Are you willing to fight against lust?
If you follow me by any means, you know my stance on lust. Lust is an evil enemy that will lie to you, degrade you, embarrass you and ultimately steal your destiny from you. Lust presents itself as a plaything for you, but as you have likely learned by now, it is vicious.
However, lust is not just about lying; lust has waged war. Since war has been declared, you have to make a few primary decisions. Are you willing to fight? Are you willing to kill? Are you willing to be killed? Are you going to protect your family, friends and church against this evil enemy?
In the Old Testament, God gave the promised land to the tribes of Israel as an inheritance. But in order to get their inheritance, they had to go to war and kill to receive what God had already given them. In the New Testament, God has given us the lust-free nature of Christ. We just need to go to war with lust in order to receive that nature.
It’s a war you have to be absolutely willing to fight. You have to kill the enemy and any part of your flesh that wants to hold onto it. You have to be able to kill lust’s existence in your life for good, not just for a little while.
You are at war. This is not a game. Your destiny and your family are at stake. It’s your choice: Kill the enemy, or embrace the enemy. Now that you realize you are at war, act like it and declare your freedom.
I now want to walk you through a couple of exercises to help you in your daily battle.
In this tip, we are going to look at your life five years from now, still not free from lust. I want you to imagine what your life would be like if you continue to lust after women.
Take a moment and think of your life five years from now. In this scenario, think about your life if you keep lusting on a regular basis. Lust has grown more in your life, taken your time, limited your maturity, affected your productivity and maybe taken you into behaviors you didn’t think would happen. These could be the loss of a job, getting caught repeatedly, marital separation, divorce, breaking up or even getting arrested.
Lust has you in its grip. Now imagine what that life looks like. You’re still in the same job or demoted, your marriage is strained or has ended, you will never get close to your spiritual destiny, you feel distant in relationships, you are guilt ridden and your children might even have a stepdad they call dad instead of you.
I want you to take a serious look at your life and imagine what it would really be like if lust progressively held your hand and led you where it wanted you to go. Sadly, I have watched men’s lives who didn’t kill the seed of lust and let it grow. Their pain, sorrow and regret are real, and at times they are seemingly inconsolable.
However, there is hope for freedom! Let’s envision what victory looks like!
Lust takes immediate opportunities to utilize its services. In this exercise I want you to imagine what your life would be like if you were successful over lust for a day, then a week, then a month and then a year. Finally, I want you to take a few minutes and imagine your life completely lust-free.
You will see women as people. Instead of preying on them for self-pleasure, you will feel sad for women who objectify themselves and pray for weaker women.
What does your life look like now that you have been free from lust for years? What about your spiritual life? Your health? Your wife? Your children and grandchildren? How are they experiencing life with a lust-free man?
Imagine wisdom and energy flowing through you in your relationships at work. Think about your hobbies. How will your lust-free life look different? It’s possible to be lust-free. I have known men who have experienced years of lust-free living. What’s stopping you from joining us?
Therefore, I want to encourage you and empower you to take your place among the ranks in the war against lust. There is no passivity in this war. You either stand with Christ or you stand with lust. Now that you have imagined a life free of lust, take that vision and fight every day to fulfill it. {eoa}
Doug Weiss, Ph.D., is a nationally known author, speaker and licensed psychologist. He is the executive director of Heart to Heart Counseling Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the author of several books, including Lust Free Living. You may contact Dr. Weiss via his website, drdougweiss.com; on hisFacebook; by phone at 719-278-3708 or through email at [email protected].
James Lasher 
Abby Trivett