Today we expose the silent killer of spiritual intimacy: lust. What’s so bad about lust? Well, it took down in defeat the wisest, the strongest and the man who God felt was close to His heart in the Bible. Yes, David, Solomon and Samson – all brought down by lust. So it is no laughing matter. Not to God and it shouldn’t be to you. It is not just sexual; it is any intense, disordered desire that displaces God. You too can be defeated, not by armies, but by appetite.
THE WEDGE: HOW LUST SEVERS YOUR CONNECTION TO GOD
Featured Scripture and Commentary
James 1:14–15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
If we understand clearly what James is saying here we discover something. Lust is the precursor to sin. It brings forth sin. Sin brings forth death. Lust plus time equals death. Poorly timed and dangerously conceived, lust can bring forth death instantly with sin in between as an unholy sandwich.
Consider if you will… a hot dog eating contest. It is a lust competition for a championship. Is there a trophy? Yuk lol. When charmed by the flesh of his flesh, bone of his bone (so sayeth Adam) many a man has found himself heels over head, looking for “love” in all the wrong places, unhinged, disconnected from their heart in which the Holy Spirit lives, bankrupt, following all kinds of strange “gods” e.g. idolatry, adultery, etc. Lust can be a total mess and not just drive a wedge between man and God but severing the chord between almost any man and his “better angels”. Just think, what is left for God to do when one is indulging their lusts? Lament and determine the penalty. Is that the realm in which you want to relegate the Lord God almighty? Your Creator? If the answer is no then when lust shows up turn instead to God. Too high of a standard? Unachievable? Solomon, David and Samson would agree. I knew one guy here in Virginia Beach who had been with many women. He was also fancying himself as a believer. Know what he told me? Every time he was with a woman he thought about Jesus. Did he want a medal? At that early moment in my faith journey I did not have a response handy so all I could do was stand there with my bottom jaw on the floor. Do I call upon you and upon myself to be better men than this self identifying Ruritan? For sure. But what about these aforementioned heroes of the Bible? I call upon you and me as Paul called upon us…. pray always.
CORROBORATING SCRIPTURE
2 Samuel 11:2–4, 1 Kings 11:1–4, Proverbs 6:25–26, Galatians 5:17, 1 John 2:16, Psalm 101:3
2 Samuel 11:2–4 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman… And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her…
1 Kings 11:1–4 But king Solomon loved many strange women… And it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
Galatians 5:17 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.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
We often limit “lust” to sexual desire. But the Greek word epithumia means any strong, disordered desire. It is a craving that demands satisfaction now, regardless of God’s will.
Let’s break it down as John did -The Three Faces of Lust (1 John 2:16):
Lust of the Flesh: Physical cravings (sex, food, comfort, laziness, ).
Example: David. He wasn’t at war; he was comfortable on his roof. His idle flesh looked, desired, and took. The wedge was driven when he chose immediate gratification over holy obedience.
Lust of the Eyes: Material cravings (greed, envy, accumulation).
Example: Achan (Joshua 7). He saw the gold and kept it. His eye coveted what God had forbidden. The wedge was driven by greed, costing him his life and his family.
Pride of Life: Status cravings (power, recognition, control).
Example: Solomon. He didn’t just want wisdom; he wanted glory. He accumulated wealth, horses, and wives to prove his greatness. The wedge was driven by pride, turning his heart from God to idols.
Why Lust Drives a Wedge:
Lust is self-centered. The Holy Spirit is God-centered.
Let’s break this down further – God vs lust equals
Peace vs. Agitation
Humility vs. Arrogance
Freedom vs. Bondage
Clarity vs. Deception
Intimacy vs. Isolation
Life vs. Death
Contentment vs. Craving
Purity vs. Defilement
Trust vs. Control
Joy vs. Emptiness
They cannot occupy the same throne.
How to Remove the Wedge:
Starve the Lust: Don’t feed it with media, thoughts, or environments.
Feed the Spirit: Fill your mind with Scripture and worship.
Confess Quickly: Don’t hide. Bring it into the light.
Flee: Joseph ran. David stayed. Run from temptation.
Lust promises pleasure but delivers death. The Spirit offers life. Choose the Spirit.
PRAYER FOR WHOMSOEVERS
Jesus said we cannot serve two masters. He specifically pointed to God vs money. So true.
Please, Lord, help me open the understanding of my heart to be inclusive of not just the love of money, the lust for money but all kinds of lust and
to discern it and not identify with it but stay far away. In this matter let me be more like Joseph than David, more like Daniel than Samson, more like Paul than Samson – a lot more like Jesus and less like me and never let me falter. In the holy name of Jesus, our savior and your Son, we say “amen”
