

This article is primarily focused on how to actually become free from lust. It's about doing what God says we must do spiritually and practically. The first two sections of this article are more background and informational in nature, while the remaining parts have been divided into six main aspects of the path to freedom from lust. We aren't saying this is all the Bible has to say about the topic, or that God's word itself is arranged into six neat categories. But we think these concepts are helpful regarding sexual sin.

It is possible, through following God's word in the Bible, to live your actual, daily life free from lust. This doesn't mean you'll somehow be spiritually or philosophically free, yet still indulging with your body. Instead, it's possible to be free in practical, down-to-Earth ways - like ceasing viewing porn. But first, here is some important teaching.

Lust causes spiritual death

The Bible gives very clear teachings about sexual immorality; it is sin which leads to spiritual death, even for people who believe in Jesus. The following warnings were written to Christians.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV)

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)

We can't be indulging in sin and faithful to Christ. We can only be one or the other.

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matthew 6:24 (NIV)

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:6-7 (NASB^®)

If we're indulging in lust, we're just kidding ourselves if we think God is smiling upon us or keeping us secure. We are talking about deliberately turning away from Him. This is something which sends us to Hell instead of taking us to Heaven, regardless of going to church or having put our trust in Jesus at some time in the past.

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Hebrews 10:26-27 (ESV)

We have to remain in Christ in an ongoing way, and sinning sexually doesn't allow that.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. John 15:5-6 (ESV)

It is true that even saved people have a sin nature (http://www.dansfriends.com/osas5.shtml#head5) like Paul, and to say that we are perfectly without sin is a lie. But this doesn't mean we can wilfully be sinful or sexually immoral. Jesus requires us to remove filth from our lives. For a more thorough discussion of how saved people can lose their salvation through sin and rejecting Jesus, see the Salvation Security? (http://www.dansfriends.com/osas1.shtml) article.

Lust is therefore a very serious problem. We are saved through faith, but it isn't just an intellectual faith. It has to be accompanied by actions like avoiding sin and repenting. This isn't compatible with being sexually immoral. To be God's children we have to battle against lust with Jesus' help.

A definition

In this article lust is defined broadly as being inappropriate sexual activity or sexual activity outside of marriage. The Bible doesn't have this as a precise, dictionary style definition. However, we believe this is an accurate description of what the Bible classifies as sinful sexual behaviour. Evidence for this can be seen in some of the passages throughout this article.

Lust would therefore include the very common sins of looking at people or images in an impure manner, having impure thoughts, masturbating, or being sexually intimate on some level with someone who isn't your spouse. Nearly everyone seems to have had some brush with some of these.

Less universal, but still common enough, problems include homosexuality and any number of other behaviours and perversions. This article doesn't focus specifically on these, but we hope it can still be useful for anyone struggling with these burdens. Perhaps these types of sexual sins are often not very different deep down inside from the more common ones.

It's also worth noting that divorce, unless done for infidelity, causes people to be adulterers (Matthew 5:32 (http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Matthew+5:32&version=31), Matthew 19:3-9 (http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Matthew+19:3-9&version=31))

Is it really wrong?

Many things are clear cut in the Bible, but not every single thing is specified. That's ok though, because following a list of rules in itself doesn't lead to righteousness. Instead, we should live by God's Holy Spirit, Who allows us to stop sinning (Romans 8:1-4 (http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Romans+8:1-4&version=31)). But some things can still be confusing. How can we be sure masturbation or impure thoughts, for example, are immoral? God's word still gives guidance.

Some people are single, and this is more than ok (Matthew 19:8-12 (http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Matthew+19:8-12&version=31)). However, God created others to be sexual, at least during our time on Earth. The Bible book, Song of Songs, makes it clear that sex is a joyful and passion-filled thing. We can enjoy it and give thanks to God for it! But we cannot misuse it.

God intended that our sexuality be expressed together with our heterosexual, monogamous spouse in marriage.

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 (NIV)

This is not a self-serving thing, or something done alone; spouses belong to each other.

The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 1 Corinthians 7:4 (NASB^®)

This indicates we should be exclusively devoted to our spouse in intimacy. We are also given the blessing of having children together. There is more to sex than just enjoyment. We do have responsibilities.

"As for you, be fruitful and multiply;
Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it." Genesis 9:7 (NASB^®)

All of this gives us an idea of what we were made for, sexually speaking. We were created to be together in marriage, to belong to each other, and to have children. We weren't created to do whatever we want. We weren't created to experience sex by ourselves or with anybody less than our spouse.

The Lord also made our bodies in an awe-inspiring way.

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:13-14 (ESV)

Surely we should have respect for God and this body He gave us. We should thank Him for it and treat it honourably, rather than being selfish with it. Our bodies were in fact made for the Lord.

The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:13b-20 (NIV)

Our bodies are even the Holy Spirit's temples, and we were bought with Jesus' blood! We should never treat ourselves sinfully. Our bodies have special purposes, which are not selfish, but pure, and set by God. This helps us understand that masturbation and other sexual sins are wrong. Reading the above passages, is it really possible to think that Jesus would be happy when someone masturbates or commits adultery?

Regarding impure thoughts, we know that Jesus taught that visual lust is adulterous.

But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Matthew 5:28 (KJV)

It is fairly easy to conclude that using your imagination to lust couldn't be very different from looking at a person lustfully in real life. Notice this passage shows that pornography is wrong too. Our legitimate sexual partner is our spouse, not just Joe or Jane walking down the street or on TV, or in our mind.

It isn't reasonable to justify things just because they aren't spelt out in the Bible. We have the Holy Spirit to enable us know right from wrong, and the Bible to give us guidelines for spiritually sound living. We have a responsibility to live wisely.

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