Since this subject appears to be of such importance in maintaining a life of righteousness, we dig deeper, sharing over the next two postings teaching on the subject from Dr. Carol Ministries. It is my prayer that knowing the difference will bring deliverance to those who have been held captive either by ignorance of not knowing the difference; or have actually been prisoners of lust. There is deliverance in the name of Jesus.

Dr. Carol wrote:

“When the enemy can’t get you to fall into the ditch on one side, he’ll work hard to hurdle you into the ditch on the other. If he can’t make you overwhelmed with rage, he’ll be satisfied with weakness or cowardice. Corrupting truth into either self-righteousness or tolerance will suit him just fine. And he’s used the same pathway to bring confusion about the difference between lust and healthy desire.

In our oversexualized culture it’s not hard to see how unbridled indulgence in sexual lust has led to great damage. Sex trafficking, the porn industry, sexual abuse, infidelity in marriage, buying sex, sexual promiscuity, and every other imaginable deviation from God’s plan of one man and one woman enjoying sex within covenant marriage – “intimacy gone wrong” is everywhere.

But that’s only one very large ditch. What about the ditch on the other side?

Is desire equivalent to lust? What about appreciating the image of a beautiful human being? Is suppressing all sexual desire the most godly thing to do? How about intensely desiring sexual connection with your spouse? Is a single person lusting when they desire to get married and have sex? Is someone with a low sex drive somehow holier than someone with a high sex drive?

This is a slippery subject. It touches on deep wounds and even deeper identity issues about how God made us. But the gospel is good news! It has good things to say about this, and we need to pay attention.

The Core of Lust
For anyone who has struggled with unwanted or destructive sexual behavior, you know how deep the root of lust can grow. “Managing your lust” is exhausting and it doesn’t work very long. But the core of lust is not sexual desire.

James says it this way: “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. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:2-3 KJV).

Lust is not libido. As this passage in James illustrates, it has as much or more to do with selfishness or greed. Lust is, “I want what I want when I want it, so I can use it to gratify myself for as long as I want in the way that I want.” That’s why the phrases lust for money or lust for power are completely accurate. It has the sense of consuming, using up, and then throwing away if/when it no longer gratifies.

Thinking of or treating another human being made in God’s image that way is completely counter to the character of God, and who we are to be as followers of Jesus.”

If your lifestyle is as explained above, you need help. Be honest to yourself and for your sake get help from trusted believers. Selah.


Pastor Afolabi Oladele