Dear Asake,
It is a stark truth, seldom acknowledged among brethren, that the lust wars we fight in our closets are more frightening than the sanctimonious gibberish of our public madness. It was touching to hear you talk of yours so freely.
For me, your gaze towards the horizon of deliverance has come. It is not strange. Those who fight that of ambition, fame, money, power, revenge, food and the like litter our religious circles, from the pulpit to the pew.
Your experience of sexual lust speaks deeply to me….It speaks of the collective struggle of our shared, daily stories. From the narratives on the romance texts to the billboards on our streets; the filthy lyrics from uncensored songs and the erroneous world of sexual freedom sold on various popular media and movie videos. Gradually, the prince of this world sells a lie to us. By constantly thinking of being responsible to ourselves, our independence has swerved the truth of divine ownership of our bodies. The high level of erotic stimulation daily drains one spiritually. So, to have been hooked in the addiction of sexual lust sounds less strange.
But here is the deal.
Take the first step of openness and humility. Ask God for help.
Sometimes we are too ashamed to launch into that deep. I have tried to fight the battle of lust on my own and hid from Him who sees all things.
Asake, be delighted to talk to your Father. It is imperative to equally appropriate the truth of the scripture too. If it says that “sin does not have power over dead people”, then let’s not shove it aside as an esoteric statement devoid of practical help. No. If Calvary is a distant tale of present irrelevance, then there remains no hope for deliverance. So, for you to overcome lust, you must realize that your old life is nailed to the cross.
This truth places a huge feeling of inner strength. When men wither and grow feeble under the weight of ungodliness, you have risen above such tides with the capacity to say NO unto it. For at the cross, we are reminded that Christ did not only die for us to forgive us our sins but died with us to deliver us from it. Then walk in the spirit. “If you are guided by the Spirit, you won’t obey your selfish desires.” This sets the tone for my help, your help.
The Holy Spirit. Do you still remember that He is on the inside of you? What about the cleansing power of the Word! Be sure dear that when you focus on the Word and allow Him to remove your lustful thoughts and actions, you steadily move out from this hovering darkness. And most importantly: Run! Do not sustain lustful thoughts in your mind. Get far away from situations and influences that threaten to trap you. May I lay this all to rest again with a prayer.
Dear Asake, may you live you daily life conscious of the Spirit you carry, insistent on the necessity of befriending the Word and the blessedness of Fleeing! Amen.