Overcoming Lust
The name of this entry is perhaps a misnomer: I’ll suggest to you that the way in which we are to truly “overcome” lust is not really by battling with it head-on as the name might suggest, but rather to deal with lust in an entirely different way: avoid it altogether.
Called to fight
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” -Ephesians 6:12
It’s true that as Christians, we are called to resist evil and sin at every turn of life, and in some cases, this can mean a spiritual “wrestling” with evil in order to gain victory. Yet in one particular area, we are not called to “wrestle” directly; this area is the region of physical and sensual lusts.
Throughout Scripture, whether in direct commands and proverbs, or in indirect stories of moral failure, we are shown and encouraged not to entertain the thoughts of the enemy. We are not to “wrestle” with lust in any direct way, and quite the contrary, we are to avoid it at all costs.
A tactic of aversion
“Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.” -Proverbs 6:27-29
In Proverbs we see the simple reasoning: “can a man take fire into his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” Even so with us, we ought to recognize our own weaknesses and inclinations, and avoid any sort of situations where we might be tempted to sin, or even to have sinful thoughts.
This thought of avoiding lustful situations is echoed in the New Testament as well. Paul writes to Timothy, “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).
And another passage is found in 1 Peter:
“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;” -1 Peter 2:11
I find the passage above incredibly interesting, because Peter recognizes that our fleshly lusts wage war against our own soul, and yet Peter still does not say to fight against them. He did not say, “wage war against fleshly lusts, which war against the soul,” but rather, he gives us the clear advice to abstain from these lusts. We are to keep away from them from all costs.
The example of David
Call to remembrance the story of David and Bathsheba, and recall how David intially saw Bathsheba:
“And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.” -2 Samuel 11:2
It is difficult to assess David’s situation without more details, but I would be inclined to believe that David may have perhaps had other similar “privileged views” from his rooftop in the past. No doubt this wasn’t the first time he had done such a thing, and he probably noticed that he had quite a good vantage point from up where he was walking.
Now, if David had been serious about overcoming lust, and had recognized the great dangers and consequences of this lust, he would have avoided his nighttime roof walks altogether.
And for Christians today, we probably have areas where we know that if we go to such and such a place, or place our selves around certain people, or get alone with someone, we are almost certain to fall into temptation. The Bible is very clear: do not fool yourself into thinking you are strong enough to resist these temptations, but avoid them altogether.
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” -1 Corinthians 10:12
Our Lord Jesus Christ didn’t mince words. He was very clear that we ought to take extreme measures in order to avoid our own inclinations to sin. Our approach to lust ought to be one of a militant avoidance of temptation.
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” -Matthew 5:28-30
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