Combat for the Faith - Lust

Dear readers,

In this modern day age of instant gratifications, the perils are many. In regards to lust, it is easy to look back and observe that we are living in a time and place where humility is becoming scarse. Therefore, it is easy to be caught off-guard lusting after something or someone in a deprecating manner. In the free dictionary by Farlex the word lust is described as such:

lust 
n
1. a strong desire for sexual gratification
2. a strong desire or drive
vb
(intr; often foll by after or for) to have a lust (for) 

Based on the description above and based on the readers own moral compass or viewpoint a strong desire for sexual gratification might seem like a good and harmless thing. Here is where on must center on the heart and beware. Beware of one's desires; are these desires righteous or are they wrong? There is no argument for subjectivity here for there is a right and there are many wrongs. To lust after living in a righteous manner ... that is right; perhaps the only right way to lust. To have a strong desire to live in a righteous way therefore is not wrong. Most of us however, do not lust in such manner. We lust after our girlfriend's friend, sister or mother; we lust after or neighbor's wife and the pretty girl behind the counter. You get the idea. So, I'm here to say that lusting in such ways is wrong. To conceptualize a thought in your mind that satisfies a strong sexual desire is the pitfall number one that many fall into. Allow me to enumarate the ways in that once you have fallen into this pitfall, lust eats from your soul:

1. loss of time; (by giving heed to lust by first conceptualizing strong sexual desires may lead to pornography; therefore, time consumption.)
2. loss of energy; (acting upon strong sexual desires without a committed partner aka masturbation, or worse lusting after strangers or persons already in committed relationships.)
3. lust may form types of addicting behavior; (i.e masturbation to pornography due to unchecked strong sexual desires may create the addicting behavior of masturbation for the large amounts of dopamine it releases. Dopamines that could have been wired to be released in more a more righteous manner, are now tied to a time consuming and draining activity that yields only negative long term results.)
4. loss of money; (money is a type of energy closely tied to the energy of time; strong sexual desires may cause someone to even spend money on items that may superficially satisfy this feeling; lust is a feeling after all. Examples of loss of money are buying a prostitute or any item that will satisfy this urge in its basest form.

These are just a few of the ways that lust in its lowest form may manifest negatively. As stated earlier the only way to lust correctly is to lust for a heart that doesn't lust. Lust for a heart that wants to substitute a wrong strong sexual desire into a righteous desire for another outlet of expression. Think of the time, energy and money you'll have if you stopped lusting wrongly and instead fullfiled the dopamine release of lust with the dopamine release of righteousness. Those that have been snarled by the smoke and mirrors of lust have hope in the fact that our Brother Jesus conquered the world. The devil after all, promissed Him all things here on this earth, riches, women, power . . . Jesus turned all of these lustful temptations away because they are no match for a heart fullfilled with peace and righteousness. There are some of you who are addicted to pornography and I've heard that this habit is hard to break; it is akin to a habit of heroine some have said. As a heart dweller, I will always leave you with a word of comfort in knowing that you can and will break this habit if you draw close to your Holy Spirit and ask him to have Jesus teach you. Jesus Christ (Yashua) is The teacher of us all; after all whom layed down his life for you so that you might have life here on earth abundantly?

The following is an exerpt from "C. S. Lewis book called The Great Divorce to show the differences between Heaven and Hell. In this fantasy, people take a day trip to the bright borders of heaven. Because Heaven is so real, the people appear as ghosts next to the solidity of heaven and heaven’s residents. Heaven’s grass even hurts their feet! The following is a passage on lust from The Great Divorce (pp. 98-103). It is an insightful look at how lust consumes us and how difficult it is to deal radically with sexual sin. But the passage also shows how once desire is conquered, it can become a great power to lead us higher into Heaven."

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from The Great Divorce by C.S Lewis (pp.98-103);

I saw coming towards us a Ghost who carried something on his shoulder. Like all the Ghosts, he was unsubstantial, but they differed from one another as smokes differ. Some had been whitish; this one was dark and oily. What sat on his shoulder was a little red lizard, and it was twitching its tail like a whip and whispering things in his ear. As we caught sight of him he turned his head to the reptile with a snarl of impatience. “Shut up, I tell you!” he said. It wagged its tail and continued to whisper to him. He ceased snarling, and presently began to smile. Then be turned and started to limp westward, away from the mountains.

“Off so soon?” said a voice.

The speaker was more or less human in shape but larger than a man, and so bright that I could hardly look at him. His presence smote on my eyes and on my body too (for there was heat coming from him as well as light) like the morning sun at the beginning of a tyrannous summer day.

“Yes. I’m off,” said the Ghost. “Thanks for all your hospitality. But it’s no good, you see. I told this little chap,” (here he indicated the lizard), “that he’d have to be quiet if he came -which he insisted on doing. Of course his stuff won’t do here: I realise that. But he won’t stop. I shall just have to go home.”

‘Would you like me to make him quiet?” said the flaming Spirit-an angel, as I now understood.

“Of course I would,” said the Ghost.

“Then I will kill him,” said the Angel, taking a step forward.

“Oh-ah-look out! You’re burning me. Keep away,” said the Ghost, retreating.

“Don’t you want him killed?”

“You didn’t say anything about killing him at first. I hardly meant to bother you with anything so drastic as that.”

