Facing the Giant of AddictionSample

Defences against lust 

‘I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully.’ Job 31:1 NIV 

To win the battle against lust, you must decide once and for all to be fully committed to God. Steve Arterburn says that means establishing three perimeters of defence: 1) Your eyes. Job said, ‘I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully.’ It’s the lingering look that opens the door to trouble. Before David messed up with Bathsheba, we read that he: a) saw, b) inquired, and c) took. Train yourself to pull your eyes away immediately. What you’re looking at isn’t yours. God says, ‘Leave it alone.’ 2) Your mind. Paul writes, ‘Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV). Does your mind traffic in double-entendres, daydreams, the internet, magazines, movies, and anything else that can alter your mood at a glance? Replace these things with memorised Scriptures and mental images of your best moments with your mate. It’ll work! With your transformed mind actively policing itself and capturing rogue thoughts before they capture you, your defences will begin to grow strong. 3) Your heart. Listen: ‘Above all...guard your heart’ (Proverbs 4:23 NIV). Work on strengthening the bond with your mate. Begin to repay the debt you owe from the times you neither honoured nor cherished them. Decide to love, even though you don’t ‘feel’ like it and watch yourself become their biggest fan. No matter how badly you’ve failed, victory can be yours if you’re willing to humble yourself; ask for God’s help and make a covenant with your eyes, your mind and your heart, to live in purity! 

Prayer Point:

Lord, help me to set a guard against what I see and think. Stand with me in this area, Lord. I don’t want to sin against You and hurt my loved ones. Help me to see this temptation for what it is, and the inevitable outcome of regret and sadness if I yield to it. Thank you, Lord, that You come not to condemn but to empower me. As I call on You in my moment of need, You are a wonderfully present help in times of trouble. No wonder I love You, Lord.  

Acknowledgements: Arterburn, Stephen, Stoeker, Fred, Every Man’s Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time (Doubleday Religious Publishing, 2009).