JAMES 1:15 (KJV)
“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
Lusts of the flesh refer to our strong desires for things that seem pleasurable but do not bring lasting satisfaction and peace. A person who is controlled by lust pursues money, fame, power, pleasure, or sexual gratification in ways that God forbids. In reality, that person is in bondage to his unbounded desires and is shackled by sin.
God forbids these inordinate pursuits, not because he wants to make our lives miserable, but because He knows that lust destroys our spiritual health and the possibility of a relationship with Him. He realizes what people often do not understand — that lusts are self-gratifying appetites that cause people to worship themselves and God’s creation in place of God the Creator. The consequences for this idolatry are misery here and punishment in the future. Many people who have passed from this life are presently experiencing eternal torment because they yielded to lust and never experienced freedom in Jesus.
Lusts of the flesh, particularly sexual passions, are so strong that they cannot be overcome without Jesus abiding in a person’s heart. While some people do not even try to control their lusts but engage in whatever they feel like doing, Satan deceives others into thinking they can control their lusts in their own strength. Either way, the result is failure and death. People who try to control their lusts in their own power become slaves to their passions rather than becoming servants of God.
Thankfully, there is a way up to Heaven. We can be delivered from the power of lust and set free from the shackles of sin. When we give our hearts and lives to Jesus, He gives us godly desires that are stronger than the desires of the flesh. He also gives us the power to resist temptation. Satan will try to tell you that there is no way out of the traps of lust. He will try to make you believe that you cannot be victorious. Don’t believe his lies. Yield your life completely to Jesus. Jesus will help you! He will give you new desires. He will help you to say no to the lusts of the flesh. There is hope!
Connecting Bible references: 1 Peter 2:11; Ephesians 2:3; 1Peter 4:2; 1 John 2:16; 1 John 2:17; Matthew 5:28
