Proverbs 6:25-26 (KJV)
“Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.”
Read this message carefully because many brothers and sisters have been caught into the web of sexual immorality. Many are struggling with lust and immorality. And the worst part is that it is even happening among the people of Christ. The Lord wants to open our eyes today on this topic.
I want to tell you that we are in a very crucial time. We are in the most dangerous time and only a spiritually blind man can never know the time that we are. You see what is happening around us – weaknesses and impotence in the christendom; ministers without the power and fire of God; brothers and sisters with a shallow Christian life. And the question you will ask is: is that the plan of God for us?
I have taken my time to think very well. And each time I open my Bible to study I discover that God’s plan for us is not for us to be swimming and battling with one sin or the other. God wants us to live a conqueror’s life. But many brothers and sisters have the problem of lust and sexual immorality. In fact, it is even rampant among the teenagers and youths.
I have come across many youths and if they want to speak of any problem, they will say, “My only problem is lust.”
Then I begin to wonder. I have come across many people and counselled many people and the major problem is lust.
How can we be able to come out from that bondage?
You see, when electricity has shocked you before you will know how dangerous it is and you will not try to go there the second time again because it has shocked you before. Unless you have an experience of something you cannot be able to explain better.
Every youth has come across lust. Even some of the believers that are living a crucified life today have fought with lust in time past. And they can tell you with their testimony that you can be free from lust; you can live a joyful Christian life – free from lust. That you won’t lust even for e seconds that even if the temptation comes, you see no reason to lust. That is the life God is expecting from us.
That is why one of the major problems many brothers and sisters are facing and battling is the spirit of lust and sexual immorality. And many have never discovered the consequences of lust and sexual immorality. And some of them hide and feed it. They never knew that act will turn them from something to nothing.
The fact I want to tell you is this: I have never seen a costly game like the game of lust and sexual immorality. There are some of you in that game that you even enjoy.
If you want to be free from a problem, you must hate that thing. When you love a sin it takes the grace of God for you to come out. There must be hatred for that sin. But there are some people that hate it but are still doing it. When the urge and temptation comes they find it hard to say no until when they have fulfilled the desire of the flesh.
But I want to tell you about this game of lust and sexual immorality.
Proverbs 6:25-26 (KJV)
“Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.”
The Bible says, “For by means of a whorish woman, a man is brought to a piece of bread.”
Just imagine such a costly game. Why do I have to love it when I will become a piece of bread?
This game is a very COSTLY GAME. This is a game that you need to read the instructions carefully. You need to read the terms and conditions attached to it. Infact, I have never seen such terms and conditions.
Lust and sexual immorality is a game that you play with EVERYTHING you have; everything you are and everything you will be in future and you come out empty.
You go with precious gifts and come out yet empty.
You go into it with uncommon talents and special abilities and come out empty
God has given each one of us peculiar abilities that no one else possesses. Sexual sin and lust will kill them.
This is why many brothers and sisters have not discovered their destiny.
This is a game you play with your special glory.
Maybe in your family you have been destined to be a glorious child and God has chosen you by grace to stand out in your family. But you play the game with that uncommon opportunity. When you come out of it you come out empty of glory.
You play this game with your uncommon bright star. You are supposed to be numbered among the stars in the future – I’m not talking about worldly stars. I mean a star and hero for the Lord; men of valor for the Lord. But such a person will be counted among common and useless people because of lust and sexual sin.
You play this game with everything you have; are and will be then you come out empty. Just think of that.
Just empty! No star; no destiny; all gone just because you lust and commit sexual immorality.
“So because I lust after a lady that I can not even approach, I lust everything?”
If you have a problem with lust the Lord will deliver you today.
But many victims of lust have come to the conclusion that, “No matter how you try you cannot come out. You will still continue in it no matter how hard you try.”
I read many of them on the internet.
But that statement and belief downgrades the work of Christ in the cross of Calvary.
Christ did not die for us to continue in sin but died for us to be free from the body of sin. I want to tell you that if you are suffering in lust and sexual immorality, Jesus can set you free. He can deliver you.
