Am I remembering to do whatever is necessary to prevent myself from looking at others lustfully?

27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

INSIGHT:  I met with a married Christian man over lunch one time who did not even attempt to hide the fact that he was checking out nearly every woman that walked by, in an inappropriate way.  The habit was so engrained he was no longer conscious of it.

As someone who spent years as a healthy single man, I understand the desires of the flesh and the God given desire for sex.  I remember what it felt like to see an attractive person and to have a seemingly inherent desire to look.  However, I am also a godly man who feared the Lord and who understood the destiny of those who live according to the flesh (Rom 8:13).  Instead, I chose to possess the life and peace that comes to those who deny their natural selves and live according to the Spirit, which pleases God. 

Living in purity will initially cause you suffering, especially if you have been feeding the lust monster for years and it is big and strong.  In Romans 12, Paul calls us to be living sacrifices and he know doubt uses the word sacrifice because it feels like death for a while.  However, it is my personal testimony that the grace of Christ can absolutely help you so that you are able to manage sinful appetites and maintain self-control.  Many will say, “But, I have tried to stop this a thousand times—I  just can’t.”  What you would be saying is that I must be special to God and that He gave me some extra ability to live holy that He has not given you.  You are also saying His grace is not sufficient which makes God out to be a liar.  This can’t be found in the Bible, and I know you don’t believe these things, so it must be that I’m doing something differently than you.  Let me tell you what I did to gain victory here.

2014 - As I began writing this page, I am sitting in a Starbucks looking out the window of the front of the store.  A rather attractive woman, wearing yoga pants and a skimpy top, just sat down in my line of sight just over my laptop.  Five minutes after she sat down, another attractive lady came in (the very one Satan used to cause me to fall in the story on day 58).  Do you think this is just a coincidence?  My audio journal entries are full of proof that Satan tried to take me out with women.  God allowed all these testing’s to make me strong in this area, through all my resistance. 

During my single years, I had a strong desire for a godly wife, but I had to wait a very long time.  Obviously, my desire made this my area of weakness and vulnerability.  Here’s how I stayed in victory in this area.  1. In humility, I admitted my weakness to the Father, (humility brings grace) 2. I prayed in faith when I got in my car to go out into the world, for God to not lead me into temptation but to deliver me from evil. (the world is a dangerous place to Christians and I still pray this prayer each time Lisa and I go outside) 3. I prayed again when any temptation came (warfare). There would have been many times someone may have seen me sitting behind my laptop, with my hands together and my eyes closed, while I silently prayed for help 4. I would think beforehand about the consequences of shame and guilt that come after yielding to a temptation, rather than the temporary pleasure it might provide now.  5.  I used Mat 11:12 violence to deny myself, forcefully, repeatedly looking away and starving those desires, knowing my eyes would never say, “Ok, we’re satisfied…you can stop looking now.”

The world says, “Just because you’re on a diet doesn’t mean you can’t look at the menu”, but Jesus says looking at the menu can end us up in hell.  Many men think it is impossible to stop lusting, and I wonder how they will feel when God plays the tapes of men like me, sitting in private, denying ourselves and looking away because we feared the Lord and loved our wives?