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THE SPIRIT OF LUST

by: Dr. Conrad Mershon
Licensed Christian Psychologist

 

The power of Eros love in our life is a control greater than most expect. The chemicals and hormones it excites begin the male/female attraction. This is a planned reaction that God created for all animals. This attraction in man is what God planned for the beginning of a deeper relationship between man and woman. God's plan is for these chemicals and hormones to be kept in control by His guidance until He has ordained a union of marriage for them. To help control these feelings, God has given us a communication channel to Him that he has not given any other animals. It is His plan that we allow His Agape love to enter our lives and be used to control the Eros love that controls the rest of the animal kingdom. When we use our communication channel (called prayer) to God, we find that he can control the urges and thoughts that other animals can't control.

HEB 10:16 "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." JAM 1:21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

God was specific as to what He wants man and woman to do to multiply His kingdom.

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

This one flesh that God has ordained is to be understood and accepted with the magnitude that God intended.

1CO 6:15-20 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.

Satan also understands the power of sexual attraction, and he has created a demon just for that purpose. His name is Lust, and he can come in beautiful, attractive packages with one purpose in mind - To separate you from your God through lustful sin.

1CO 6:9-11 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. 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.

Satan's lust demon is never satisfied with just a lustful affair. He wants us to become more perverse to any extreme he can take us to until we become possessed by him like he did to the pagans we read about in the old testament. God is very serious about His plans on how he intends to handle those who choose the lust demon over Him.

1CO 10:6-8 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did--and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.

ROM 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

ROM 1:24-29 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

ROM 1:29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.

ROM 1:32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

GAL 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

1JO 3:7-10 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

God gives us a way out whenever Satan has conquered any part of our life. He is waiting for us to realize we have taken a path of destruction, and has His arms open for a repentant spirit and an open heart.

COL 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

EPH 4:21-24 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

2TI 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

EPH 5:3-4 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

The Lord knows the temptations and thoughts Satan will try to attack you with. He gives you His promise:

1CO 10:12-13 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

HEB 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil.

Once we conquer lust, we have to make the choice to stay away form where he plays: be it pornography, sensual dress, old friends that still follow the lust demon - even movies, television or books that teach extra marital affairs. We must not allow our minds to be polluted by lust in any manner, or the lust demon will find his way back.

1CO 5:9-11I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people--not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

Scriptures from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society