But the Bible says something;
“Lust not after her beauty in your heart.”
The Bible mentioned “heart” because lust is a sin you commit in your heart. If I lust in my heart nobody will know.
When you lust nobody knows because it is the sin that happens in your heart. Nobody knows it but only you, God and the devil.
When a believer is lusting the devil is aware of that. Everytime you lust, you lose a tangible thing in your life.
I was a victim of lust before. I battled with it. I suffered from it. I lost many opportunities. I lost a lot of grace because of this useless and unprofitable thing. But thank God for the work of Christ.
I want to tell you that you too can be free. Jesus can set you free.
But the Lord has commanded us;
“Lust not after her beauty in your heart.”
You see something that calls on your attention. It may be indecent dressing. The Bible says, don’t look at her.
WAYS LUST MANIFEST
Lust manifests in various ways.
■ You see a man or woman, then you imagine committing immorality with that person in your heart. At times you may even be praying; preaching; walking on the road or in your room but right there you are lusting.
Maybe you have seen somebody before on the street. The devil will now bring a picture of that person. The person probably dressed indecently or the person has a very charming beauty. The devil – demon of lust in you will bring back the picture of that person to you and begin to replay it slowly. And such a person will imagine committing immorality with that person in the heart.
■ It also manifests in this way: somebody is talking with you with an immoral voice. Maybe the person calls you on the phone and the voice she is using to speak makes you have feelings. It shows that there is a spirit of lust in you.
■ It manifests this way also. You see a sister and you say, “This is the bone of my bone. This should be the will of God for my life.”
You see a brother and you imagine that he is the will of God for your life.
Some will even go to the extent of imagining both of them putting on wedding garments. Some go to the extent of imagining both of them doing ministry work together. Some will even imagine that they are hugging the person or holding the hand of the person. Some go to the extent of imagining that they are pregnant for the man or otherwise. It is lust.
It is a destroyer. It destroys. It finishes life.
This is why you need to be very careful. Some people remove the clothes of the opposite sex with their imaginations. They don’t see sister a sister again. They don’t see brother as brother again. But have considered them as a tool of pleasure – as things they see and get pleasure from. And this will result in dreams.
Then you will come up and say, “I had a dream that sister A is the will of God for me.”
And because you have lust after her you begin to have dreams.
Some got married and the foundations of the marriage is built on lust.
One of the symptoms that the spirit of lust is in you is this. You don’t like to relate to other girls. As a sister you say, “I just love to play with boys.
As a brother you say, “I don’t like to relate with boys. I just like relating with girls.”
It shows that there is a spirit of lust in you.
The foundation of many marriages is founded on lust and they are paying fully for it now.
The reason why many homes are suffering childlessness; miscarriages; misfortunes is because of that lust. And some people will say, “I love you.”
“I love her. I just wish that she can even be the will of God for my life.”
Little do you know that that act is a devourer. It will destroy you without leaving anything tangible in you.
Jesus break it all for us;
Matthew 5:28 (KJV)
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
It is not until when you go to physical reality that is when you do it. You can do it right in your heart.
And whosoever you commit adultery or fornication with, there is sharing of problems with such a person. If the person has depression, it will be transferred into your life. If the person has the spirit of anger, hatred, disappointment, failure, poverty it will all be transferred into your life. And the problem you too have will be transferred to that person as well.
Just imagine. How many people have you lust after? Calculate the numbers of things both you and those people have shared among yourselves.
Some people, the more they try and struggle to stop, they can’t. They can say, “Today I made up my mind. I will not do it.”
But the more they try, the more they see themselves doing what they hate.
But I want to tell you today. Lust is a bosom traitor that will rob you of everything that is precious for your life.
Lust and sexual immorality are bosom fire that burns gradually. Just like in science we have something called ‘gradualism’ that is, little by little.
And you know what? A spark of fire can burn a whole forest.
So, if you don’t quench it now or else you will burn.
Proverbs 6:27 (KJV)
“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?”
This is why you need to wake up.
