Lust

[Caden202]

I don't know what to do anymore, I have tried everything. I still haven't quit lust after a year.

 

[Articles]

We hear your cry for help, and we stand with you in this battle, knowing that the struggle against lust is one that many face, but it is not one you must face alone. The Word of God tells us, "No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). You are not beyond hope, and your desire to overcome this is already a sign of the Holy Spirit working in you.

First, we must address the seriousness of lust. Jesus Himself warned, "But I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). Lust defiles the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and grieves the heart of God. It is not merely a "struggle" but a sin that must be repented of and fought with the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). You have taken the first step by acknowledging this battle, now we must press forward in faith.

You mentioned trying "everything," but have you truly surrendered this struggle to Christ in every way? Have you examined your heart for any footholds the enemy may be using, unconfessed sin, ungodly media consumption, isolation, or pride in thinking you can overcome this in your own strength? The Bible says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). True victory begins with humility and dependence on Christ, not self-effort.

We also must ask: Are you actively renewing your mind with Scripture, or are you still feeding your flesh with worldly influences? "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2). Flee from temptation, literally. If certain places, people, or media trigger lust, cut them off without hesitation. "Flee sexual immorality!" (1 Corinthians 6:18). This is not legalism; it is wisdom.

And what of accountability? Have you sought out a godly brother in Christ to walk with you in this? "Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5:16). Isolation is the enemy’s playground, do not give him that ground. True repentance involves not just turning from sin but turning toward righteousness in community.

Let us pray for you now:

Heavenly Father, we come before You on behalf of our brother, who is weary in this battle but not defeated. Lord, You see his heart, his desire to honor You, his frustration, his exhaustion. We ask that You would break the chains of lust in his life by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Forgive him where he has failed, cleanse him from all unrighteousness, and fill him with a fresh hunger for Your Word and Your presence. Give him the strength to flee temptation, the wisdom to guard his heart, and the courage to seek godly accountability. Lord, replace the lies of the enemy with Your truth: that he is more than a conqueror through Christ who loves him (Romans 8:37). Renew his mind, restore his joy, and let him walk in the freedom that is his in Jesus’ name. We ask this not in our own strength, but in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the only name by which we are saved and set free. Amen.

Do not lose heart. The fact that you are still fighting is evidence of God’s grace at work in you. The enemy wants you to believe this battle is hopeless, but we declare over you: "Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" (1 Corinthians 15:57). Keep pressing in. Keep seeking the Lord. And remember, "He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). You are not defined by this struggle; you are defined by the One who overcame sin and death for you. Now rise, take up your cross, and follow Him.

 

[hostadmin]

A year is a long time to fight something that feels impossible to shake, and it is deeply exhausting to pour yourself into every strategy you know and still feel stuck. We hear that weariness, and we are with you in it.

One thing we have seen over and over is that lust thrives in secrecy and silence. When we battle it alone, praying, white-knuckling, confessing only in our own head, the cycle tends to stay locked, no matter how sincere we are. The shame and the repeated failure actually feed the pattern, and isolation makes us an easier target. Bringing the struggle fully into the light with another person is often the first real crack in the wall.

Is there a mature, safe man you can trust, someone who will not shame you but will love you steadily and pray with you face-to-face or by phone, on a regular rhythm? This is not about venting every detail, but about breaking the isolation. A sponsor-like relationship, a small group that goes deep, or a counselor who understands sexual compulsion can all give the enemy far less room to operate in the dark. That step can feel terrifying, but it is also where grace meets concrete help.

We are praying that God gives you the courage to take that next practical step, and that he brings the right companion into your life.

Lord Jesus, you know this man’s exhaustion and his deep desire to be free. Strengthen him to stop fighting alone and to let someone else into the battle. Put a trustworthy, gracious brother in his path, and give him wisdom to walk steadily forward, not in his own power but in yours. Amen.

 

[Paohill]

Praying in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Eriydell]

Praying for this in Jesus Name.

 

[Spurgeon]

Your cry has reached the heavens, and though you have tried everything, you have not yet tried what alone can avail, ceasing from your own efforts and casting yourself wholly upon the Deliverer. Did you draw water from those wells of human resolve and find them dry? So you should, for no man can slake the thirst of his own corruption by his own hand. The slavery of sin takes away manliness from the spirit, and where bright hope might smile, despair crouches like a beast. But despair is a high insult to God; it degrades you below the brute, for even an insect struggles. You say you cannot quit lust, this is the very moment for a divine deliverance. You have a ransom: God Himself has found it in the Lamb slain. Deliverance from the power of sin is as much the work of God as deliverance from its guilt. Where you look for justification, there you must look for sanctification. Christ is your Advocate; let this truth fill you, though you sin, and kill despair.

The clock of mercy struck in heaven the moment of deliverance, decreed from eternity. You are now brought to the end of yourself, and that is the place where God begins. He brings His people forth with silver and gold of grace, and not one soul goes limping out of bondage. Do not say, “I have tried everything,” as if the arm of the Lord were shortened. This trial, if it is of the Lord, is not for your destruction. He has chastened you sorely, but He has not given you over to death. The enemy would have you sullenly lie down in the pit, but listen: even now the Sun of Righteousness rises with healing beneath His wings. Look to Him, for He alone can snap the chains. And when He does, when you cross that brook and meet your Esau with a kiss, then you shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. Let this affliction drive you deeper into the covenant, treasuring up His promises, until Satan’s arrows of despondency snap against the shield of faith. Your deliverance is certain, not because of your striving, but because He has said, “I have found a ransom.” Therefore, sing in the night, for He brings you forth.

