Element 1: Only through Christ

If you're struggling with lust, how many times have you tried to give it up, and then fallen back into it almost straight away? Sometimes it seems like no matter what you do, you can't overcome sexual sin. It can be a very hopeless feeling, as though it's beyond our control, and it's impossible not to be lustful.

He can do it

Maybe there is some truth in those feelings, because it is impossible to defeat sin if we are fighting it through our own strength. If it were possible to remove sin ourselves, Jesus wouldn't have needed to die for us. It is only through His blood that we can be saved, by faith in Him.

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. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. Romans 3:21-25b (NIV)

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

It's very important to understand that this isn't mere intellectual faith, but faith which goes hand in hand with obeying the Lord through His Spirit. We are saved through faith, but faith must also act.

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:12-14 (NIV)

So Jesus Christ, through and with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, is our only hope for salvation and rescue from lust.

God has the power to change us fundamentally.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (NIV)

God has the power to demolish the strongholds that lust can have.

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (ESV)

God has the power to enable us to serve Him properly.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (ESV)

He can easily deliver us from lust. But because we are sinful fools, we want to do things by our own power! This is not only wrong, but useless. We have to stop trying to win against immorality ourselves. Instead we have to ask God to help, and then trust and rely on Him to deliver that help. He will not let us down if we honestly seek Him.

Seek and trust

So we have to trust Him. Pray frequently and fervently for God to help you. Humbly ask Him for help and seek Him, and then ask and seek Him again! Don't give up during tough times. Keep seeking Jesus for rescue, and have faith that He will help. God's word gives assurance.

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. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:9-13 (ESV)

And those who know Your name will put their trust in You,
For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. Psalm 9:10 (NASB^®)

And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24 (ESV)

You might not be able to rely on Him straight away if your heart is hard from living sinfully. Your first step might need to be asking God to soften and break your heart. Maybe your faith will need work – ask Him for faith. These teachings that the Lord will save us also apply to these things. Trust Jesus to save you from all things and to bring you through this problem of lust. It can be done through Him, and it can only be done through Him.

The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Luke 18:27b (ASV)

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