FACTS ABOUT LUST AND SEXUAL IMMORALITY WITH BIBLICAL EXAMPLES
1.LUST IS CONTROLLING; DOMINATING AND THEREFORE SEEKS POWER OVER PEOPLE
(1 Kings 21:1-15)
There you will see how Jezebel was controlling Ahab. And the spirit of Jezebel is the spirit possessing many sisters today.
2. LUST IS MANIPULATIVE (2 Samuel 13:1-14)
It influences you. It turns you to a mad person. It makes you misbehave. It makes you do things that can lead to disgrace.
In that book of Samuel we saw how Amnon and Jonadab conspired and planned the rape of Tamar. That lust has manipulated them.
3. LUST DRAINS ITS VICTIM’S STRENGTH
3. LUST DRAINS ITS VICTIM’S STRENGTH
When you have spiritual strength, lust will drain you. You will not have strength to resist the devil. You will just be empty. In spiritual warfare you will be like a piece of paper carried by the wind. We can see that in the life of Samson.
When he fell victim to Delilah’s trick, the Bible says that he was asleep. He slept to the extent that he was even saying what he doesn’t want to say. He opened all his mind and his power was cut off. He became empty of strength.
4. LUST SEEKS TO DEGRADE ITS VICTIM’S POSTURE SPIRITUALLY AND INTELLECTUALLY
It degrades its victim – physically; spiritually and intellectually. It affects the person’s reasoning. It affects one understanding of the scriptures. You won’t have a fellowship with the Holy Spirit. You won’t be able to have a personal walk with God. You will just be struggling with your Christian life. Just because of one thing – LUST.
This is why lust is a very serious matter and many brothers and sisters and bond with its shackles. Once lust calls on many brothers and sisters, they find it hard; almost impossible not to give an answer.
Many brothers and sisters are embodied with the spirit of lust.
They can operate like a hungry lion when it is looking for prey. That is, when they are walking on the road they are looking for what to lust after. They are looking up and down as if saying, “What am I going to lust after.”
Just like a hungry lion, in order to fulfil the desire of lust in them. But this is not the plan of God for us. You can be free.
This is why I always tell you that to be tempted is not a sin but to fall into temptation is a sin. God doesn’t want His children to be falling into lust. He wants us to overcome all sins and live an overcoming life because His grace is sufficient. It is not by power nor by might but it is the work of Christ in the inner man.
It is the work of Christ. You just have to tell Him to do it and He will. But one thing is that you must change your view of Jesus. You can’t work by sight and please God. You must walk by faith. All things are possible with Jesus.
“I can be free. I am free – forever free. I cannot fall into it again.”
That is the faith I’m talking about. That you believe that;
“Christ had done it in my life and by His grace I cannot do it again.”
And you don’t willingly look for it.
How can you be able to break free from the spirit of lust and sexual sin?
The last one supersedes all other points I’m going to mention. But it is important for me to tell you this point so that you may avoid it. When you know these things, it will help you.
HOW YOU CAN BREAK THE STRONGHOLD OF LUST AND SEXUAL SIN
1.COUNT THE COST OF IT
Count the cost of sexual sin and lust.
Let’s check the cost of it. If you fall into it what will you pay for it?
Proverbs 6:26-33 (KJV)
(26) “For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
(27) Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
(28)Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
(29) So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
(30) Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
(31) But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
(32) But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
(33) A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.”
Also read JAMES 1:14-15
James 1:14-15 (KJV)
(14) “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
(15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
We can see the example of these consequences in the life of king David. When he lusted after that woman that was taking her bath and fell into adultery with her; his children and kingdom went for it. God dealt with him.
You must count the cost before going into it.
2. OBSERVE YOURSELF
You must acknowledge that you have the problem. One of the hardest things in this world is for a wicked man to agree that he is wicked. Those that are poor in spirit agree that truly they have the problem. Don’t try to justify yourself, “I don’t have the problem.”
But you have to look yourself in the mirror of the word of God and discover if you have it in your life. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to be honest with yourself. Don’t deceive yourself. You must observe yourself before you can even break out.