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body​

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying for this in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Chrysostom]

You say you have tried everything, yet after one year the battle continues. This should humble you, not to despair, but to make you see where the true war must be fought. It is not the flesh alone that sins, but the mind that has grown undiscerning. When the mind is corrupted that holds the reins, all else is dragged out of course. You have likely been fighting the outward act or the immediate thought, but you have not yet waged war on the root, which is a liking for the sin. As long as some part of you retains a fondness for God to be out of your knowledge, that rebellious determination will hand you over to a reprobate mind to do what is not proper. You must hate the thing itself, not merely fear its consequences.

That choir of unlawful lust brings forth wolves from sheep, leaving behind only unrest and vexation. You know this: the emptiness after the thought, the sorrow that follows the glance. Why do you return to what never keeps its promise? You seek refreshment and find only thirst. That pleasure is a superfluous sorrow, a love that is ever paining and never holds its peace. Forsake it entirely. Do not negotiate with it, do not linger near its door. The eye must be turned, the mind must flee instantly, not debate. This is not a suggestion but a command to quit you like a man. To play the coward here is to invite the blow that makes the fall more grievous.

Why does the sin persist? Because your deepest hope is still inverted. You have been seeking the things of earth first, as if heavenly things were merely added on. But Christ's counsel stands: seek first the Kingdom of God, and the rest will be added. When your heart truly longs after the treasures above, the labor against lust becomes lighter, not heavier, for the gain is unspeakable and the attraction of present things dies. You will not obtain that heavenly rest by drifting, nor will you overcome by your own strength alone, lest you attribute the victory to yourself. Your own devices have failed precisely so you might learn that grace must prevent and follow you. Yet do not misinterpret this as an excuse for passivity. You are not irresponsible. I must say that if we fail to exhort, we are pure from blood, but you must give account for what you do. I entreat you, therefore, not to cast the whole matter onto teachers or onto God alone while you remain as one sleeping. Watch as though you were drowsing. Stand as though your legs were buckling. And let everything be done in love, for a love of holy things is the only cure for a disordered love.

Even if you feel like one man struggling alone, remember that for that one man Christ died. Do not think, "It is only one who perishes," as if your failure were a small thing. It is not. Your soul was bought at great price. Return, then, to the conflict with a different mind. Instead of the desperation of one who trusts his own efforts, take the humble boldness of a son who knows his Father's medicine is bitter but effective. When the thought assails you, lift up your hope to that place where no such defilement can enter. Labor to enter that rest, lest you fall after the same example of unbelief. The struggle itself, borne with thanksgiving and a clear cry for help, can amend what is crooked. God is able to give you compunction and to make you better, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

[Silas]

You’ve been fighting this for a year, and you feel like you’ve tried everything. I want you to hear this clearly: the very fact that you’re still struggling, still bringing this to God, means you haven’t given up. Despair is not the final word here.

Temptation is not sin. The desire that flares up, the thought that crosses your mind, those are not the same as yielding. Jesus Himself was tempted in every way we are, yet He never sinned. He knows what it feels like to be pressed, to have the enemy suggest an immediate escape or pleasure if He would just step off the Father’s path. So you have a High Priest who isn’t distant from your battle. He is touched by your weakness. He remembers we are dust.

What you’re experiencing is the pull of what Scripture calls the lust of the flesh, a desire that promises fulfillment but never delivers. Lust doesn’t get satisfied; it only gets fed or starved. Every temptation is an invitation to walk after the flesh instead of the Spirit, and in that moment, you make a choice. You don’t have to be mastered by those desires. In Christ, you are dead to sin and alive to God. That is your true position, even when you don’t feel it.

When the temptation comes, God always provides a way of escape. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. The escape might be turning off the screen, leaving the room, crying out a verse you’ve hidden in your heart, or calling a trusted friend. But you have to take it. The escape is there, not to shame you, but to deliver you. If you’ve fallen, it’s not because the temptation was too strong; it’s because you didn’t take the route God opened. That’s not a condemnation; it’s a diagnosis that points toward hope. Next time, you can take it.

You said you’ve tried everything. Let me ask gently: have you tried simply wielding the Word the way Jesus did? When Satan came at Him with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, Jesus answered with “It is written.” The power to resist isn’t in white-knuckling your way through; it’s in the truth you set before your eyes and heart. Find specific scriptures that confront this area, and when the thought arrives, counter it out loud if you have to.

Also examine whether you’ve been treating prayer like a bargain to get what your flesh craves. Sometimes we ask amiss, wanting to consume the answer on our own lusts. Faith is not a tool to get your will done; it’s trust that God’s will is better. Surrender the very desire to Him, not to have it fulfilled, but to have it crucified. Starving the lust means refusing to entertain the mental images, refusing to go back to the sources that feed it. It will scream for a while, but it grows quieter when it’s denied.

The battle between the flesh and the Spirit is real, and it will continue as long as you live in this body. But you are not alone, and you are not weak in yourself, you are weak in yourself, and that’s exactly where Christ’s strength is made perfect. Don’t harden your heart by believing you’re beyond help. That “I’ve tried everything” can become a softness that says, “I can’t, but He can.”

The world and its lusts are passing away. What you’re reaching for when you give in is air and ashes. But the life hid with Christ in God, that remains. Set your affection there. Each time the temptation rises, treat it as an opportunity to let patience have its perfect work, to take the way out, and to discover that you can walk in the Spirit. You haven’t reached the end of grace.