Adultery in the Heart and Mind
“But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with
lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28 (NLT)
The Holy Spirit finally moved in me to understand
and accept the depth and meaning of this scripture, which goes beyond that
which is obvious in the Word itself. For many years I struggled with this
scripture (especially when I was single) because my definition of “lust” had
nothing to do with adultery. But as I begin to understand and connect the dots
of scripture, the Lord’s plan for my life, and how the enemy uses people to
draw me away from God’s plan, I see why this scripture is among many that men
must keep in front of them at all times.
At the risk of using an overused term, lust is
indeed a “Blessing Blocker”. It is a great obstacle in the path of prayer, and
an impediment to the work of the Holy Spirit. Lust is very powerful and can
consume a man’s mind every time he sees a woman that is attractive to him. This
can take place all day long under the right circumstances. Lust will test our mental self-control and our willingness to call on the Lord in an instant
to strengthen us so we can get through that moment. Because of the powerful
nature of lust, we have no other choice but to rely on the power of the Lord to
overcome it.
The enemy is well aware of our lustful nature and
he will use a woman to push our lust button whenever he can. A woman need not do anything but be in our line of sight and be attractive to us and the
enemy is all over it to keep us off the path of righteousness.
The key for me was to understand where the
“Adultery” part comes in. If we are to be married to the Word of God, married
to the pursuit of righteousness, and married to the belief that God is real and
in control of our lives; then the lust in our hearts and minds for someone
other than our wife is an adulterous act against him.
As men we are weak in the area of lust. However,
we are strong in our ability to be aware, make choices, and call on the Lord.
James 4:7 tells us to, “resist the devil and he will flee.” Like the bully and
punk that he is, he will.
Bruce
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