LUST: DON’T LET IT GET YOU

Satan Tempts us to lust in the areas we have natural needs and desires

Gen 3:4-7

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5  “For God knows that in the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

I.                   Basic Humans needs

a.      food, water, shelter etc.

II.                The Need to be “Stimulated” (fascinated, affected)

III.             The Need to be Accomplished (to be Great, to matter, to count, Have Substance etc.)

IV.              The need to be something “cool” or meaningful to give yourselves to – yield to

1.       Lust is any desire or craving of our soul that our wellbeing depends on.

2.       Lust is often manifested in complaining and murmuring

Numbers 11:4-10

⁴ And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? ⁵ We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: ⁶ But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, besides this manna, before our eyes. ⁷ And the manna was as coriander seed and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium. ⁸ And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. ⁹ And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it. ¹⁰ Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

3.       Lust can produce an unbearable load to those around us.

Numbers 11:11-15

¹¹ And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all these people upon me? ¹² Have I conceived all these people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers? ¹³ Whence should I have flesh to give unto all these people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. ¹⁴ I am not able to bear all these people alone because it is too heavy for me. ¹⁵ And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

4.      There is usually a death that follows embracing the object of your lust

Numbers 11:31-35

³¹ And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. ³² And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. ³³ And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague. ³⁴ And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted. ³⁵ And the people journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.

Kibroth-hattaavah = graves of lust

5.       Lust results in a lean soul.

Psalms 106:14-15

                  But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tempted God in the desert. ¹⁵And he gave them their request; But sent leanness into their soul.

2 Peter 2:11

¹¹ Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.

                        James 4:1-3

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? ² Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. ³ Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Mark 4:19-20

And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

6.       Lust begins small; in the heart.

Proverbs 6:25

Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; Neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

HOW TO OVERCOME LUST

1.       Put on Jesus and don’t feed it.

Proverbs 13:14

¹⁴ But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

I.                   Make sure you are saved

II.                Mentally put faith in Jesus and His Power

III.             Resist force and remove yourself from all temptation

2.       Walk in the Spirit

Gal 5:16-18

¹⁶ This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would ¹⁸ But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

3.       Have Contentment displayed by gratitude

Hebrews 13:4-6

⁴ Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. ⁵ Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. ⁶ So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.