“It’s the only way,” said the Angel, whose burning hands were now very close to the lizard. “Shall I kill it?”

“Well, that’s a further question. I’m quite open to consider it, but it’s a new point, isn’t it? I mean, for the moment I was only thinking about silencing it because up here-well, it’s so damned embarrassing.”

“May I kill it?”

“Well, there’s time to discuss that later.”

“There is no time. May I kill it?”

“Please, I never meant to be such a nuisance. Please-really-don’t bother. Look! It’s gone to sleep of its own accord. I’m sure it’ll be all right now. Thanks ever so much.”

“May I kill it?”

“Honestly, I don’t think there’s the slightest necessity for that. I’m sure I shall be able to keep it in order now. I think the gradual process would be far better than killing it.”

“The gradual process is of no use at all.”

“Don’t you think so? Well, I’ll think over what you’ve said very carefully. I honestly will. In fact I’d let you kill it now, but as a matter of fact I’m not feeling frightfully well to-day. It would be silly to do it now. I’d need to be in good health for the operation. Some other day, perhaps.”

“There is no other day. All days are present now.”

“Get back! You’re burning me. How can I tell you to kill it? You’d kill me if you did.”

“It is not so.”

“Why, you’re hurting me now.”

“I never said it wouldn’t hurt you. I said it wouldn’t kill you.”

“Oh, I know. You think I’m a coward. But it isn’t that. Really it isn’t. I say! Let me run back by tonight’s bus and get an opinion from my own doctor. I’ll come again the first moment I can.”

“This moment contains all moments.”

“Why are you torturing me? You are jeering at me. How can I let you tear me to pieces? If you wanted to help me, why didn’t you kill the damned thing without asking me–before I knew? It would be all over by now if you had.”

“I cannot kill it against your will. It is impossible. Have I your permission?”

The Angel’s hands were almost closed on the Lizard, but not quite. Then the Lizard began chattering to the Ghost so loud that even I could hear what it was saying.

“Be careful,” it said. “He can do what he says. He can kill me. One fatal word from you and he will! Then you’ll be without me for ever and ever. It’s not natural. How could you live? You’d be only a sort of ghost, not a real man as you are now. He doesn’t understand. He’s only a cold, bloodless abstract thing. It may be natural for him, but it isn’t for us. Yes, yes. I know there are no real pleasures now, only dreams. But aren’t they better than nothing? And I’ll be so good. I admit I’ve sometimes gone too far in the past, but I promise I won’t do it again. I’ll give you nothing but really nice dreams–all sweet and fresh and almost innocent. You might say, quite innocent …. ”

“Have I your permission?” said the Angel to the Ghost.

“I know it will kill me.”

“It won’t. But supposing it did?”

“You’re right. It would be better to be dead than to live with this creature.”

“Then I may?”

“Damn and blast you! Go on can’t you? Get it over. Do what you like,” bellowed the Ghost: but ended, whimpering, “God help me. God help me.”

Next moment the Ghost gave a scream of agony such as I never heard on Earth. The Burning One closed his crimson grip on the reptile: twisted it, while it bit and writhed, and then flung it, broken backed, on the turf.

“Ow! That’s done for me,” gasped the Ghost, reeling backwards.

For a moment I could make out nothing distinctly. Then I saw, between me and the nearest bush, unmistakably solid but growing every moment solider, the upper arm and the shoulder of a man. Then, brighter still and stronger, the legs and hands. The neck and golden head materialised while I watched, and if my attention had not wavered I should have seen the actual completing of a man–an immense man, naked, not much smaller than the Angel. What distracted me was the fact that at the same moment something seemed to be happening to the Lizard. At first I thought the operation had failed. So far from dying, the creature was still struggling and even growing bigger as it struggled. And as it grew it changed. Its hinder parts grew rounder. The tail, still flickering, became a tail of hair that flickered between huge and glossy buttocks. Suddenly I started back, rubbing my eyes. What stood before me was the greatest stallion I have ever seen, silvery white but with mane and tail of gold. It was smooth and shining, rippled with swells of flesh and muscle, whinneying and stamping with its hoofs. At each stamp the land shook and the trees dindled.

The new-made man turned and clapped the new horse’s neck. It nosed his bright body. Horse and master breathed each into the other’s nostrils. The man turned from it, flung himself at the feet of the Burning One, and embraced them. When he rose I thought his face shone with tears, but it may have been only the liquid love and brightness (one cannot distinguish them in that country) which flowed from him. I had not long to think about it. In joyous haste the young man leaped upon the horse’s back. Turning in his seat he waved a farewell, then nudged the stallion with his heels. They were off before I well knew what was happening. There was riding if you like! I came out as quickly as I could from among the bushes to follow them with my eyes; but already they were only like a shooting star far off on the green plain, and soon among the foothills of the mountains. Then, still like a star, I saw them winding up, scaling what seemed impossible steeps, and quicker every moment, till near the dim brow of the landscape, so high that I must strain my neck to see them, they vanished, bright themselves, into the rose-brightness of that everlasting morning.

Source(s):

New Life Community Church:
“The Red Lizard of Lust.” New Life Community Church. URL ( ( http://www.new-life.net/2009/05/25/the-red-lizard-of-lust/ )