3. HATE IT WITH ALL YOUR HEART
Hate it with all your;
Heart
Soul
Spirit
Soul
Body
Mind.
4. REMEMBERING AND UTILIZING YOUR SPIRITUAL POSITION AND AUTHORITY
Listen to me; you have a great position in Christ as a child of God. Jesus said, power has been given unto Me.”
The same promise is for me and you too. When you come to Christ, all power has been given into you.
When you have this power you must use it to dominate over the spirit of lust. When the temptation comes do not negotiate with it; do not tolerate it; do not reason with it. Be mad at that spirit and rebuke it. That is what I’m talking about.
5. CALL FOR BACKUP
Call for backup from those that are spiritually mature than you. Tell them, “I have this problem. This is my problem. Pls join me in prayer. We can even fast together.”
So when people join you to pray, it also helps.
6. DISTANCE AND LACK OF RESPONSE
Listen to me; the spirit of lust feeds on attention and communication.
The more you give it attention, the more it creeps into your life and takes hold of it.
Whatever you feed will grow and be strong. But whatever you neglect will and ignore without feeding it, it will surely die. This is why the Bible says that we should not fulfill the desires of the flesh.
2 Timothy 2:22 (KJV)
“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
Don’t walk from it. Runaway from it. Flee for your life because you see the real picture of it.
7. FLEE FROM A APPEARANCE OF EVIL
You must run away from anything that can lead you to lust. Don’t watch it. Don’t tune your TV to watch bad things. Don’t visit unholy websites that will corrupt your mind.
8. CONFESS THE WORD OF GOD LOUDLY
This means that you don’t rebuke the devil in your heart. You say it with your mouth – “I rebuke you Spirit the name of Jesus.” And it will stop.
9. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE ENEMY
The Bible says that Satan left Jesus for a while. So you must be on your guard always. When it comes today, he will still come back to try you again another time. But you don’t tolerate it. You rebuke it, “I have said before that I won’t do it. Leave me alone.”
This is not what you say with your mouth. You must get mad at that spirit.
10. DO NOT NEGLECT CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
When you begin to be absent from church activities – vigil you will not attend; you will not attend Bible study. You will be pampered and begged before you attend. This will allow the spirit of lust to creep into your life. You must not neglect the fellowship of the brethren.
11. CHANGE YOUR FRIENDS AND ENVIRONMENT (If they are part of the problem)
That is, friends that will make you lust and fall into sexual sin. Separate your from them. If it is an environment, pray for God to relocate you and He will do that.
12. STUDY AND MEDITATE ON THE WORD OF GOD
You can even meditate when you are walking or working.
Study and meditate on the word of God in your heart.
Proverbs 6:20-24 (KJV)
(20) My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
(21) Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
(22) When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
(23) For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
(24) To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.”
When you meditate and study the word of God, you will have love for God.
13. UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF ALL TEMPTATION
Every temptation is a question that comes in this form: “Do you agree to miss heaven?”
“Do you agree that your name will be removed from the Book of Life?”
When you yield, you simply say, “Yes! Let it be removed.”
“Do you love the devil?”
If you yield you say, “Yes! I love the devil.”
Understand the purpose of all temptations. When you fall into temptation;
▪︎ It dishonors God.
▪︎ It takes heaven away from you.
▪︎ It removes your name from the book of life.
So you must understand the purpose of all temptation.
14. BLOOD OF JESUS
The Blood of Jesus is very powerful. It is a powerful weapon that many of us ignore. We normally call the ‘Fire of Holy Ghost’ but don’t call on the Blood of Jesus. The Blood of Jesus is very powerful and that Blood will work in your life today.
When you are faced with temptation, shout, “The Blood of Jesus Christ. I bind you spirit of lust. I rebuke you now and I command you to go back to hell where you belong. I plead the Blood of Jesus in this environment.”
The Bible says;
Revelation 12:11 (KJV)
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
When you plead the Blood of Jesus Christ, heaven arises for your help. Today Jesus will arise.
15. DEVELOP A PRAYERFUL LIFE
