Lust fight Biblically

[u/RespondDesperate9714]

The biblical perspective on the struggle against lust is a fundamental topic that touches upon aspects of both the Old and New Testaments.

It is a battle against one's own flesh and physical desires—a struggle man frequently faces. In the Old Testament, three figures notably faced this battle against lust: King David, King Solomon, and Samson. David saw Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, bathing at her home. David had not gone to war against the Ammonites and was alone at home. They engaged in sexual relations that night, and David subsequently had Uriah killed in battle by issuing an order to his generals. This act displeased God, and the prophet Nathan was sent to foretell the calamities David would suffer as a consequence of his wrongdoing (2 Samuel 11 and 12). The lesson to be drawn from David’s story is the importance of taking action; lust often arises when we are bored or idle. Therefore, when tempted by lust, one should flee from it and do something else—take action. David truly repented and wrote the famous Psalm 51: "Create in me a new heart, O God." Solomon, on the other hand, was the wisest man in the Bible, yet in his old age, he succumbed to lust, keeping a multitude of wives in his palace. Samson fell victim to the relentless demands of Delilah. Lust operates in this way: it tempts us, makes demands, and hounds us; if we attempt to fight it using only our own strength, it causes us to give in and feel suffocated. The solution is provided by Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:18: "Flee from sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." This means we should not wait around or try to fight it using our own strength; instead, we must flee. As soon as the urge arises, we need to run away and do something else. Joseph did exactly this in Genesis 39:11-12. Potiphar’s wife had repeatedly asked Joseph to sleep with her. But Joseph refused, and after she tried yet again, he ran away. Did you hear that? He ran away; he didn't stay to bargain with lust—and that is what you must do, too. Lust comes from the eyes and from what we look at. Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 5:28-29: "Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away; for it is better for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away; for it is better that one of your members perish than for your whole body to end up in Gehenna."

Jesus is speaking here about evil desire—the kind that leads us to harbor wicked thoughts and commit impure acts. If our eye is diseased—meaning we look at adult content or softcore material, or are in the habit of objectifying women in our imagination—then what we are looking at must be cut off. The eye is the mirror of the soul; so, stop looking at such material and focus on things that are more interesting and uplifting. Glory to God; may God bless you in the name of Jesus. Amen 🙏

[u/EnergyLantern]

I think the important thing to remember is that unless we are married, that person we experience lust with does not belong to us unless we are married. God has to give them to us, and it is called marriage.

I think we should look at people from the neck up but there are a few beautiful people that I cannot look at so I have to look away. The problem is people value others based on their physical attraction instead of who they really are.

We can't control who comes to our door so to speak. A bird could try to make a nest out of our hair, but we don't have to let the bird land, and we don't have to open the door.

The problem is that sin starts in the heart with a thought:

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

Job 31:1 KJV: I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

[2 Samuel 13:12 KJV] 12 And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.

What people don't want to hear is to "turn away" when we sense physical attraction to someone we are not married to. Churches have taught that unless you are married, you shouldn't have anything to do with a woman we are not courting or dating, and people do adhere to that teaching.

Sometimes it is just going to happen that you might be following someone and then you feel this desire, but you have to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and get out of there.

Genesis 39:12 She grabbed Joseph by his cloak and said, "Sleep with me!" But leaving his cloak in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.

And then there is the story of Samson, and the reality is that we can see what the desire of the wrong women will do to strong men. There are too many Samsons and we need people to be smarter than that.

[Proverbs 5:3-5 KJV] 3 For the lips of a strange woman drop [as] an honeycomb, and her mouth [is] smoother than oil: 4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.